In addition to the Foundation and MND, the project, which aims to protect Ukrainian cultural heritage from Russian war aggression, also involves the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the National Library of the Czech Republic and the Yaroslav Mudry National Library in Kiev. The workplace was also established thanks to the support of other donors, namely Libor Winkler and his friends.

"The preservation of culture in times of war plays a key role both in preserving a nation's identity and in sustaining its hopes for reconstruction. Because of the provision of essential humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, national budgets and the financial capacity of non-profit organizations are already stretched. Therefore, at this time, it is necessary to look for new ways to protect Ukraine's cultural heritage. One of them is a public-private partnership, which is how the Ark project came into being. It helps to mitigate the losses Ukraine has suffered in the field of culture, while serving as a model for cultural protection on a global scale," noted Karel Komarek, founder of KKFF.

The mobile unit was officially completed in December 2024, when it arrived at the premises of the National Library of the Czech Republic in Prague's Hostivař. After the necessary preparation, which lasted less than a month, the container filled with special equipment set off for Kiev. In the premises in front of the Yaroslav Mudry National Library, the participants of the press conference had the opportunity to see the workplace in detail from the inside.

An important part of Ark I's future work is the training of Ukrainian library staff. Their colleagues from the Czech Republic are gradually passing on their experience in the field of book conservation.

"We have developed a comprehensive strategy for the deployment of this mobile unit. However, given the current security situation in our country, we must maintain strict confidentiality regarding specific destinations and operations in order to protect both our irreplaceable cultural heritage and the professionals working with this equipment. The partnership with the National Library of the Czech Republic is not just a matter of providing equipment. It includes specialized online training, professional development, and remote and on-site collaboration. As a province-wide methodological center for public libraries, we coordinate the project on a national level. Thus, this project concerns not only our library, but the entire Ukrainian library community," noted Oleh Serbin, Director General of the Yaroslav Mudry National Library in Kiev.

Ark III

Ark I is not the only initiative of the Karel Komarek Family Foundation in the field of protecting Ukrainian culture from Russian aggression. Together with the National Museum and the Kyiv-Pechersk State Historical and Cultural Reserve, the Foundation also supports the Ark III project. The latter extends the original plan to include a 3D scanning workstation. The main goal is to create a mobile digitizing station for 3D scanning of valuable historical and cultural objects. A transporter with a crew of three will be able to move operationally throughout Ukraine.

Lukas Pfauser

Karel Komarek Family Foundation