Distribution of fire extinguishers to wooden churches of Ukraine

Implementation period: August - November 2022.
Donor: World Monuments Fund
Budget: 2931.67 USD
Performer: Heritage Emergency Response Initiative (HERI)
Administration: Tustan NGO
Wooden churches are one of the most fragile monuments. Even without war, their number decreases due to indifference and ignorance, the influence of time and natural causes. Now the threat of the disappearance of wooden churches is greater than ever, because the slightest flash or missile strike will turn them into a pile of ashes in a matter of minutes.
To prevent the risk of destruction of monuments, the Heritage Emergency Response Initiative with the support of the World Monuments Fund provided Ukrainian wooden churches with water-mist fire extinguishers. 60 ancient wooden churches, which were built no later than the 18th century and have significant historical and architectural value, in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions were included in the list formed with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS.
A total of 173 water-mist fire extinguishers were handed over to Ukrainian churches – they are recommended to be used to protect authentic works of art in historical buildings. Also part of the initiative is training of representatives of local communities with the involvement of emergency services specialists on actions in case of emergency situations.