ЕЛЕМЕНТИ СТАНОВЛЕННЯ МОРСЬКОЇ ОСВІТИ: ДОСВІД МОРСЬКИХ МУЗЕЇВ

Abstract

The article refers to the development of maritime museums in Ukraine and their influence on maritime education. The author highlights that one of the urgent tasks of significant economic increase in Ukraine during the years of independence is the preservation and development of the maritime industry. Higher educational institutions and maritime museums are of considerable importance in achieving this goal. There are many museums in Ukraine; however, the researchers have paid little attention to the study of maritime ones. It has been ascertained that there are 14 maritime museums in Ukraine. They are considered to be an appropriate place to preserve maritime traditions and longstanding artefacts, some of them being dated back the centuries. They contain unique exhibits of ships and submarines, photographs and particularly striking documents, clothing and devices, paintings and other antiques. The maritime museums were created with the help of employees, teachers, students, individuals, and people who used to work in the navy and merchant fleet. The author confirms that the museums have become the centres of research. Their objects and stores are used by schoolchildren, as well as by students when undertake projects, any scientific papers and diploma theses. The museums have become the basis for various clubs in the field of tourism and local history. The main problems of the museum sector nowadays have been identified; some of them are as follows: imperfection of the legislation in this area, lack of exhibition space, lack of a reliable system of accounting and storage of museum funds, inadequate level of protection of exhibits, insufficient staffing and information support. But the most crucial problem is the war: all the museums are under the threat of destruction every day. For example, on August 2, 2023, the building that housed the Museum of the History of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company in Izmail was destroyed. Museums on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are under annexation. The author concludes that maritime museums in Ukraine play an important role in the system of maritime education and influence the formation of patriotism and interest in one of the oldest and most romantic professions in the world, the profession of a seafarer.