In response to the devastating loss of over 400 cultural sites – including libraries, museums, and churches – since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ark is an ambitious multi-stage project that aims to preserve Ukraine’s rich cultural history for future generations.
Project Ark develops and deploys mobile safeguarding vehicles for the preservation and digitization of culturally significant documents and books. The three vehicles, Ark I, Ark II, and Ark III, will be navigated by a team of trained experts, featuring real-time tracking and advanced security systems. State-of-the-art technological components and security features will be combined with deep community engagement, involving Ukrainian institutions, local communities, and international experts to prioritize and protect cultural assets.
The fundraising event at the Victoria and Albert Museum brought together partners and supporters of Ukraine from the worlds of business, diplomacy, the arts, and politics to support our Ark initiative to protect Ukrainian culture from the devastation of war. Boris Johnson, writer and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, delivered the keynote address.
ARK I, a mobile preservation unit, is designed for emergency interventions and on-site restorations of collections of Ukrainian libraries, including books and manuscripts, select documents, and written heritage in general. The workplace can be extended to include shelters outside the container and some activities can be carried out outside the mobile unit.
Digitization helps preserve and share important documents that are at risk; equipment for such a workplace will include scanners, computer units, software to process and manage scanned data, portable storage, air conditioning and external backup power.
Ark III will enable the digitization of smaller artefacts found in endangered museums and galleries across Ukraine. The unit combines a rescue and digitization site along with a compact mobile unit that can be quickly deployed.
The Ark project for Ukraine not only helps safeguard Ukrainian heritage but also serves as a model for cultural preservation in other conflict zones around the globe. Showcasing the power of public-private partnerships, the initiative emphasizes the critical importance of protecting cultural heritage, which is too often an afterthought in times of war.
Project Ark builds on the Czech Republic’s unwavering support of Ukraine and its people. With future plans to expand and innovate, Ark aims to draw in other institutions, businesses, civil society organizations, and private individuals to take action.
March 20 | During his visit to the Ukrainian capital, the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, visited the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, the first location to host Ark I, a mobile conservation unit designed to rescue and restore rare books and manuscripts.
January 27 | Ark I, a specialized mobile unit which will help safeguard rare manuscripts, books and archival documents in Ukraine that have been damaged during the war or are threatened by external conditions, has been delivered to Kyiv. This marks a crucial milestone in the Ark for Ukraine’s mission to protect the nation’s cultural heritage since the project was initiated over a year ago in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Czech ICOM Committee and the National Library of the Czech Republic – along with key private donors like the Karel Komarek Family Foundation.
December 18 | A significant milestone in protecting Ukrainian culture from the impacts of Russian aggression has been reached. Thanks to the financial support of the KKFF Foundation and MND a.s., the Ark project has officially been completed. Ark I is a specially designed mobile container intended to protect rare manuscripts, books, and archival documents. The KKFF Foundation and MND a.s. contributed half of the project’s funding, amounting to five million CZK.
The Ark project is a joint initiative of the Karel Komárek Family Foundation (KKFF), MND, and entrepreneur Libor Winkler, in collaboration with the Czech Ministry of Culture, the Czech National Library, The National Museum of the Czech Republic, among others. Project Ark aims to draw in other institutions, businesses, civil society organizations, and private individuals to take action.
The Karel Komárek Family Foundation, founded by Czech entrepreneur Karel Komárek and his wife Štěpánka, is dedicated to supporting cultural, educational, and social projects that have a lasting impact on society. A key focus of the foundation is the development andrevitalization of public spaces, transforming parks, school gardens, and other communal areas into vibrant, functional places that strengthen community ties. By combining construction and landscaping with cultural and educational activities, the foundation fosters environments that encourage dialogue, preserve cultural heritage, and inspire creativity, making these spaces vital hubs for community life.
The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Czech Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM CZ) are supporting efforts to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage and mitigate the destruction of the war. Project Ark is realized under the direct patronage of the Czech Minister of Culture Martin Baxa and his deputy Ondřej Chrást who, together with ICOM CZ President Gina Renotière, initiated and prepared this initiative in cooperation with Ukrainian partners.
If you would like more information about our project or have any media-related inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We're happy to provide details and answer any questions you may have.
