Collecting Moments That Matter (16.07.2026)

Written by Mariia Lobanova, Acting Head of the Conservation and Science Department, Odesa Archaeological Museum of the National Academy Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine, ITP 2026)

Hello! My name is Mariia Lobanova. I work in the Conservation and Science Department at the Odesa Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. I came to the ITP hoping to gain new knowledge, build professional connections, and, of course, make new friends. Today’s story is about how life can feel like a rollercoaster: you never know what comes next, and some days somehow last much longer than twenty-four hours.

The morning started with the city still upset about the football result. As if that was not enough, we soon found out that while the rest of us had been working in our departments the day before, one department had gone on a trip and even enjoyed a boat ride. It was definitely a tough morning in London. Still, we are museum professionals, so we kept going.

Fortunately, everything changed when I arrived at the Department of Greece and Rome. David Saunders and Allison Kidd led a workshop on gallery refreshment and object labels, which quickly became one of the most inspiring sessions of the program. The permanent exhibition at my museum in Odesa is currently closed, and we are thinking about rebuilding it after the war. We talked about the importance of words (sometimes even individual letters matter!) how museums address gender, ethnicity and race, and how exhibitions can present the diversity of objects from a single archaeological site. Standing in these world-famous galleries with the curators before visitors arrived felt surreal.

In the afternoon, Thorsten Opper introduced us to the research behind Villa Adriana. We followed the story from eighteenth-century archival documents to the objects on display at the British Museum today, and even visited the study collection.  

I spent the last few years working with archaeological archives and old museum collections, and I found this particularly inspiring. I was also encouraged by stories about successful collaborations with former ITP participants. The lecturer’s phrase “Think Big” is very inspiring.

Afterward, we enjoyed a well-deserved lemonade outside. I took a deep breath and thought, This is definitely my favorite day of the ITP. That turned out to be a little premature.

Our visit to the V&A East Storehouse was still coming up. The ITP team somehow managed to move the whole group across London during rush hour! The Storehouse was fascinating. I especially liked how open and easy to access it was, and the talks about twentieth-century architecture and how people live together in shared spaces.

Another deep breath. Now this had to be my favorite day. Then came the suggestion to round off the day with dinner at an Iraqi restaurant. Dinner became another highlight. We talked about our cultures, compared traditional dishes, and shared tea rituals. I also realized there are still some misconceptions about Ukrainian food, but I plan to address them before the program ends.

When we returned to our accommodation, we learned there had been a fire alarm in the building. For a brief moment, it brought me back to another reality.

Every day, I still receive news from Odesa about air raid sirens, attacks and lives being lost. Living with this for the past four years has taught me to treasure ordinary moments: laughing together, sharing food, learning from one another and building new friendships. So, to everyone reading this blog, I wish that football results and missing boat trips remain the biggest problems in your life. Stay safe – and Think Big!