On December 24, 2024, the Department of Foreign Philology hosted a guest lecture by Yuriy Tkach, Director of the Chernihiv Regional Art Museum. The topic of the meeting, “Presenting Works of Ukrainian Art to a Global Audience: Challenges in Creating English Descriptions of Museum Collections,” sparked great interest among students and faculty members. The lecture offered a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of translating artistic texts and promoting Ukrainian culture abroad through the museum’s website and social media pages, where interested individuals and professionals can familiarize themselves with descriptions of artworks in foreign languages.
Yuriy Tkach not only introduced the museum, whose art collection includes approximately 16,000 works, but also shared his experience in crafting English-language descriptions of paintings and sculptures, highlighting the challenges of conveying stylistic features and cultural contexts. He emphasized the importance of intercultural competence for translators and philologists working with texts on art. Special attention was given to involving students in conducting tours in foreign languages, assisting in communication with international visitors, supporting the museum’s participation in grants from foreign organizations, and participating in seminars, web conferences, negotiations, and translations of texts, including captions and labels.
Students actively engaged in the discussion, asking questions about lexical choices, stylistic adaptation of texts, and opportunities for collaboration with museums. Mr. Tkach underscored that such projects are a crucial step in integrating Ukrainian culture into the global cultural space.
At the end of the lecture, participants gained valuable insights into museum work and artistic translation, which could prove useful in their professional development. The event inspired philology students and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between academic institutions and cultural organizations.
