Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund requires starting budget of EUR 10 mln to operate; EUR 3.55 mln accumulated to date – Berezhna

The launch of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund (UCHF) requires a starting budget of EUR 10-15 million; EUR 3.55 million has been accumulated so far, according to Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna.

"To launch the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund, a starting budget of EUR 10-15 million is required. Currently, the Fund has accumulated EUR 3.55 million. Specifically, the following countries have pledged their contributions: the Kingdom of Denmark – DKK 10 million, the Kingdom of the Netherlands – EUR 1 million, the United Kingdom – GBP 200,000, the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Spain – EUR 0.5 million each, and the Republic of Estonia – EUR 20,000. In the first year of operation, the Fund plans to raise up to EUR 50 million," the ministry said following Berezhna’s participation in the official opening of the High-Level Meeting on Cultural Heritage and Architecture of Ukraine in Paris.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Russian aggression is causing systemic and targeted damage to Ukraine’s cultural heritage, which is an integral part of the European cultural space.

"To fully restore more than 1,600 damaged cultural heritage sites in 18 regions of Ukraine, up to EUR 4 billion is needed over the next 10 years," she added, calling on international partners for continued support and active involvement in the Fund’s activities.