ARCH Library

Ukrainian Law Enforcement Finds Thousands of Scythian Artifacts Looted from Crimean Museums

ARCH — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:30:00 +0000

ARCH International

Ukraine’s General Prosecutor reported on Friday, June 24 that while authorities were “investigating money laundering linked to the funding of Russian occupied territories,” they uncovered ancient Scythian artifacts “believed to have been looted from museums in occupied Crimea.” According to the prosecutor’s statement the objects are worth millions, and a group of people have been identified to be “involved in illegal activities related to the financing of the [Donetsk People’s Republic], withdrawal of funds from Ukraine to the Russian Federation, as well as doing business in the occupied Crimea were established.”

Over 2,000 artifacts from Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages were discovered and have since been put in Ukraine’s National History Museum. The objects recovered include knives, dishes, swords, and manuscripts. In another seizure along the Black Sea coast (now occupied by Russia), authorities uncovered an additional 2,500+ coins from the Scythian and Bosporus Kingdoms. Since 2014, Russian soldiers have “been caught looting in Syria, as well as Eastern Ukraine and Crimea.” Looting cultural property from conflict zones is a war crime under the 1954 Hague Convention, which both Ukraine and the Russian Federation have been party to since 1957.

Sources:

General Prosecutor’s Office – Ukraine. 24 June 2022. “Law enforcement officers found a collection of Scythian swords and other unique museum exhibits worth millions of dollars.” https://gp.gov.ua/ua/posts/pravooxoronci-viyavili-kolekciyu-skifskix-meciv-ta-insix-unikalnix-muzeinix-eksponativ-na-milioni-dolariv-ssa (has more pictures of the objects)

Klein, David. 29 June 2022. “Ukraine Uncovers Antiquities Looted from Crimean Museums.” Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/16508-ukraine-uncovers-antiquities-looted-from-crimean-museums

UNESCO. 2021. “States Parties – The Hague Convention.” https://en.unesco.org/protecting-heritage/convention-and-protocols/states-parties

Photos by the Ukraine General Prosecutor’s Office:
https://gp.gov.ua/ua/posts/pravooxoronci-viyavili-kolekciyu-skifskix-meciv-ta-insix-unikalnix-muzeinix-eksponativ-na-milioni-dolariv-ssa

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Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum

Kathy Costello — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 13:15:57 +0000

Ivankiv, Kyiv
Ukraine

Status: 1-BLACK – It’s been irreparably destroyed

Description of the Site

The Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum (Ukrainian: Іванківський історико-краєзнавчий музей) was a museum in the town of Ivankiv, located northwest of the capital city Kyiv, Ukraine, which was destroyed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine (UNESCO). The museum was famous for housing a number of prominent works by the acclaimed Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko. According to an article on theartnewspaper.com and hypebeast.com, 25 paintings by Maria Prymachenko, were destroyed. “Prymachenko, who was born in and is buried in Ivankiv, was a self-taught artist who grew up as a peasant… Featuring a graphic aesthetic, largely made using gouache and watercolor, Prymachenko created inviting pictorial compositions that drew on Ukrainian folklore and mythology.”

( https://hypebeast.com/2022/2/ivankiv-museum-of-local-history-ukraine-maria-prymachenko-russia)

“One of the country’s best known painters, Prymanchenko’s work … was notable for depicting fantastical beasts, many of which came to her in dreams. Several of her works have been featured on Ukraine’s postage stamps and, in 1966, she was awarded Ukraine’s highest cultural honour, the Shevchenko National Prize. To recognize her contributions to the field of folk art, Unesco declared 2009 the year of Maria Prymachenko. The largest holdings of Prymachenko’s work, around 650 pieces, are in Ukraine’s National Museum of Applied Folk Art in Kyiv.”
(https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/02/28/ukraine-museum-burns-down-in-russian-invasion-destroying-25-works-by-folk-artist-maria-prymachenko)

The Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum opened on 21 February 1981 and was located on an archaeological site dating back to the Middle Ages. The museum included several exhibitions on Chernobyl, Afghanistan and the Second World War.[2] From 2016 to 2018, the museum was re-developed to accommodate expansions made to the collection since its foundation.[3] In 2021, the museum hosted an exhibition on Ivankiv’s Jewish heritage.[4]

The Threat

Russia’s invading forces and the ongoing conflict.

