Ukraine and UNESCO Forge Closer Ties Through Joint Projects
Acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Tetiana Berezhna, and Deputy Minister, Anastasia Bondar, discussed cooperation and joint projects in the fields of culture, media, and digital transformation with Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, the head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
Tetiana Berezhna and Anastasia Bondar emphasized the importance of synchronizing UNESCO's activities with key documents of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy — the Strategy for the Development of Culture in Ukraine until 2030 and the Operational Plan for its implementation for 2025–2027.
At the meeting, Berezhna expressed her gratitude to the Organization for its support and emphasized their common goal. “Our goal is to make joint cultural projects visible and to adhere to the Government's general course of promoting Ukrainian culture and creative industries,” she said.
The Head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine spoke about strengthening the Organization's institutional presence in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion. In particular, the UNESCO Office was opened in Kyiv in October 2022.
Bardeschi noted that support is provided in two main areas: urgent emergency repairs of cultural facilities and long-term measures, including strengthening the legal framework, developing the capacity of specialists, improving qualifications, education, and providing psychological and psychosocial support.
Particular attention was paid to the development of cultural infrastructure and platforms for cooperation. For example, it was noted that in January 2025, with the assistance of UNESCO, the Lviv Cultural Hub, created with the financial support of the Spanish Government, began operating in Lviv.
The hub has become a platform for supporting cultural resilience, improving professional competencies, conducting training, and implementing joint projects in the field of culture and cultural heritage protection.
In addition, since August 2024, the Recovery Support Office has been operating, providing the ICC with advice and proposals on the development of cultural institutions, human capital, and digital transformation.
Today, UNESCO is implementing more than 20 projects in partnership with Ukrainian institutions, including programs to counter disinformation and support freedom of speech, the development of critical thinking and media literacy, the digitization of the cultural sector, the assessment and documentation of cultural heritage losses, the preservation of cultural monuments, the training of restorers, and support for museums in affected regions.
As The Gaze wrote earlier, at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, Ukraine successfully led the adoption of a significant amendment aimed at enhancing the protection of cultural heritage in conflict zones.