Italy to Help Restore Six Cultural Sites in Ukraine's Odesa

Italy will allocate €45 million for the reconstruction of six cultural monuments in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyy announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Ukrinform.

‘This is a clear signal from the Italian government regarding the restoration of six important cultural heritage sites in Odessa. An agreement has been signed for a significant amount, which will allow for the restoration of monuments located in the very centre of the city,’ Tochytskyy said.

He stressed that this is further confirmation that Ukraine is not alone in its struggle to preserve its culture and identity. ‘The circle of partners will grow,’ the minister added.

The total aid package amounts to 45 million euros, which will be distributed among various cultural heritage sites.

Oleh Kipper, head of the Odessa Regional State Administration, noted that two sites of local significance and four of regional significance will be restored within the framework of the project. These include the Odessa Regional Philharmonic, the Odessa Art Museum (Potocki Palace), the Museum of Western and Eastern Art (Abaza Palace), and the Odessa Literary Museum. In addition, the restoration of administrative buildings that are architectural monuments is planned.

According to him, the list of objects in need of restoration was proposed by the Ukrainian side, and Italy has already made its selection from this list.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for Italy's assistance in the restoration of Odessa.

As The Gaze reported earlier, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Meloni told him that the resolve shown by America towards Iran should also be demonstrated in relation to the war in Ukraine.