Saving a rural Ukrainian town's cultural heritage – a case study of effective partnerships in action

Using the Bolman and Deal (2013) framework for organisational diagnosis and managing planned change, this case study reviews the development, growth, impediments, current status and future prospects of the NGO Light of Culture. The historical town of Zhovkva in the Western Ukrainian countryside is only a 30-minute bus ride from L'viv, but it is a world apart from the commerce, tourism, urban development of its closest urban area. Started by one man with a vision, this NGO survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, corruption, economic downturns, financial crises and often a lack of public interest. Perseverance combined with vision and an engineering background lead to the formation of project-specific partnerships to keep the NGO operational and fulfil much of its mission to preserve the town's cultural heritage. The article concludes with a set of provocative questions for discussion and reflection.