Today, on December 18, the Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Rostyslav Karandieiev, conducted an online meeting with the Commissioner to the Federal Government for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth.
The parties discussed the prospects for further collaboration in preserving cultural heritage, literary initiatives for people with visual impairments, as well as the interaction between cultural institutions of Ukraine and Germany.
Rostyslav Karandieiev expressed gratitude for Germany’s support and assistance in preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage during the full-scale war. He specifically acknowledged technical aid, such as packaging equipment and generators, which played a crucial role in saving museum artifacts. He also reported on the recent destruction of libraries in Kherson, including the Regional Children’s Library in Kherson named after Dniprova Chaika and the Kherson Regional Universal Scientific Library named after Oles Honchar. The latter not only served as an educational institution but also functioned as a methodological center, providing access to literature for people with visual impairments and featuring equipment for printing books in Braille.
“We consider it crucial for Ukraine to embrace European values that define the level of attitude towards all citizens, including people with disabilities. We will be grateful to the German ministry for a joint program aimed at meeting the needs of Ukrainian individuals with visual impairments by providing Braille books and audiobooks. As we are already orienting ourselves towards the post-war period of Ukraine’s recovery, it is important for us to introduce a new philosophy of cultural institutions’ activities,” said the Acting Minister.
Rostyslav Karandieiev expressed hope for collaboration between German and Ukrainian cultural institutions and proposed the idea of joint development of modern tourist centers and infrastructure around cultural sites. Additionally, he suggested the possibility of patronage over certain Ukrainian institutions.
“For example, the Elbe Philharmonic Orchestra could enter into a corresponding memorandum of cooperation with a philharmonic in Ukraine. Such collaboration would not only broaden the cultural horizons of our institutions but, more importantly, introduce modern forms of organizational work,” emphasized Rostyslav Karandieiev.
Claudia Roth confirmed her intentions to continue supporting Ukrainian culture, with a focus on literary initiatives for people with visual impairments. She also announced the commencement of collaboration with Odesa Gallery and commended the active participation of Ukrainian filmmakers at the Berlin International Film Festival and in the European Solidarity Fund program for Ukrainian films.
In summary, Claudia Roth provided information about upcoming initiatives, including the Recovery Conference and the possibility of a joint cultural program with cities.
