On 3 November, during the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Culture and Media in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt announced that Denmark is joining the group of international partners of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund (UCHF).
The Danish Government is allocating DKK 10 million to support the restoration of Ukraine’s cultural objects damaged or destroyed by russian attacks.
The event was attended by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, and EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef. The meeting aims to unite EU countries around a shared commitment to supporting Ukrainian culture and heritage.
“I am proud that Denmark once again takes the lead by contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Cultural heritage plays a crucial role in shaping the national identity and sense of self of the Ukrainian people. I sincerely hope that my European colleagues will join us in this effort. The war in Ukraine is not only fought on the battlefield — it is also about the Ukrainian people’s right to preserve their culture, their language, and their connection to the values and places that define their nation,” — said Jakob Engel-Schmidt.
In her remarks, Tetiana Berezhna expressed gratitude to the Danish Government for its political and financial support:
“We are deeply grateful to Denmark for its leadership in supporting Ukraine, for its partnership and investment in Ukrainian culture and recovery. At a time when russia is trying to erase our culture, every contribution to preserving our heritage is a contribution to defending democracy, freedom, and our shared European values”, — emphasized the Vice Prime Minister.
Glenn Micallef highlighted that international support for Ukraine’s cultural heritage is a shared European responsibility, as culture is a cornerstone of resilience and solidarity across the continent.
As a reminder, a delegation from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, led by Tetiana Berezhna, is taking part in the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Culture and Media in Copenhagen. The event, held under Denmark’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and themed “Democratic Resilience through Culture and Media”, became the first international platform for presenting the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund — an initiative created to mobilize international and national resources for the protection, restoration, and development of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and culture as the foundation of identity, democracy, and European belonging.
