Europa Nostra participates in Lviv Conference further reinforcing international solidarity for Ukraine’s endangered cultural heritage
Europa Nostra reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ukraine’s endangered cultural heritage during the “Ukraine Culture Conference: Cooperation for Resilience”, held in Lviv, on 30 March 2026. Represented by Vice-President Natalia Moussienko, our organisation highlighted the importance of its expertise and international reputation in boosting an even more coordinated support for Ukraine’s cultural sector — especially through the recent launch of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund (UCHF). Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović was appointed to the Board of Directors of the UCHF in January 2026 — an important instrument for mobilising international resources for heritage protection and recovery.
Credit: Roman Baluk; UNESCO / Bohdan Yemets; Yaroslav Tabinskyi
The conference, organised by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, brought together high-level culture representatives from across Europe and beyond, as well as diplomats, representatives of international organisations, and media. European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, addressed participants via video message and reaffirmed the European Union’s continued support for Ukraine’s cultural sector encompassing heritage and the arts.
The conference programme included three key modules focusing on cultural resilience and recovery, as well as on the necessary coordination of international support. Participants discussed the scale of losses/damages in the wider field of culture, highlighted the needs and approaches related to heritage restoration, and presented practical tools to support Ukrainian cultural institutions and professionals.
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund in the spotlight
The conference dedicated an entire module to the Ukraine Cultural Heritage Fund: its resources and partnerships, and its aim to support heritage restoration. This Fund was established at the beginning of 2026 by the Government of Ukraine and ALIPH, as founding partners. This Fund has the ambition to become a multi-donor platform supporting priority actions such as stabilising damaged monuments, securing storage for evacuated collections, and advancing digitisation efforts.
Credit: Ukraine Ministry of Culture
During this module, speaker Alexandra Fiebig, ALIPH Project Manager and UCHF Interim Managing Director, thanked Europa Nostra for its commitment and input within the Fund. The UCHF Board of Directors will play a key role in determining the Fund’s strategic priorities and making decisions regarding the financing of recovery projects.
Credit: Roman Baluk; UNESCO / Bohdan Yemets; Yaroslav Tabinskyi
A further confirmation of strong international support for Ukraine
Key outcomes of the conference include nearly UAH 100 million in new international support, combining contributions from European partners and additional funding under the Team Europe framework; the expansion of the Cultural Resilience Alliance with new members, including Luxembourg, the East Europe Foundation, Portugal, Flanders, and Austria; the signing of new cooperation agreements, notably a memorandum between Ukraine and Spain on cultural policy and recovery; and the launch of joint initiatives focused on the protection, restoration and long-term development of Ukraine’s cultural sector.
Bringing together political leadership, technical expertise and financial commitments, the Lviv conference demonstrated a strengthened and coordinated international response — placing culture (both heritage and the arts) at the heart of Ukraine’s resilience, recovery and future.
