CULTURAL CODE OF MARIUPOL. RUINED BUT NOT DESTROYED
This exhibition is the voice of the destroyed Mariupol, a Ukrainian city with a centuries-old history, where dozens of cultures, languages, and traditions coexisted. Through works of folk art, it tells about the unique cultural diversity of the Nadazov region - a distinctive region of Ukraine, where a unique cultural identity was formed. A special place in the exhibition is occupied by carpets, reproduced from samples from the museum collection.
After a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore was destroyed. Thousands of artifacts — priceless evidence of the past — were lost. Among them were authentic woven products from the 18th and 19th centuries, created by local craftsmen.
This project is not only a tribute to the memory of what was lost, but also an act of restoration. The initiator of the "Mariupolio kilim" project - Lithuanian textile artist of Ukrainian origin Natalia Vilkaliene - creates replicas of Mariupol carpets, which were on display at the local history museum, based on preserved photographs. Thanks to careful scientific work, since 2021 she has managed to research the features of Nadazovye textiles and local samples of wool for carpet weaving. The textile craftswoman has dedicated herself to the revival of unique carpets, preserving ancient techniques and ornaments, giving new life to the tradition.
The exhibition presents digital copies of items from the ethnographic collection of the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore. The central element is replicas of Mariupol carpets destroyed by Russian aggression, as a symbol of the memory of a culture that lives on despite all difficulties and trials. It is a bridge between the past and the future, between loss and hope.
Organizers: Pranas Gudinas Restoration Center, Mariupol City Council (relocated to Dnipro in 2022), Mariupol Local Lore Museum (official representative office in Dnipro).
Curator: Natalia Vilkalieniė, Master of Arts in Textile Art and Design, member of the Lithuanian Artists' Union.
