On September 4th, the Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Rostyslav Karandieyev, met with the Special Envoy of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the coordinator of the Italian Working Group on the Reconstruction and Strengthening of Ukraine, Davide La Cecilia. The parties discussed issues related to the protection and restoration of Ukraine's cultural heritage in the context of cooperation between Italy and Ukraine.
This was reported by the press service of MCIP.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy's press service, Karandieyev stated, "Currently, our efforts are focused on preserving and restoring cultural heritage objects, including museum collections. We have a great need for restorers, so we hope for professional and technical assistance from Italy, a country rich in cultural heritage."
Italy expressed its readiness to sponsor the reconstruction of Odessa and join the process of restoring the Odessa Transfiguration Cathedral, which suffered damage due to Russian attacks. Work on finding suitable economic and technical solutions for the restoration of this important historical site has already begun.
Mr. Karandieyev also noted that building cooperation between Italian and Ukrainian cultural centers at the community level will help rebuild a resilient Ukraine. He added, "Such cooperation encompasses the exchange of expertise between our countries regarding the training of museum and preserve staff, providing vacancies, as well as scholarships and grants to maintain the professionalism and cultural productivity of Ukrainian artists abroad."
He expressed gratitude to the Italian side for its special attention to urgent challenges, particularly in Odessa. Mr. Karandieyev emphasized, "We thank all the citizens of Italy for their support in military and humanitarian aspects. Military support is necessary for achieving victory, and humanitarian support is necessary for us to stand strong and look confidently towards the future in accordance with European standards."
The parties agreed on further development and implementation of joint cultural initiatives.
In the night of July 23, Russian forces carried out a massive attack on the territory of Odessa and the region. Invaders launched 19 missiles of various types, hitting the historical center of Odessa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a result of the attack, 25 architectural monuments were damaged, including the Transfiguration Cathedral.