DENMARK DONATES FUNDS TO REBUILD UKRAINIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Danish government is allocating €1.3 million to a new Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund with the hope that more countries will follow suit.
In 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, more than 500 cultural sites across Ukraine have been destroyed as a result of Russian attacks, according to UNESCO.
To help address this devastation, the Danish government is contributing €1.3 million (DKK 10 million) to support Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The funding may, for example, go towards the restoration of Ukrainian buildings, monuments, and museums that have been destroyed by Russian bombs. The funds will be channelled through a new Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund.
The donation coincides with Denmark hosting an informal ministerial meeting on 3 November, attended by European Ministers of Culture and representatives from Ukraine.
The aim of the meeting is to encourage other countries to follow Denmark’s example.
“I am proud that Denmark is once again taking the lead by contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Cultural heritage plays a vital role in the Ukrainian people’s national identity and sense of self. I sincerely hope that my European colleagues will follow suit, because the war in Ukraine is not only fought on the battlefield – it is also about the Ukrainian people’s right to preserve their culture, their language, and their connection to the values and places that define their nation,” says Danish Minister for Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt.
I would like to sincerely thank our Danish partners for their support and for this unique opportunity to present the Fund and discuss avenues of assistance for Ukraine.
”The Russian Federation is deliberately targeting and destroying Ukrainian culture and its symbols. To date, 1,612 immovable cultural heritage sites have been damaged, including 27 that have been completely destroyed. This represents one of the most extensive cases of cultural devastation in Europe since the Second World War. Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions and concentrated efforts within a dedicated framework. That is why we are establishing the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund (UCHF). The Fund unites the resources of governments, international organisations, experts, and partners with the aim not only of preserving our cultural heritage, but also of ensuring the sustainable development of culture as a cornerstone of Ukraine’s identity and resilience. I would like to sincerely thank our Danish partners for their support and for this unique opportunity to present the Fund and discuss avenues of assistance for Ukraine,“ says Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy — Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Tetyana Berezhna.
Facts about the funding.
The grant of €1.3 million (DKK 10 million) will be financed through Denmark’s development assistance as part of its civilian support for Ukraine. It should be noted that the funds can only be disbursed once the Finance Act has been adopted by the Danish Parliament.