On August 26, Acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Tetyana Berezhna, held a meeting with a delegation of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), headed by its President, Paul Grod.
During the meeting, the parties discussed ways to strengthen cultural diplomacy, implement joint cultural projects, and coordinate international efforts to support Ukraine amidst the ongoing full-scale war.
Tetyana Berezhna emphasized that culture is a vital component of national security and a key factor in state resilience: “We are currently working on concrete mechanisms to support culture. In addition to budgetary funding, we are actively developing grant, credit, and philanthropic instruments that make it possible to attract additional resources to the cultural sector”.
Special attention was paid to the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, which has suffered significant losses due to aggression. In this context, Tetyana Berezhna highlighted the importance of coordinating international assistance, particularly within the framework of the newly established Cultural Resilience Alliance, which was presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025).
One of the key areas of further cooperation identified during the meeting was supporting young Ukrainians and creating conditions for the return of Ukrainian professionals currently abroad, including their engagement in reform processes and European integration. In this regard, Tetyana Berezhna presented the Create Ukraine program, implemented with the support of the EU and the Government of Lithuania, which enables young Ukrainians to intern or work in Ukrainian government institutions. The initiative has already shown positive results and is planned to expand further.
Paul Grod expressed support for the initiatives discussed and confirmed the UWC’s readiness to participate in the activities of the Cultural Resilience Alliance, emphasizing its importance in the process of returning stolen cultural property to Ukraine.
He also noted that the Ukrainian World Congress unites communities in over 80 countries and focuses its work on three key priorities: securing Ukraine’s victory, supporting its post-war recovery, and strengthening the global Ukrainian community.
The meeting also addressed the activities of the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide, including progress in forming its Supervisory and Expert Boards, and the inclusion of UWC representatives in these bodies.
The parties further discussed the participation of Ukrainian artists in international cultural events organized by Ukrainian communities in Brazil, Canada, the United States, and EU countries. Another key topic was mobilizing the global Ukrainian community to help locate and identify stolen cultural artifacts of historical significance to Ukraine.
Paul Grod invited Tetyana Berezhna to attend the opening of the Toronto Ukrainian Festival in September. The event annually draws over a million visitors and serves as a powerful platform for showcasing Ukrainian culture to Canadian society.
“The support of the Ukrainian World Congress is extremely valuable to us. Through joint efforts, we can not only strengthen the cultural resilience of our nation but also speak to the world in the language of culture, art, and truth about Ukraine”, Tetyana Berezhna concluded.
