At the “Cooperation for Resilience” Conference, Mykola Tochytskyi, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, met with Mari-Leena Talvitie, the Minister of Science and Culture of Finland. This marked her first official visit as Minister, underscoring Finland’s commitment to strengthening cultural ties.
The ministers discussed improving cooperation in culture and strategic communications, emphasizing the need for closer ties between Ukraine and Finland. Mykola Tochytskyi expressed gratitude to Mari-Leena Talvitie for Finland’s support of the Declaration on Strengthening the of Cultural Sector Resilience in Ukraine and its ongoing assistance to Ukraine’s cultural sector. Mari-Leena Talvitie noted that Finland is providing funding through the “Partnership for Resilient Ukraine” Initiative to help restore the war-damaged theater in Chernihiv.
The discussion also addressed cultural education and media literacy. Ukraine’s Minister emphasized the need to improve library cooperation and share best practices in educational settings. Both sides explored integrating cultural education into general curricula using digital and virtual technologies. In this context, Mari-Leena Talvitie highlighted Finland’s efforts to ensure that Ukrainian children have access to education in the country.
Both ministers expressed a shared interest in involving Finnish experts in the research, cataloging, and digitization of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, along with launching joint media literacy initiatives. Strengthening connections between Ukrainian and Finnish creative communities was also a key focus.
To conclude the meeting, Mykola Tochytskyi congratulated Mari-Leena Talvitie on Oulu’s selection as the European Capital of Culture 2026.
