Save the Spot announces innovate ticket purchase initiative to save cultural landmarks in Ukraine

• • London-based not-for-profit has partnered with Ukrainian venues including museums, galleries, libraries, and music schools  
    • Latest partner is Pokrovsk Historic Museum, Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of Ukraine  

• • • Donors can purchase tickets to help provide much-needed funding to institutions affected by the war 

Save the Spot, a not-for-profit dedicated to raising funds for cultural institutions during times of crisis, has announced its work to support venues in Ukraine. The organisation has adopted a unique system to raise donations, where individuals can purchase “entrance tickets” to a number of partnered cultural institutions in Ukraine. 

Unlike many charity organisations which act as funds that collect and distribute money, Save the Spot has established an online platform where donors can send their contributions directly to individual institutions through ticket purchases. This unique system means that donors can be confident that the entirety of their donation will go towards supporting the venue of their choice. While the war persists, the tickets cannot be used, but the money donated through the ticket purchases will help support these venues to survive and ultimately rebuild.

Save the Spot has already partnered with twelve institutions in the country, including museums, galleries, theatres, libraries and zoos. Each venue has been damaged and many were forced to close by the impact of the invasion. The funds raised through Save the Spot will be channelled into supporting the restoration of the buildings and their contents so that they can once again open to the public.

The latest cultural institution to join Save the Spot’s roster is the Pokrovsk Historical Museum, a must-visit destination in the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. By February 2022, the museum had seven exhibition halls, offering a fascinating journey through the region’s history from the Stone Age to present day. However, following the military invasion, the museum had to close its doors to visitors, and staff have been working tirelessly to preserve its collection.

While some of the venues have closed their doors entirely, others endure as cultural hubs in new, unique ways. The Irpin Central House of Culture was built after The Second World War, to provide a space for creative events and performances in post-war Ukraine. Now, damaged by another war, the House of Culture remains an emblem for culture’s survival and its symbolic charm has attracted artists and musicians such as English singer Ed Sheeran, Lithuanian pianist Darius Mažintas, and Irish rockband U2.

Over hundreds of years of history, Ukraine has developed into a blossoming locus for artists, writers, and musicians. The ongoing invasion of the country has put this cultural identity in danger, with venues beset by both physical and financial damage.

Save the Spot was founded in 2022 by Russian entrepreneur Tatiana Fokina, a vocal opponent of the invasion of Ukraine. CEO of fine wine and spirits emporium Hedonism and Michelin star restaurant HIDE, Tatiana has long since been an outspoken critic of Putin’s regime in Russia.

Tatiana Fokina, Founder of Save the Spot, said: “It’s at times of crisis that culture is most endangered; most likely to be overlooked and most likely to be destroyed. It is also at such times that culture matters most. When people face terrible circumstances, they need a future to strive for – a future where they can once again learn music, or write, or paint. That is why it is so encouraging to see our number of partnered institutions continue to grow, with the Pokrovsk Historical Museum most recently.

“In this war, Ukraine is defending not only its political liberty, but also its cultural identity. Our mission is to ensure that, when the people of Ukraine are once more able to return to their cultural venues, these remarkable spots will be ready to welcome them back.”