The war in Russia poses a severe threat to Ukraine’s cultural treasures. One innovative startup is leveraging nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to preserve invaluable artifacts from conflict-stricken areas.

The war’s ramifications have left significant cultural and historical objects in Ukraine vulnerable to damage or loss. It is critical to protect Ukraine’s rich artistic heritage, with blockchain technology and NFTs emerging as potent tools in this endeavor. They provide a way to safeguard Ukrainian art, ensuring its cultural impact and lessons persist for future generations.

But how can NFTs assist in preserving art in war-torn regions, and enhance traditional and digital art accessibility to a wider audience? Asya Nikolaeva, a Ukrainian film director now residing in San Francisco, offers valuable insights into these questions. She established CityX, a project dedicated to safeguarding Ukrainian art through NFTs.

CityX aims not just to present and protect art but also to support artists in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, whose galleries have been severely affected by the war. This initiative offers a platform to showcase their works and contributes towards the restoration of cultural spaces.

Interview with Asya Nikolaeva:

Q: Can you define what fragile art means to you, and how NFTs help preserve it?

Asya Nikolaeva: My mother, Tatyana Tumasyan, has devoted 30 years to nurturing an art ecosystem in my hometown, Kharkiv. She founded two contemporary art galleries, including the first municipal gallery in Ukraine, the Kharkiv Municipal Gallery, opened in 1996.

Both galleries house over 500 artworks, many dating back to the early 20th century. Each piece carries a unique story for me, my mother, my city, and my country. The ongoing war in Ukraine endangers our ability to safeguard this collection, considering over 10,000 artworks across Ukraine are either stolen or destroyed. This is where NFTs come into play. They act as the art world’s superheroes, transcending physical vulnerabilities and preserving these personal narratives for present and future generations.

Q: Do NFTs also increase art’s visibility and accessibility, especially for audiences that may not have had access to it before?

AN: Certainly, NFTs overcome physical boundaries, enabling people of all walks of life to interact with the artwork and its creators. Our objective is to bridge the gap between traditional and digital art, encouraging comprehension and appreciation of both. We aim to unite two distinct communities and create opportunities for artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts from both worlds to connect and prosper.

Q: Why did you decide to use NFT technology to digitize and preserve physical artworks?

AN: As NFTs, physical artworks can overcome temporal and spatial constraints, reaching an international audience while preserving a lasting legacy. It’s akin to bestowing them with a digital cape.

My foray into NFTs was inevitable. As a resident of San Francisco, I’m continually surrounded by brilliant individuals from the tech and crypto sectors. I started contemplating NFTs when the technology initially surfaced as I’m a film director and recognized the potential of NFTs in my profession. The war in Ukraine simply hastened this transition.

Q: Can you explain the motivation behind CityX and its mission to support fragile art?

AN: We succeeded in bringing my mother to safety from Kharkiv, which was under continuous bombardment in early March 2022. We feared for her safety as she was reluctant to leave her city and the galleries she loves. We finally persuaded her to depart Kharkiv, but it was impossible to transport the entire art collection with her.

Our hearts ache every time we hear reports of fresh attacks and bombings in Kharkiv. We dread that one might strike the galleries, as happened at the onset of the war when a missile hit Freedom Square, merely blocks away from the Municipal Gallery. The basement where the artworks are currently stored isn’t bomb-proof. The desire to alter the destiny of the Kharkiv collection, to assist the artists who stayed behind, and to fund the construction of a fortified art storage facility drove me to establish the CityX NFT art project.

Q: How do you choose the artists and artworks for CityX’s NFT releases?

AN: The initial release of CityX’s NFT collection is a meticulously curated selection representing the rich history of the Kharkiv avant-garde movement. Our goal was to display a diverse and vibrant spectrum of artworks that encapsulate a century of artistic evolution, from the early 20th century to the new generation of Kharkiv avant-garde artists in the 2010s. It was an extraordinary journey to digitize each masterpiece with our gifted 2D artist, Bogdan Kiyas, who created all of our NFT artworks in Ukraine amidst constant siren sounds and hiding in apartment basements during bombardments.

Q: Can you elaborate on the charitable facet of CityX’s work and its first NFT release? How do you support Ukrainian artists and galleries?

AN: Our collection’s most fragile item is a mural on the concrete fence around the Vovatanya Gallery, one of my mother’s galleries. Roman Minin and Gamlet Zinkivskiy, two artists, created it. This NFT was sold out, and we plan to direct 100% of the sale proceeds to the Vovatanya Gallery.

We strive to safeguard the mural, enabling people to visit and experience its distinctiveness in both physical and digital dimensions on CityX. Three more artworks from the partial release are currently available for purchase. We plan to allocate 50% of the sale proceeds towards the artists, their families, and gallery restoration efforts.

Q: Have you managed to preserve any particular artwork you are proud of in NFT form?

AN: Our collection features some precious pieces that we’re proud to transition into the digital domain. Among them is “Untitled,” a collage created by Vagrich Bakhchanyan, an extraordinary satirical poet and artist who was friends with the poet Joseph Brodsky and the writer and political dissident Eduard Limonov.

Another significant work is “Pool” by Boris Kosarev, an early 20th-century pioneer artist and one of the founding members of the Ukrainian avant-garde. This artwork, with its over a century-long history, now adorns our gallery in digital form. We’re honored to capture the essence of time through this technological innovation.

Q: Could you share any upcoming NFT releases or plans for CityX?

AN: Our second release will spotlight talented Ukrainian artists who emerged after February 24, 2022, in collaboration with the Kharkiv-based sound project Culture of Sound. Furthermore, we will unveil a separate release of Rabbit NFTs, selected as our mascots, offering access to community utilities and allowing collectors the chance to acquire linked physical artwork and attend events.

Q: Can physical and digital art contribute to preventing conflict and promoting peace? If so, how?

AN: Undoubtedly. Firstly, art unites communities and enables the integration of physical and digital art across borders. It showcases artworks from conflict-ridden regions to foster understanding and dialogue for peace.

Secondly, art empowers marginalized voices, addresses conflict roots, and advocates unity. Global exhibitions raise awareness and inspire collective action for peace.

Beyond digital assets: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” This quote by Pablo Picasso continually reminds us of the indomitable power of art.