A Polish-Ukrainian heritage committee will be assessing the fruits of joint conservation initiatives today, reflecting an increasingly fruitful spirit of cooperation between the two countries.
On Wednesday, the committee will meet in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where the committee is cooperating with the city council. Once a key metropolis for both Poland and Austria, Lviv has been a part of Ukraine since 1945.
The committee will then move to the Renaissance town of Zhovka (Zolkiew), north west of Lviv. The former was the birthplace of fabled Polish monarch King Jan Sobieski, and a notable example of an ideally-planned Renaissance city.
Polish and Ukrainian conservators have been cooperating with increasing frequency in recent years. Among the ongoing work being assessed today are the remarkable interwar murals in Lviv's Armenian Cathedral, by Polish painter Jan Rosen (1891-1982).
Likewise, a series of tombs in Lviv's sweeping metropolis of Lychakiv (Lyczakow) – numbering personalities from various ethnic backgrounds – will be reviewed.
These include those of the distinguished Polish writer Gabriela Zapolska and the Austrian sculptor Anton Schimser.]
“In selecting sites for restoration, criteria such as the historical role of the deceased is taken into account, but also the artistic value of the tombstone,” said Michal Michalski of Poland's Department of Cultural Heritage, from the Ministry of Culture.
The ministry has provided funds for many of the key restoration projects in Lviv in recent years. This year alone, 1 million zloty (240,555.5 euro) has been spent on projects in the city.