Efforts to Save Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum

UNESCO’s emergency measures: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/endangered-heritage-ukraine-unesco-reinforces-protective-measures

Who Should Be Held Accountable

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Museum of Local History in Ivankiv had been set on fire by Russian forces.

Quotes

In a statement posted on Facebook, Vlada Litovchenko, director of the Vyshhorod Historical and Cultural Reserve, called the events an “irreparable loss” — directly violating the “basic principles of UNESCO” under which the museum should have been protected.

The museum’s destruction has been described as “irreparable” by Vlada Liovchenko, director of the Vyshhorod History and Culture Reserve in nearby Toompea.

Source Links

As a result of invasion, about 25 works by outstanding artist Mariia Pryimachenko were burned. The paintings were stored in Ivankiv Museum, Kyiv region. She created world-famous masterpieces. Her special gift and talent captivated Pablo Picasso.
“Two-headed chicken, 1977” pic.twitter.com/dfAyfkn1k9
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) February 28, 2022

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/damaged-cultural-sites-ukraine-verified-unesco?hub=66116

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/02/28/ukraine-museum-burns-down-in-russian-invasion-destroying-25-works-by-folk-artist-maria-prymachenko

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivankiv_Historical_and_Local_History_Museum

https://hypebeast.com/2022/2/ivankiv-museum-of-local-history-ukraine-maria-prymachenko-russia

The local history museum in #Ivankiv #Kyiv region burned down as the result of the ongoing fighting and invasion #RussiaUkraine. pic.twitter.com/51VB3eh1fS
— From Kyiv (@Bogdan_Kyiv1) February 28, 2022

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/endangered-heritage-ukraine-unesco-reinforces-protective-measures

Gallery

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARCH, Inc., or its volunteers, officers, employees, or board of directors. As part of its nomination process, ARCH, Inc. will make a reasonable attempt to verify the accuracy of the information presented by the author. However, ARCH, Inc., assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content provided by the author, whether or not arising from the negligence of any of the author. The information contained in this site is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. While ARCH Inc., may edit a submission for brevity and clarity, ARCH does not make any substantive changes to the content submitted by the Author.

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History Quiz

ARCH — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 10:01:01 +0000

Take a quick fun quiz and learn about history!

https://www.historyquiz.com/

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Cool Kabul: Interviews for Coffee Table Book

ARCH — Tue, 31 May 2022 13:35:11 +0000

Yama Jewayni

Job Type: Paid Temporary Position

The project – “Cool Kabul:”

ARCH International is looking for a project assistant this summer to support the research and content creation for a coffee table book that will collect stories and photographs from the global Afghan Diaspora, with a focus on Afghan communities in the United States, especially those living in the DMV (DC, VA, MD), documenting the 1960s/70s in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Criteria:

– Timeframe: at least 3 months, full-time
– Farsi, Dari language a plus
– Excellent English
– Experience with transcribing, recording (audio/film) interviews, ability to identify and showcase interesting audio/video clips/anecdotes
– Photography skills
– Experience with journalism/blogging (writing, researching, copywriting, content writing, cold-calling, follow-ups), Journalism major
– Research skills (libraries, media archives, museum collections, …)
– Interest in the arts, entertainment, music, lifestyle
– Interest in Afghanistan and the country’s history and people
– Independent work style, weekly check-ins (work progress), proactive, flexible, organized

How to apply:

-Writing Samples/ Samples of Photography/Video clips
-Short Cover Letter in which you explain how you would approach this project (whom to contact and how, how you’d document the ongoing project, hoped for outcomes, questions you have for ARCH,..)
-CV
-Note on availability (months/days of week etc)
-Contact us at info[at]arch-library.org

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Erbil’s Most Popular Tour Guides

ARCH — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:59:34 +0000

Sophia Schultz

On my last Iraq visit, I met four local travel guides in Erbil, Iraq: Haval Qaraman, Balin Zrar, Rekan Rasool, and Karwan Wahed Nawkhosh.

