Germany Pledges Nearly €29 Million to Support Ukraine’s Culture
Germany has provided Ukraine with almost €29 million in cultural assistance since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and pledged to deepen cooperation in restoring Ukraine’s war-damaged cultural heritage.
The Gaze reports this, referring to an announcement made by the German federal government.
According to an official press release, Berlin has already allocated €28.9 million as of July 31, 2025. Future support will focus on rebuilding destroyed cultural sites and strengthening Ukraine’s cultural and media sectors.
During an online meeting with Ukraine’s acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Tetiana Berezhna, Germany’s Commissioner for Culture and the Media, State Minister Wolfram Weimer, reaffirmed long-term backing for Ukrainian culture through a series of initiatives.
These include the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Cinema, a new “Focus on Eastern Europe” program by the Federal Cultural Foundation that will enable the Kyiv Biennale 2026 to be hosted in Berlin, and an exhibition titled “From Odesa to Berlin – European Painting of the 16th–19th Centuries.” Additional projects will be announced soon, Weimer noted.
Weimer underscored that Germany regards Ukraine as both a trusted partner and a frontline guardian of democratic and cultural values.
“Ukraine is a bastion against authoritarian ideology. It protects its territorial integrity as well as freedom of thought, artistic freedom, and cultural identity. Putin’s attack is a war against truth and diversity, but Ukraine is standing firm,” he said.
Earlier this year, Germany proposed a joint “Year of Culture” with Ukraine, designed to promote large-scale cultural exchange through theater productions, literary collaborations, museum partnerships, and shared exhibitions in both countries.
As The Gaze previously reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine transferred eight printed publications, published between 1830 and 1906 in Berlin, Leipzig, Stuttgart and Munich, to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.