Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative
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We’re more than part of history, we protect it. and international communities preserve their identities and history.
The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative is committed to protecting cultural heritage threatened or impacted by disasters and to help U.S. We were founded to continue the momentum generated by the Haiti Cultural Recovery Project (haiti.si.edu) and to continue helping all types of heritage organizations prepare for and respond to disasters involving cultural heritage. We partner with the network of federal agencies, foreign governments, and domestic and international organizations already working in this field. Be sure to check out our introductory video at https://culturalrescue.si.edu/.
MCI-SCRI, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland, НеМо: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab and the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) at the Virginia Museum of Natural History have confirmed damage to the Bernardine Monastery Ensemble in the Historic Center of Lviv, Ukraine:
https://bit.ly/4qKNDZA
08/31/2026
The Cultural Heritage Emergency Summit Planning Committee is delighted to share that registration is now open for the live, in-person inaugural Cultural Heritage Emergency Summit! You can find a link to our registration page, PDF of the Program, and PDF of the Presenter Biographies on our website: https://s.si.edu/4vbIJ9N
We look forward to welcoming you to the Summit and appreciate your patience, enthusiasm and commitment to cultural heritage resilience.
Please note: This is an in-person only event. It will not be livestreamed or have a hybrid component.
Cultural Heritage Emergencies Summit node:field_teaser]
07/31/2026
The latest edition of Conservation Perspectives is now available.
Disaster Preparedness and Response
Read it here: https://gty.art/4wJvzRj
This issue examines the impact of disasters on cultural heritage. Here in Los Angeles, we are all too familiar with the threat of earthquakes and, more recently, the devastation caused by wildfires.
Last year, the Palisades Fire—which killed twelve people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures—reached the Getty Villa. While the grounds suffered major burns and the loss of hundreds of trees, the buildings were unharmed. The lessons learned from that event helped inspire this issue.
Through feature articles and a roundtable discussion, cultural heritage professionals from the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute, Canadian Conservation Institute, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and Getty share challenges, ideas, and solutions for protecting people, buildings, and collections from natural hazards in our current era.
07/27/2026
George Washington's famous 'golden suit' was actually purple The president partied in the dapper overcoat at his 1789 inauguration.
07/09/2026
D.C. Schedule See the full schedule of events in Washington, D.C.|See the full schedule of events in Washington, D.C.
Our latest report documenting impact to cultural heritage in Ukraine: https://bit.ly/4vVfQ1L
Our analysis confirms damage to religious sites in Melitopol, Ukraine from August 2022 to May 2023
This work is the result of collaboration between MCI-SCRI, Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Maryland Center for International Development and Conflict Management and НеМо: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab
Our latest report documenting impact to cultural heritage in Ukraine between February 2022 and November 2025: https://bit.ly/42iJDE8
Our data shows that memorials and monuments along with places of worship are the categories of sites most frequently sustaining potential damage.
This work is the result of collaboration between MCI-SCRI, Penn Cultural Heritage Center, University of Maryland Center for International Development and Conflict Management, the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and НеМо: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab.
04/08/2026
Pre‑registration for this in-person event in Washington D.C. and the Call for Abstracts are open through April 17th!
Join practitioners, researchers, and emerging professionals from cultural institutions across the DC region for this inaugural two‑day event on November 9-10, 2026 focused on preparedness, response, and resilience in cultural heritage emergencies.
🌐 Check out our website for details: https://s.si.edu/4vbIJ9N
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