Self-made, entrepreneurial – they are their own bosses. Sipping on Iraqi-style “Turkish coffee,” I learned about how they journeyed into their careers and how they became so popular and successful. They are very different of course and don’t really know each other very well, for this essay, however, I am trying to find similarities in their stories that might be interesting for someone who is thinking about becoming a tour guide.

Apart from Rekan, who is more in the business of organizing outdoor adventures (like climbing, and kayak tours), usually for a mix of locals and tourists, in the case of the others, the description ‘tour guide’ includes: picking someone up from the airport, recommending hotels, providing transport, and organizing full day-long trips including accommodation, traditional meals, cultural programming, overnight stays, and personalized tours at historic sites and hikes in the beautiful landscape of the region.

What was interesting to me is that the approach of hosting tourists in their home country, was very personal. The way they would remember their guests was similar to how someone would speak about having invited someone to their house. All of them remembered names of guests, and the countries where people are from: Sweden, France, USA, Germany, UK, and many more. Because of the visa restrictions that Iraqis who only have an Iraqi passport face, it is not easy to travel to the countries where visitors to Iraq are from, but still, there are many far-away countries where they would have a friend now.

The decision to become a tour guide in the first place, was, according to their accounts, based on their social networks, colleagues and friends, an openness to learn, and the love for their country. They organically grew into their roles. What became apparent was that in many cases, the fact of being a tour guide was the reason that led them to explore certain sites or remote villages. Based on the interactions with visitors they delved deeper into the history of places, and their significance, thereby becoming more knowledgeable about their own unique and rich cultural heritage. Some of my interview partners admitted that there are a few places that they might have never visited were it not for tourists asking them to take them there. This made me realize that there is a beautiful museum in my hometown in Germany, that I have barely visited!

Because of the personal connections to visitors, they also all described moments where they acted extremely spontaneously to accommodate personal preferences and last-minute changes of plans. Especially in the beginning, when they were new to their jobs, they fully relied on the scheduling of their guests. The guests would be the ones with the plan, they would present a route they had researched, mention places they had heard about. This quickly changed though as the tour guides became more and more sought-after. Haval’s first real client, very satisfied with his visit, turned out to be a writer for Lonely Planet and Haval quickly rose to fame from there There is a lengthy piece about Rekan in the New York Times, and Balin was on this webinar with us here at ARCH. Speaking of difficult guests with odd requests – after I insisted that I would love to play ping pong, Balin took me to a mall in Erbil where we could play–it was fun!

Not giving up, even in extremely difficult times, for example during the rise of ISIS (when the only visitors were a few journalists who needed someone with local know-how), nowadays the four are the go-to tour guides of Erbil. When someone contacts them, the usual approach now is to suggest a few itinerary options based on the length of the booking and the specific interests (Nature lover? History buff?..). Balin and Haval have recently added more tours outside of Iraqi Kurdistan as well, to sites such as the ancient city of Babylon, and Ur, the birthplace of Abraham.

To see selfies and fun photos from the various trips, I encourage you to follow them on social media (info at the bottom of this essay). Karwan likes to take along the Kurdish flag and enjoys it when tourists pose with it. The Kurdish flag is still not very well known around the world, so he suggests to visitors to post it on their own social media to spread awareness about Kurdish issues. He explained that his guests from abroad have told him that they often get curious reactions, “whose flag is this? It’s beautiful with the bright sun in the center!”

