Ministers and deputy ministers of culture from 20 European Union countries and representatives from the European Commission, UNESCO, and five non-EU countries participated in the Ukraine Culture Conference: Cooperation for Resilience. The conference took place in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on 1 February 2025, following another bombing in Odessa.
Hanna Wróblewska, the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, whose country holds the Presidency of the European Council for the first semester of 2025, spoke during the session, focusing on actions for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine. Poland and Ukraine are enhancing collaboration in this area, with Polish cultural institutions—such as museums, archives, libraries, and conservators—supporting Ukrainian cultural organisations.
Regional cooperation on cultural heritage preservation is also intensifying. The conference addressed the challenges of saving cultural heritage and discussed Ukraine’s proposal for a fund to reconstruct monuments damaged during the war with Russia.
The EU culture ministers’ meeting in Uzhhorod concluded on Sunday. Organised by Mykola Tochytsky, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the talks included representatives from Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Montenegro, Estonia, and Lithuania and Representatives of the European Commission and UNESCO.
“Culture is an integral part of national security. During the Ukraine Culture Conference in Uzhhorod, we discussed how important it is to preserve cultural heritage and develop well-functioning mechanisms for its protection. Solidarity and care for identity and culture are the foundations of a free Europe. Cooperation between states and societies in protecting heritage is our common responsibility,” Wróblewska posted on X.
The Polish Minister emphasised, “We will not understand what it means to lose freedom and national heritage until we lose them. Poland has experienced attempts to erase its identity and culture by other countries in its history – unsuccessful attempts. That is why we perfectly understand the importance of protecting national heritage. Supporting the preservation of Ukraine’s cultural identity is not only a matter of geopolitical strategy. Since the beginning of the war, Poland has been supporting the cultural sector of Ukraine, organising material aid for Ukrainian cultural institutions in cooperation with Polish institutions – museums, state archives, libraries and conservators of monuments.” Minister Wróblewska highlighted that threats to cultural heritage threaten the region and key values of the EU, its legal order, security and external relations.
“It is no coincidence that the European External Action Service has recognised the protection of heritage as critical for building peace and security in Europe,” noted Wróblewska.
Cooperation between the region’s countries allows for creating strong mechanisms to protect national cultural heritage, she added.
