The Director-General of UNESCO has announced an aid of $10 million for the restoration of the art landscape in Ukraine.
Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of UNESCO, had a two-day tour of the country earlier this week. Joined by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she visited the cities of Odesa, Kyiv, and Chernihiv. As a conclusion of the visit, UNESCO released a statement announcing the $10 million aid, as part of “the organization’s support to the population [as well as] to advance the reconstruction of the country’s cultural sector.” The statement added: “The early stage is expected to include damage assessment and documentation, emergency measures for cultural immovable and movable properties (including debris removal), stabilization and conservation measures for cultural assets, storage management, preparedness plans, and immediate conservation to prevent further loss and looting.”
Azoulay also took to Twitter, revealing that UNESCO is mobilizing more than $10 million to address the education emergency in Ukraine. She revealed further details, like on-site reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure. The city of Chernihiv would see rehabilitation projects later this year.
Earlier this month, UNESCO also added the port city of Odesa to its list of endangered World Heritage sites. The port city of Odesa holds historic significance, like the Odesa Opera House and the harbor staircase most well-known as the ‘Odesa Steps’ in the iconic 1925 film Battleship Potemkin. The city was under aerial assault by Russian forces in July last year, which damaged a lot – including the Odea Museum of Modern Art.
Earlier this week, UNESCO released a report detailing that Ukraine would need $6.9 billion for a complete restoration of its cultural heritage and art landscape. Of this, $2.3 billion would fulfill short-term needs (2023-26), while $4.6 billion would be needed for medium-to-long-term needs (2027-33).
