Ukrainian Culture Minister Seeks Deeper Cooperation with the Louvre

Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytskyi, has called for enhanced cooperation with the Louvre Museum to protect Ukraine’s cultural treasures threatened by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Tochytskyi’s post on social media.

During an official visit to France, Tochytskyi met with senior leadership at the Louvre, one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions, to explore deeper partnerships in preserving and promoting Ukrainian heritage.

“In times of war, the support of international partners is critically important for preserving museum collections, architectural monuments, and objects of historical and artistic value,” Tochytskyi said in a statement.

The minister expressed profound gratitude to the Louvre for its principled stance and meaningful support since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. 

In particular, he cited joint efforts to safeguard museum collections and present Ukrainian heritage in France, including exhibitions at the Louvre and Louvre-Lens in 2023.

One such initiative, a collaborative exhibition with the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum of Arts in Kyiv, was highlighted by Tochytskyi as a landmark achievement in promoting Ukrainian culture internationally.

“We count on further expanding our cooperation with the Louvre to ensure Ukrainian cultural assets receive the protection they deserve as part of Europe’s shared civilizational wealth,” he said.

Tochytskyi’s visit also included talks with Gaëtan Bruel, President of France’s National Centre for Cinema (CNC), focused on strengthening collaboration in film production and cultural diplomacy.

As The Gaze reported earlier, on June 24, Andrii Nadzhos, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications for European Integration, met with Jan Branderhorst, expert on international crimes against cultural heritage from the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) to intensity joint efforts against cultural war crimes.