Design for Ukrainian Heritage

The Museum of Ukrainian Museums in the metaverse

The image shows a virtual art gallery visualization within a metaverse or a digital 3D platform. The exhibition space features minimalist grey walls displaying various works ranging from architectural interior photographs to classical sacred paintings, such as those from the National Folk Decorative Art Museum. Three female avatars are seen exploring the environment, while small floating blue circles indicate clickable interaction points for further information on the exhibits. The interface suggests an immersive digital cultural experience, complete with a chat bar in the bottom right and login options at the top.

The Design for Ukrainian Heritage project brings together in a single digital museum the works of art of twenty Ukrainian museum institutions for the preservation of the national cultural heritage that is highly endangered due to the military conflict.

Following the principles and motivations behind the Design Against War project, which involved students and researchers from the Politecnico di Milano and the European Movement for Nonviolent Action (MEAN), Design for Ukrainian Heritage (D4UH) set out to find strategies to protect, preserve and enhance the artworks housed in Ukrainian museum institutions through the creation of a digital platform.

The image shows a 3D virtual museum environment, part of an immersive digital experience. A modern exhibition space, featuring a dark-beamed ceiling and grey flooring, hosts large wall projections, including an image of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and a thematic map of the territory. In the center, a female avatar observes the works, while in the lower left, an interactive spherical element labeled "Music" appears, made of a mosaic of faces from video calls. The scene suggests a virtual social platform dedicated to cultural engagement and historical memory.
The image shows the entrance to a 3D virtual pavilion titled "D4UH - Design for Ukrainian Heritage." The architectural structure is modern and minimalist, consisting of imposing dark grey concrete portals that are reflected in a body of water in the foreground. The roof features a series of light wood beams alternating with transparent panels, revealing a clear blue sky. In the foreground, a female avatar faces the entrance, while various digital installations are visible inside, including projections of historical buildings, maps, and photo galleries. Small floating glowing circles suggest interactive points for the user. The overall atmosphere combines contemporary design and digital technology to create a commemorative and informative space dedicated to the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage.

In collaboration with 22 Ukrainian museums, the D4UH team built the Museum of Ukrainian Museums using video, 3D models, mockups and images, to advocate for the preservation and digitization of collections, emphasizing the intricate interconnection between humanity, human senses and cultural heritage. The project bears witness to the impact that war is having on buildings and works of art and monitors the measures taken by institutions to protect and save heritage.

The image shows the interior of a 3D virtual art gallery dedicated to Ukrainian culture. Two avatars explore the exhibition space, which features modern architecture with wooden beams and a ceiling open to the sky. Photographs of traditional clothing, paintings, and scenes of war damage are projected on the walls, accompanied by interactive blue circles. A menu in the top right corner displays the list of connected participants ("People").

The research

In July 2022, after meeting with the superintendents of the National Museum of History of Ukraine in Kiev, Anna Barbara, Associate Professor of the Department of Design and coordinator of the D4UH project, together with MEAN volunteers, launched a call for action to engage students through the Passion in Action program.

Each of the twenty-three selected students – from nine different courses of study and from thirteen different countries – was assigned a Ukrainian museum to study its history, museological features, permanent collections and most significant temporary exhibitions: an intensive data collection process focused on each museum's past, present and future.

The research team identified relevant data sources such as social media platforms, websites, and direct communications with museum directors. The collected data were thoroughly analyzed to gain insights into the current situation of museums, identify patterns and trends, and guide the design of the virtual museum.

It was thus possible to determine if, how much and when museums had been damaged, as well as the extent of damage and the condition of their permanent collections.

Interaction with museum directors also helped to define concrete actions, beginning with the demand for conservation of works in the short term and ending with the improvement of museum itineraries in the long term.

The image shows a virtual gallery environment dedicated to ongoing future projects, as indicated by the wall text "The FUTUREs projects ongoing". Within the digital space, three female avatars move among large interactive bubbles displaying informational images and text, notably referencing "ALIPH and Getty" and the "World Economic F..." with a "Save Ukraine" message. The setup suggests an immersive platform for awareness and documentation regarding humanitarian and cultural preservation themes.
A 3D digital museum room displaying historical artifacts (swords, vases, icons) and photographs from the Bila Tserkva Regional Local Museum, featuring a metaverse-style interactive interface.

The Museum of Ukrainian Museums

Using advanced 3D modeling and rendering techniques, the Museum of Ukrainian Museums was thus born, a unique, extensive museum in the metaverse that is constantly being updated, offering visitors a detailed, immersive experience capable of restoring the feeling of being inside a physical museum.

The virtual museum experience provides an authentic and immersive sense of the cultural space, echoing the impact that the war had on Ukrainian museums and the country's history.


«Design for Ukrainian Heritage is a concrete example of activism in design that allowed for the recognition of the urgency of identifying and developing strategies and perspectives on cultural heritage preservation in the context of conflict.»



Visit the Museo dei Musei Ucraini.

The image shows the interior of a multimedia exhibition in the metaverse, focused on historical memory through a series of hanging portraits and a blue, cross-shaped platform with informational screens. Next to the installation is an interactive digital totem, while the interface suggests an immersive navigation experience with chat and login options. The atmosphere is solemn, designed to document and honor the stories of the people represented in the drawings.
The image shows a navigable 3D virtual museum environment, featuring modern architecture cantilevered over a body of water. A female avatar stands in the center of an exhibition hall where the walls host various photographic and informational galleries, with references to institutions such as the National Chernobyl Museum and the Sophia of Kyiv Complex. The interface includes typical virtual world elements, such as interactive circles for more information, login buttons, social icons, and a chat bar in the bottom right, suggesting an immersive and shared cultural visiting experience.

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