Restoring cultural heritage and supporting the cultural sector in wartime
Culture is one of the central elements of national resilience. It defines our identity, unites society and will undoubtedly play a fundamental role in the country's recovery process.
Every day we lose monuments and cultural infrastructure, and right now it is important to act professionally and systematically to preserve and restore our cultural heritage.
With the aim of developing and supporting Ukrainian culture, as well as integrating it into the country’s recovery plans, the Recovery Support Unit began its work in July 2024 under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. It was established in partnership with UNESCO, with financial support from Japan. The project is implemented by the NGU ‘Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine’.
For almost two years, a team of experts has been working to ensure that the cultural sector has the tools for strategic development even in full-scale war conditions — from international mechanisms for attracting support to the regulatory framework and digital infrastructure.
The main areas of work of the Recovery Support Unit: 
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Restoration of destroyed cultural heritage sites;
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Providing advice to help communities find new solutions;
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Building the capacity of cultural institutions to become centres of revival;
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Creating conditions for human capital development through cultural services;
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Promoting digital tools that simplify heritage management.
Key achievements of the project
With the support of RSU experts:
- A national survey ‘Challenges for the Development of Culture in Communities’ was conducted, with 855 communities taking part. The results show that, despite the war, there is a growing demand for new cultural services, and communities are seeking to independently establish a network of cultural institutions.
- A landing page has been created for the CuRe cultural recovery platform. The initiative has become a cross-sectoral platform for strengthening the role of culture in recovery, social cohesion and sustainable development.
- The Register of the Basic Network of Cultural Institutions, the Register of Publishers, Producers and Distributors of Publishing Products, and the Register of the Museum Fund of Ukraine have been launched. Digital state registers open the way to a modern model of cultural sector management — one that is transparent and open.
- A guide on rapid response for damaged cultural heritage sites and cultural infrastructure has been developed for communities affected by hostilities or emergencies.
- 18 regulatory acts have been drafted to improve the regulation of the cultural sector.
- The Cultural Resilience Alliance — an international platform for the systematic integration of culture into processes of resilience, recovery, cohesion and innovative development — was presented at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025).
- A concept for the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund has been developed—a multi-donor platform for mobilising resources to protect and restore Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
- The educational programme ‘Leadership and Partnership Building for Cultural Institutions’ has been launched, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the cultural sector and the business community.
- A series of thematic events was held: the forum ‘Cultural Decentralisation: Challenges and Prospects for Reform. Community Recovery through Culture’, a round table on ‘Digitisation of Immovable Cultural Heritage: Scanning and Standardisation of Architectural Objects in Digital Format’; the festival of intangible cultural heritage ‘Living Culture – Living World’; a round table on ‘Adapting immovable cultural heritage sites to ensure accessibility and meet the needs of people with reduced mobility’; and a conference on ‘Culture and Investment: Public-Private Partnerships, Philanthropy and Investment Projects’.
- An international conference entitled ‘Cooperation for Resilience’ was organised in Lviv. Following the conference, Ukraine attracted around UAH 100 million in new financial support for culture, expanded the Cultural Resilience Alliance and concluded a number of international agreements.
Brand book
The diamond shape is a symbol of prosperity and well-being. The corporate identity of the Recovery Support Unit, inspired by the symbolism of Ukrainian embroidered amulets, reflects the current needs of the cultural sector's recovery. Since time immemorial, culture has been the key to the well-being and prosperity of Ukrainians, and traditions have continued and preserved our heritage. Today, when the enemy is once again trying to deprive us of our Ukrainian identity, we have the power to protect it.
We are integrating culture and cultural heritage into the processes of Ukraine's recovery. After all, culture is what shapes us as a nation. And cultural heritage is what future generations will build their identity on as Ukrainians.
Strategic significance
“The Unit plays a vital role in reforming cultural institutions, developing specialist education and the legal framework, as well as preserving and restoring cultural heritage”, said Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine and Minister of Culture of Ukraine, highlighting the contribution of the Recovery Support Unit.
The Unit's work under the Ministry helps to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure stable strategic activity in the cultural sector.
The Recovery Support Unit under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is established in partnership with UNESCO Ukraine and financially supported by Japan, is implemented by the Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine.
