On May 7, First Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Galyna Grygorenko, took part in the international conference “Protecting heritage: from crisis to peace” in Geneva.
The event was organized by the international alliance ALIPH with support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Office of Culture. It brought together government officials, heritage experts from crisis-affected regions, and representatives of international organizations working in humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding.
The conference focused on uniting global efforts to protect cultural heritage during armed conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics, and other crises. It also highlighted the important role heritage plays in sustainable development and building lasting peace.
In her speech, “From Preparedness to Emergency Response”, Galyna Grygorenko shared Ukraine’s approach to managing cultural crises. She emphasized a response model based on partnerships, decentralization, cross-sector cooperation, and recognizing culture as a key part of national identity.
Galyna Grygorenko expressed her gratitude to international partners for their strong support, including funding for Ukrainian NGOs and volunteer initiatives.
She also noted the serious damage caused by the ongoing war, noting that over 600,000 museum items have been evacuated from high-risk areas. However, many cultural artifacts are still in temporarily occupied territories, and there is limited information about their condition.
During the conference, the First Deputy Minister also held several meetings with other participants to discuss Ukraine’s ongoing need for international support in the cultural sector.
