EU Allocates €2 Million for Ukraine's Documentary Heritage Protection Program
The EU allocated €2 million to expand a UNESCO program protecting Ukraine's documentary heritage, including national minorities'. Announced at URC2026, it ensures digital access and preservation. This initiative supports Ukraine's cultural resilience and historical truth.
The European Union has allocated €2 million to expand a program protecting Ukraine's documentary heritage and ensuring digital and inclusive access to information. This initiative was announced by UNESCO at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2026) in Gdańsk, with financial backing from the EU and the government of Flanders.
The program, building on a 2025 project focused on Jewish documentary heritage, now extends to Ukraine's entire documentary heritage, including that of national minority communities. It supports archives, libraries, and memory institutions, including those in frontline regions, and aims to develop digitization systems, ensure long-term digital preservation, provide open access, strengthen democratic resilience, and counter historical falsification.
Implementation will be in cooperation with Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and the State Archival Service. Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Tetiana Berezhna expressed gratitude for the support, emphasizing its role in preserving historical truth and creating opportunities for future generations.
URC 2026, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine in Gdańsk on June 25-26, saw leaders like Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend. The conference concluded with 160 agreements and €10 billion mobilized for Ukraine's reconstruction.