Europa Nostra contributes to Kyiv conference on cultural resilience in times of war
On 25 March, the OBMIN Network Conference “Resilient Culture. Cultural Resilience” took place in Kyiv at the symbolic National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. It was organised in partnership with the Ukrainian, Polish, and German governments and supported by outstanding partners. Europa Nostra was represented by its Vice-President Dr. Natalia Moussienko.
Photo credit: Zana Komar
The conference was held amid Russia’s real-time attacks on cultural heritage in Ukraine. On 24 March, just one day before the conference, a Russian attack targeted the city of Lviv, which resulted in damage to a UNESCO World Heritage site building in the area of Bernardine Monastery, within the historic centre of the city.
The “Resilient Culture. Cultural Resilience” programme focused on four strategic pillars: 1) Culture as a Political Factor: Bridging the gap between identity and national security, 2) Heritage in Transition: Managing the physical and psychological legacy of war, 3) Unforeseen Leadership: Innovative museum management in times of crisis, and 4) The Two-Way Street: Redefining international cooperation for long-term impact.
The event gathered representatives from more than 150 Ukrainian museums, diplomats, politicians and experts from Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Lithuania.
Photo credit OBMIN
Europa Nostra’s Vice-President Natalia Moussienko was part of the panel “Culture as political factor: from identity to security”, alongside other speakers from Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Goethe-Institute Ukraine in Kyiv, Polish Institute in Kyiv, Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) and POLONIKA National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad.
Natalia Moussienko’s remarks highlighted the Ukrainian winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. She also welcomed Ukrainian museums to establish closer collaboration with Europa Nostra and participation in the next editions of the Awards. Dr. Moussienko further underlined the unique experiences Ukrainian museums have faced in the context of war.
“The Culture Compass for Europe, recently launched by the European Commission, reminds us that culture and heritage lie at the heart of European cooperation. Through the work of Europa Nostra and the City Hub in Kyiv, as part of the European Heritage Hub, we are joining forces to advocate for the protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage — preserving its history, celebrating its diversity, and safeguarding the shared European future it represents”, she said.
The findings from the conference served as a vital contribution to the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), to be held this June in Poland.
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