Kyiv Named UNESCO City of Music, Joining Global Creative Cities Network
Kyiv has officially been designated as a UNESCO City of Music, marking a major international recognition of the Ukrainian capital’s rich musical heritage, creative spirit, and resilience in wartime.
The Gaze reports this, referring to an announcement made by the Kyiv City Administration.
Viktoria Mukha, head of the Kyiv City Council’s committee on culture, tourism, and public communications, said the honor was the result of more than a year of coordinated work.
“We submitted the application during difficult times, as Kyiv demonstrates its resilience and strength of spirit every day,” she said. “This UNESCO decision recognizes not only our rich musical legacy but also the city’s modern creative energy – its ability to unite people and generate meaning through art.”
Mukha emphasized that the title is not merely symbolic but serves as a catalyst to develop sustainable cultural policies, support young talent, and open new opportunities for artists to connect Kyiv’s culture with the world.
The initiative to apply for the status emerged in 2023, led by the Kyiv City Council’s cultural committee and supported by Mayor Vitali Klitschko. An interdisciplinary team involving municipal authorities, educators, civil society, and creative industries prepared the application and a four-year development strategy for the city’s music sector.
A comprehensive cultural audit confirmed that music is one of Kyiv’s strongest and most representative creative fields. The city hosts dozens of concert halls, music academies, and schools, and organizes hundreds of festivals, competitions, and international events each year.
According to Serhii Anzhyiak, director of the Department of Culture at the Kyiv City Administration, the recognition opens up new opportunities for cultural diplomacy and investment.
“For Kyiv, this marks a new stage in cultural development, offering possibilities for international cooperation, exchange of experience, and investment in musical infrastructure,” he said. “We want Kyiv’s music to sound worldwide as the voice of a modern, free, and unbreakable Ukraine.”
The initiatives connected to the new title will be integrated into the city’s “Capital Culture: 2025–2027” program, designed to foster Kyiv’s cultural ecosystem and strengthen international ties.
A coordination office will be established at the R. M. Glière Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music to oversee implementation of the four-year strategic plan within UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
Founded in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network promotes sustainable urban development by placing creativity and culture at the heart of city planning. It currently includes 408 cities across eight creative fields – crafts and folk art, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature, music, and, starting in 2025, architecture.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova have taken an important step in preserving and promoting their shared cultural heritage by signing a memorandum on the preparation of a transnational nomination of “PreCucuteni-Ariusd-Cucuteni-Trypillia” for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.