Czech Ministry of Culture Strengthens Support for Ukrainian Culture Amid War
An international conference entitled “Czech-Ukrainian Cultural Cooperation: History, Present, and Future” was held in Lviv, Ukraine, where participants discussed support for Ukrainian culture and the achievements of the Ark for Ukraine and CURE initiatives.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
This conference was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the city of Lviv. The event brought together government officials, heads of cultural institutions, art therapy and mental health specialists, as well as activists and experts from Ukrainian and Czech cultural organizations.
Conference participants discussed the role of culture as a tool for supporting the nation, democracy, and social stability in times of crisis.
During the event, attendees addressed one of the key projects of Czech-Ukrainian cooperation, Ark for Ukraine, which aims to rescue, digitize, and restore Ukrainian museum treasures.
The initiative was launched in 2022 and is being implemented with the participation of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine.
"The Ark for Ukraine project has two subsequent stages related to the digitization, preservation, and restoration of museum treasures, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year. I believe that this is only the beginning and that we will be able to expand our cooperation," said Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization.
The next stages of the project involve continuing the work of digitizing and preserving cultural heritage until the end of 2025. Particular attention was paid to the CURE (Culture for Recovery) platform that integrates culture into all stages of Ukraine's recovery — from rebuilding infrastructure to strengthening social cohesion and the role of cultural institutions.
Ukrainian organizers invited Czech partners to join this initiative and the upcoming Second International Conference on Cooperation for Sustainability in Copenhagen.
Notably, as part of the “Help Ukrainian Culture” program, the Czech Republic provides comprehensive support: from the rescue and digitization of cultural heritage through the Ark for Ukraine project to art therapy initiatives, psychological assistance, the development of contemporary art, and bilateral cultural exchanges.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the head of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavský, opened the country's diplomatic mission in the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine.