On January 21, a meeting was held at the Kharkiv State Scientific Library of Vladimir Korolenko as part of the “Creative Meetings in Times of War” series. The event was dedicated to the project “DeArchiving. Painting from the KSADA Methodical Fund”, implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

The central theme of the event was the restoration of paintings from the methodical fund of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts — a complex, multi-layered process of bringing artworks back to life after they had long remained outside the active artistic and scholarly circulation.

Nataliia ANTONENKOVA, the head of the project’s restoration works, provided a detailed overview of the restoration research, recovery methods, the condition assessments of the works, and professional challenges involved. Her presentation focused on the practical aspects of working with paintings, technical and technological analysis results, and the unexpected discoveries regarding authorship and materials made during the restoration of thirty paintings.

Particular attention was given to how restoration serves as the first essential step towards further de-archiving: digitisation, the creation of an electronic catalogue, and the presentation of works in the virtual space. This concept was further developed by the project’s author, Tetyana KASYANENKO, who emphasised the importance of combining professional restoration with modern tools for promoting art.

The meeting took place in an atmosphere of lively dialogue and genuine interest. Attendees had the opportunity to look inside the restoration workshops and learn more about the academic traditions of the Kharkiv School of Painting, and discover how it is being preserved, researched, and reinterpreted today.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Kharkiv Korolenko State Scientific Library for the invitation, professional dialogue, and support of the project. In these challenging times of war, such meetings are especially important — they not only bring together professionals and art enthusiasts, but also help to promote awareness of the value of our shared cultural heritage and the responsibility for its preservation.

Read more about the event on the official library website

Watch the video recording of the meeting