On April 1, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi, participated in the launch of the first Ukrainian-language audio guide at the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History in Chișinău, during his official visit to Moldova.
The Minister of Culture of Moldova, Sergiu Prodan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Moldova, Paun Rohovei, museum leaders, representatives of Moldovan civil society, and the Ukrainian diaspora attended this event.
To mark the occasion, Olena Zelenska sent a video message to the participants.
“My words of gratitude to Moldova, which has demonstrated what it means to be a good neighbor and friend since the first days of the Russian invasion, and which has hosted more than 125 thousand Ukrainian forced migrants. We are especially grateful for Moldova’s support of Ukrainian culture and identity. Thank you for training Ukrainian language teachers and for opening more than 70 Ukrainian bookshelves in Moldovan libraries. And today, we have taken another important step: the launch of the Ukrainian-language audio guide”, said Olena Zelenska.
Thanks to this initiative, Ukrainians who have sought refuge in Moldova since the russian invasion can now explore the museum’s exhibits in their native language.
Mykola Tochytskyi also acknowledged the significant contributions of the Ministry of Culture of Moldova and civil society representatives who played a key role in bringing the project to life. He also expressed his gratitude to the patrons who provided financial support.
The Minister highlighted that the launch of the Ukrainian-language audio guide in Chișinău is an important step in providing Ukrainians living in Moldova with more opportunities to engage with local culture.
The guide also features an inclusive version for people with hearing impairments, ensuring everyone has access to information about Moldova’s history and culture.
Under the patronage of Ukraine’s First Lady, the project has now led to the creation of 96 Ukrainian-language guides across 52 countries, becoming a key tool for cultural diplomacy.
In addition, the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History launched another exciting innovation — a Ukrainian-language virtual reality app called “Find the Deinotherium”. This app brings to life one of the museum’s most famous exhibits — the skeleton of a deinotherium.
The AR app was developed by the Moldovan company Racketa Production as part of the “Museums of the Future” initiative. The project is being carried out by ARTCOR (Creative Industries Center, Chișinău) and the Creative Industries Association COR under the “Creative Moldova” program, with support from the Ministry of Culture of Moldova. It has also received backing from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom, and the Moldcell Foundation of Moldova.