In my conversations, I learned something else about Erbil’s tour guides. Sometimes small “tricks” helped them a lot, things like well-designed and user-friendly websites, reviews on tripadvisor and other such sites. If you’re based in Iraq, reading this piece, please feel free to contact us here at ARCH for more tips. Little twists where one might underrate their importance, or take them for granted, can help a great deal. For example, help with email templates, or the proofreading of website content. A friend (former client) of Haval once offered to voluntarily spend a couple of hours for a few weeks to improve his website’s SEO. And Haval immediately noticed the difference a couple of months after: Many more people found his website when they googled a trip to Kurdistan. The tour guides ask their guests to please rate them online, and to write short reviews about their experience – this has proven to be very valuable. An active social media presence is also extremely important for engagement and to inspire people to make the trip to Kurdistan, Iraq and to answer their questions. Balin tries to not only take beautiful photos, he also adds historical facts and information, and he replies very fast if someone has an inquiry. Rekan takes amazing photos, too (the cover photo for this post is his, it shows Safen Mountain, Shaqlawa, Iraqi Kurdistan.) Haval and Karwan also emphasized in the interviews, how improving their English language knowledge early on was key to their success. After Haval found out his client “was from Lonely Planet” and after googling the literal translation, he was understandably confused, did he give a tour to an alien?? When we met, he told me the story in fluent English and we laughed about his joke.

They all agreed that when they started their jobs as tour guides, they saw them as a side-gig. They would have never expected how quickly it became a full-time commitment and how good of a business it is in times where people feel good about traveling. They worked hard and it paid off. It is still a risky endeavor though to make it your only source of income, especially for newcomers, because of the volatile political context (and more recently the pandemic), that can lead to a sudden halt in tourists traveling to Iraq from one day to the next. “Is Iraq safe?” – that is the question they get asked the most. In the busiest times though, the four are frequently overbooked, to the point where they have to decline inquiries. (try to book early! :))

Rekan works with locals as much as with foreigners, his outdoor tours are extremely popular among young adults who very often

are returning customers. Some lasting friendships were formed, and some mountain bikers and climbers even got married after they met on Rekan’s tours. Rekan is very active in animal welfare and environmental protection, and sometimes uses his platform to give lectures on plastic pollution, or organize actions, such as planting trees or collecting trash in remote mountain retreats. This shows how every tour guide brings his or her own personality and interest into the job, and how it is personal for them, too, to guide you and others.

We here at ARCH International would love to collect more tips from people who are already in the business of showing others around and we would also love to hear from everyone in Iraqi Kurdistan and Nineveh Province who is thinking about entering this field and is looking for mentors or has questions about the job!

credit for the cover photo: Rekan Rasool, 2021.

Sophia and Rekan

Sophia and Balin

Sophia and Karwan

Sophia and Haval

Haval Qaraman, http://www.iraqikurdistanguide.com/

Balin Zrar, https://kurdistanexpeditions.com/

Rekan Rasool, https://www.rockurbones.com/contact

Karwan Wahed Nawkhosh, https://www.iraqikurdistantours.com/

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Qatar National Library Events & Lectures

ARCH — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:16:53 +0000

Always interesting, always free of charge

https://www.qnl.qa/en/events

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Solitaired

ARCH — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 15:29:48 +0000

We created a custom art-inspired deck featuring works from Edvard Munch, Claude Monet, and other influential artists.

https://solitaired.com/?deck=expensive-art

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A Note From Our Deputy Director

