The appointment has been made in recognition of his studies of the archaeology of historic Kyiv and to support for his work in continuing to record and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage. Once the war is over, Bournemouth University and Dr Taranenko intend to develop further collaborations.
Dr Taranenko, who has excavated the historic districts of Kyiv, is based at the World Heritage Site of the Monastery of Pechersk-Lavra, where he is recording the heritage of this large cultural site. Because of the importance of his work, his post is currently protected from having to serve in the army, but this situation could change at any moment. Many of his archaeological colleagues are now serving on the front line.
Before the war, he excavated within Podil, the historic lower city of Kyiv, which was one of the first parts to be settled in the 11th century.
The Monastery where he now works also dates back to the 11th century and is the largest monastic site in Ukraine, covering 26 hectares and containing 140 monuments, including caves used by monks over centuries.
In the past, many monuments in Ukraine, including historic churches, have been destroyed by conflict and war. None have so far been damaged by the current conflict, but missile attacks by the Russians are now targeting inner city institutions and cultural sites, such as the Khanenko Art Museum, which was recently hit.
Mark Brisbane, Emeritus Professor at Bournemouth University, who established the link with Dr Taranenko, said, “It’s been inspirational hearing how Sergiy and his team have carried on caring for their country’s heritage in the face of such despicable adversity. The Department is honoured to help in any way it can and we look forward to working with our Ukrainian colleagues when the war is over.”
Members of the Bournemouth Archaeology and Anthropology Department have started a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help Dr Taranenko and his team with the work they are doing. This includes making videos about the historic monuments and explaining them to the general public, and an illustrated book for young readers to learn about the history and archaeology of Kyiv over the past 1,000 years.
Dr Taranenko said, “I am very much looking forward to working with my Bournemouth colleagues. The support to date has been a tremendous start and I am most grateful to all those who have helped with our projects at such a difficult and uncertain time.”
The Department is also working on a plan to bring a student of archaeology from Ukraine to Bournemouth to see how archaeology is practised here. If anyone is interested in finding out more they can contact Mark Brisbane on [email protected].
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