The Free Belarus Museum begins a project to digitize and open access to its collection of artifacts

The project focuses on the processing, preservation, and online presentation of part of the museum’s collection that documents the contemporary history of civil resistance in Belarus. As part of the initiative, the museum’s artifacts — including artworks, documents, personal belongings of protest participants, and photographs — will undergo professional digital processing and archiving, followed by their publication in an online catalog featuring detailed descriptions and contextual information.

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The project aims to preserve and provide broad online access to selected artifacts from the collection related to Belarusian protests, political repression, the anti-war movement, and the life of the Belarusian diaspora, the Museum of Free Belarus reported on its Facebook page.

Within the framework of the project, the following is planned:

• Selection of 200 artifacts and preparation of detailed descriptions, including key metadata, provenance, and cultural and political context;
• Digitization and processing of materials: each object will be scanned or photographed in high quality using professional equipment, with attention to preserving artistic and material characteristics;
• Creation of an online database (catalog) in three languages — Belarusian, Polish, and English — with filters, visual previews, and a search function. The catalog will be accessible to the general public.

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The implementation of this project will make it possible to:

• Preserve and make publicly accessible key artifacts of Belarus’s recent history;
• Use digital humanities tools to popularize topics related to civil society and the anti-authoritarian movement;
• Support Belarusian culture and resistance in an international context.

The project also foresees the creation of a virtual exhibition of museum artifacts and the organization of educational activities for participants of the Belarusian Museum Laboratory, aimed at knowledge exchange, training, and developing recommendations for the digitization of cultural heritage.

The project is carried out under the “Digital Culture 2025” program and co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, using funds from the Culture Support Fund — a state targeted fund.

“Stay tuned for updates — there will be lots of interesting content! We also invite collaboration — we would greatly appreciate the donation of artifacts from your private collections (including anonymously) to the Museum of Free Belarus to help preserve our shared history!” — the museum wrote on its social media pages.

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Original article: budzma.org