The Museum of Abandoned Secrets

For Mom and Rostyk

Regardless of their original functions, objects buried for an extended time underground or under water become archeological artifacts. At the moment they are recovered, their new history begins. Being buried underground often results in damage … to both organic and inorganic materials…. The goal of preventative conservation is to arrest the progress of such destruction by ensuring optimal storage conditions.

—From “Cultural Welfare: Restoration of Archeological Finds in Berlin’s State Museums,” exhibit guide, Altes Museum, Berlin, March 27–June 1, 2009

To know what’s happened to us… wait for us.

—A 1952 inscription on a wall of the Lviv KGB prison, open to the public since 2009 as the Lontsky Street Prison Museum