Background

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has resulted in a significant loss of human lives and the national and international displacement of Ukrainian people. This aggressive action has also seen the destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, a truly devastating amount not witnessed since WWII. Many symbols of national identity such as priceless artifacts, museums, churches, and archaeological histories have been specifically targeted to be destroyed and looted. There is an ongoing urgent need to protect and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage from further damage and loss.


The Museum of Ukrainian Craft and Culture Scotland (MUCCS) was established on 24th August 2024 to coincide with Ukrainian Independence Day. Our aim as a voluntary organisation is to support Ukraine by showcasing its rich culture, history, traditions and beauty through our collections, exhibitions and online articles from guest authors.

An important aspect of our platform is to provide resources for displaced Ukrainian persons, which we continue to develop. We also share information on how members of the public can get involved in supporting Ukraine; by volunteering, learning Ukrainian, or donating much needed supplies.

Collections

We are developing the scope of our collections to include textiles, ceramics, pottery, wooden objects, painted objects, photographic prints and more. They will showcase Ukraine’s history of craftsmanship and help to tell the story of our cultural, traditional, folkloric and religious practices. Rare examples of embroidered work, unique regional dress, perishable ritual objects - all these items help to bring to life Ukrainian ethnographic history. In addition, we are also collecting limited selected pieces that relate to the Russian invasion of 2022, telling the story of Ukrainian resilience and hope on a national, international, and personal level.

We accept donations of collections items if they fall within our scope of collecting - this is at the curator’s discretion. Items on loan (e.g. from local members of the public or artists) will be photographed and displayed on the website, with a disclaimer that it has not been accessioned into the museum and physically remains with the owner.

If you would like to donate an item, please get in touch using the contact form below.

Exhibitions

We don’t have a physical premises at the moment, so we are focused on delivering a high quality online platform which is accessible, easy to navigate, educational and free. However! A lack of our own space doesn’t limit us in exhibiting our collections to the public. We often have temporary pop-up exhibitions and talks which showcase our collections items and we proudly facilitate the exhibition of Ukrainian artists in Scotland. All exhibitions also have a digital counterpart on the website.

We are continuing to form collaborative partnerships with a variety of institutions who are kind enough to host our items in their exhibition spaces. Venues include Biggar Museum, Perth Civic Hall, Edinburgh Central Library, Dovecot Studios, University of Edinburgh and more. We aim to create more links with partners Scotland-wide to ensure there are opportunities for groups in smaller cities and towns to also experience the collections without the need for long distance travel.

—

We are dedicated to protecting, preserving, digitising, researching and promoting items of national and cultural importance, and supporting Ukrainian communities wherever possible. Thanks for being here with us!
The MUCCS Team

Слава Україні