A ceremony was held in Lviv to inaugurate the UNESCO Cultural Hub.
According to Ukrinform, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine reported this.
The event was attended by Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, and Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi.
Minister Tochytskyi emphasized the pivotal role of Ukraine in the global cultural landscape, which is now a factor not only in fostering international cultural cooperation but also in achieving victory.
“Today, we turn to the fundamental principles of international cultural cooperation as a reliable safeguard for the future of our existence,” the minister said, citing UNESCO’s Constitution.
Tochytskyi highlighted that Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine has included deliberate efforts to erase Ukrainian identity. Over 2,250 cultural institutions in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged, and more than 1.7 million artifacts have been looted by Russian forces.
“This is an international crime, and bringing those responsible to justice will require the joint efforts of the entire civilized world,” he stated.
The minister expressed gratitude to UNESCO and the Spanish government for their attention to the needs of Ukrainian culture during this critical time.
The hub was established as part of the UNESCO project Culture for Peace and Resilience: Establishing a Cultural Center in the City of Lviv, Ukraine, with financial backing from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
The center aims to serve as a platform for cultural restoration and a support hub for temporarily displaced cultural workers. It will provide space for artists, musicians, and writers to continue their work and foster emerging talents.