ARCH — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:46:59 +0000

By Adam Tiffen As all of you know, for the last several years, I have been working with my colleagues at ARCH to restore an ancient synagogue that holds the tomb of the old-testament prophet Nahum in the christian town of Alqosh in Iraq. The restoration was an incredibly intense and complicated effort fraught with uncertainty. Its success the result of stubborn perseverance and a series of miracles. To put things in context, when we began the restoration, ISIS was only 15km away and had recently launched an assault on the town of Alqosh. In 2017, there were times where we were close enough to hear the fighting and artillery strikes in Mosul.I spent months away from home and traveled to Iraq on nearly a dozen occasions. Following the closure of air travel into Kurdistan, I flew to southern Turkey and crossed the border into Iraq on foot. The journey took us from the front lines with ISIS to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. From the Kurdish souk in Tel Aviv to the south wing of the U.S. Capitol. From the cellars of a 350-year-old pub in Vienna to the Jewish quarter in Prague and a quiet cafe in Sophia Bulgaria. If this had been a play, our cast of players would have been enormous. It included academics, engineers, conservation experts, scientists, consular and embassy officials of several governments, officials from numerous ministries and municipalities, security forces, priests of the Chaldean church, Kurdish and Iraqi Jews. Our diverse workforce in Iraq included Christians, Muslims, and even Yezidis, who had fled ISIS brutality and lived in IDP camps. The supporting cast included an entire class of graduate students from the Johns Hopkins University School of Museum Studies. Members of the ancient Chaldean Christian community supported us while they were buckling under the pressure of ISIS, Iranian-backed militias, and the struggle to survive in a place with so much uncertainty and so little opportunity. They fed and housed us in a place where there are no hotels or restaurants. At times I slept at a mental health trauma center for Yezidi Refugees, run by a Chaldean priest with the support of an NGO in Michigan. At other times, I slept in a church rectory in a town that had once been occupied by ISIS and whose retaking cost the life of a U.S. service-member. We navigated the complexities of working in a disputed territory with competing governments and competing agendas. We shunned publicity and promotion to prevent antagonizing powerful entities that would stop the restoration for political purposes, or to see the Jews erased from the history of Babylon. We faced the impossible challenge of raising funds for a project while staying under the radar. We stubbornly pursued donations despite being turned away over and over again by those who thought our effort doomed to failure. We persevered through a global pandemic and multiple lockdowns. We derailed the plans of individuals determined to stop us because if they could wrest away control of the Synagogue’s restoration, they believed they could use it to gain fame, power and wealth. We watched in disbelief as one of those individuals was subsequently arrested for murder while yet another claimed asylum in Europe to avoid arrest for fraud and theft. We utilized the latest in technology, including carbon dating, laser photogrammetry, virtual reality photography, and drone imagery. We tapped into the collective memory of two ancient peoples – the Chaldeans and the Jews – by scouring academic records and speaking with those still alive whose memories could resurrect the past. At the very end, we grieved over the loss of two of our team when Dr. Moti Zaken and Dr. Jihan Sindi passed within months of one another. It was an epic undertaking that would read like a thriller, a tragedy and a bleak comedy if it were a novel. Its genre would be a cross between historical fiction and science fiction. This past Friday, I traveled to Alqosh to see the completed Synagogue for myself. To say that it is breathtaking would be an understatement. Its fragile beauty is stunning. The Synagogue is unique in the world, and its restoration, unprecedented. Its humble grandeur is a testament to a vanishing bond between Jews and the land where their faith was born. And it was all of it worth it—every last ounce of blood, sweat, and tears. If you look at the attached photos, you may come to understand why. These before-and-after photos don’t do the Synagogue justice, but they will give you a sense of how extensive the reconstruction was and how close we had come to losing this ancient holy site forever. I hope someday you have an opportunity to see it for yourself, and I am always willing to help make that happen. Twitter @TiffenDC

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WHindanger: All for endangered heritage in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen

ARCH — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 04:54:06 +0000

By Nassima Chahboun

Until December 31st, you can join us and contribute to safeguarding endangered UNESCO World Heritage sites in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen, through participating in the campaigns of our project: WHindanger!

I am Nassima from Morocco, and in 2020, I co-founded Wiki World Heritage, an affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation, for the creation of online open content about World Heritage worldwide.

This year, we launched one of our most important projects: WHindanger, through which we aim to collaboratively create open content around World Heritage sites in danger, using powerful open platforms, such as Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia in the world.

Through a series of writing workshops and photography campaigns we are organizing, everyone is invited to write and translate Wikipedia articles about these endangered sites, and donate photographs to illustrate the articles and build online photo-repositories under free licenses.

So if you have photos of Bamiyan, Jam, Ashur, Hatra, Samarra, Sanaa, Shibam or Zabid, join us to tell the stories of these sites to the whole world, and also get the chance to win a prize!

To participate in the photography campaigns, you can upload your photos on :
www.whindanger-afghanistan.wiki
www.whindanger-iraq.wiki
www.whindanger-yemen.wiki

To participate in the writing workshops, don’t hesitate to contact us at contact@wikiworldheritage.org

Photo credit: Old Sanaa, Yemen – By AdelHaimi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Uploaded within WHindanger campaign in Yemen)

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Learning and Literacy Through Music

ARCH — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 18:31:41 +0000

By Tina Martin

While playing music and reading are different activities, several studies suggest music promotes learning. More specifically, music helps children read, and music education is important to your child’s overall education. Let me present you with some tips and resources that can help encourage a passion for music.

Why reading is important

The ability to read is one people often take for granted. But, for the 30 million adults in the US who struggle with literacy, it’s a big deal. According to Do Something, in the United States, 1 in 4 children grow up without learning to read. 2 out of 3 students who cannot read by the end of 4th grade, will likely end up in jail or on welfare. In the UK, statistics aren’t any better, with 28 percent of the adult population experiencing profound reading deficits. Learning to read at an early age opens up a whole world of possibilities and gives children the chance to grow into adults who appreciate art, history, different cultures, and a variety of perspectives.

Music is a fun way to encourage literacy in children who don’t read for pleasure. According to the National Association for Music Education, music lessons motivate reading by helping students develop proficiency and giving them the tools they need to learn to evaluate, critique, create, and analyze multimedia text.

Tips for encouraging musical ambition

Children may be intimidated by playing an instrument or singing, especially in front of a crowd. It’s not uncommon for children to participate in music class in school, only to avoid showing up for evening play performances. As a parent, you are in a unique position to encourage your child’s musical ambition. The following tips can help you get your child on the path toward better grades and increased confidence:

● Give them their space. Your budding musician will need a lot of practice and creating a dedicated practice space can reinforce the importance of putting in the time. Decorate the space with music-inspired art and consider a touch-up. If you don’t want to mess around with cans of paint, today’s wallpaper is easier to apply, easier to remove, and there are endless patterns to choose from. You can even use the online tool to create your own designs.

● Let them experiment. Choosing the right instrument depends on your child’s music genre preference, age, who their musical role models are, and their general taste.
Give them access to different types of instruments until they find one they enjoy.

● Write songs with them. One of the most obvious ways that music can improve literacy is through songwriting. When your child feels a creative streak coming on, sit down together and come up with a few verses. Once they get in the groove, back away and let them focus on writing lyrics without distractions.

● Provide an audience. Children love to have their accomplishments praised in a safe environment. When they approach you with a new song or skill they’ve mastered, make that your priority. If you can’t break away at the moment they want you, schedule a concert at home for the family. If you have the space, this DIY stage is the perfect way to put your child in the spotlight.

As Zenbusiness notes, self-confidence doesn’t happen overnight. If they make mistakes along the way, keep self-criticism from creeping in by encouraging them to push forward. Tell them that it takes time to learn an instrument, and to not give up.

Not all children learn to read in the same way. Even among siblings, learning differences can be drastic. One child may pick up writing simply by playing around on the computer. Another may need more direct encouragement. Explore different options until you find what works best for your child and their specific needs. Music can get you there in a fun and rewarding way.

Check out Tina’s website at https://www.ideaspired.com/

Photo credit: Image via Cottonbro at Pexels.com

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