The forum was held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the All-Ukrainian Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the investment company EFI Group.
The participants of the international forum initiated the creation of a strategy concept for the preservation of monuments, historical and cultural objects and territories. First of all, they discussed the restoration of monuments of national importance.
The need for such a strategy is critical. In particular, grant requests for receiving donor funds will be based on it. Since resources for restoration are limited, the preservation of cultural and historical heritage will be subsidized from the sources of private sponsors, patrons, international support of the country and, of course, reparation funds.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, which continues to record damage to cultural heritage sites in Ukraine as a result of full-scale Russian aggression, for the period from February 24, 2022 to September 25, 2023, 863 monuments were destroyed or damaged, 119 of them national meaning, 674 — local.
Participant of the event was acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostislav Karandeev:
“Our task today is to preserve the heritage in proper condition in order to be able to deliver the necessary cultural and educational service to the people. Therefore, the ICIP will initiate the formation of a resuscitation package of assistance for the monuments of Ukraine.”
He also added that next year the ministry expects about UAH 250 million in revenue from gaming business licenses, which will be directed to urgent work on preserving cultural heritage.
The most emotional part of the event was the discussion panel. The participants of the panel were representatives of state authorities, local centers, as well as experienced guardians of the monument, in particular, the director of the Rozil Palace, Hanna Gavryliv. Ihor Lisky, the main investor of Palace Rozdil and the chairman of the supervisory board of EFI Group, also spoke at the panel.
“I personally believe that the main task of all Ukrainians is to support the Armed Forces in this dramatic period for our country. However, there are things without which there will be no real victory. I believe that it is precisely in this difficult time that we have to rethink who we are, what kind of country we are building and what we are fighting for. Understanding our roots, our cultural and historical heritage is the foundation of the new Ukraine. We connect the country with European civilization, which is one of the most important values for us. Preserving cultural heritage is a big step towards self-discovery. However, a significant number of historical monuments may simply not survive to victory. Therefore, right now it is necessary to talk about it, look for new approaches, design and save in time.
My personal rather emotional decision to deal with the restoration of the palace in Rozdol is connected precisely with the fact that the palace could simply not survive this winter. For now, it’s safe to say we’ll at least keep it. We are also simultaneously developing the concept of what will be there after the war. I am deeply convinced that the formation of a strategy for the preservation of cultural and historical monuments is extremely important. Only in this way will we be able to effectively create our future,” shared Igor Lisky.
Organizers of the forum: the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the All-Ukrainian Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, ICOMOS. Main partner: DOVGIY FAMILY OFFICE. Partner: EFI GROUP. Under the patronage of: ICCROM.