US allocates USD 1M to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage

On September 19, during the G7 Culture Ministerial, the United States announced the contribution of $1 million to the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, Ukrinform saw.

As noted in the ministry, the grant agreement was signed by Acting under Secretary of State Lee Satterfield and ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral.

This initiative is an important step in strengthening the international partnership aimed at preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage, which has been under threat since 2022.

“We are very pleased to share this announcement of substantial additional funding to ICCROM so they can continue the good emergency response and recovery work they are doing in Ukraine. This partnership represents a vital milestone in the effort to preserve Ukraine’s cultural identity and historical heritage, and the U.S. looks forward to continuing our strong support for ICCROM and its mandate of preserving cultural heritage around the world,” said Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Jeffrey Prescott.

As the ICRC noted, the project “Resilient Heritage”, which is set for 30 months and funded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), aims to establish a national framework for risk and emergency management. It will enhance coordination among Ukrainian government institutions, local authorities, and cultural heritage custodians.

The funding is part of a broader USD 7 million program to help preserve the country's cultural heritage.

"Ukraine highly values the support of the U.S. government, ICCROM, and other partners in efforts to protect and restore cultural and historical sites that are part of the world’s heritage," the ministry emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, 1,096 monuments of cultural heritage were damaged or destroyed in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression.