On March 14th, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, led by Oleksandr Tkachenko, and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, led by State Secretary for Culture and Media Gunay Usla, had a meeting.
Ukraine and the Netherlands have agreed to collaborate on cultural initiatives, preservation, and protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. In a meeting ways to establish cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture were discussed.
Partnership in Cultural Preservation and Development
The Netherlands has pledged financial assistance to Ukraine, including funds for the preservation of cultural heritage, support for cultural institutions, and development of Ukraine’s cultural sphere. This includes €2.5 billion for 2023. The Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, expressed his gratitude for the Netherlands’ decision to recognize Ukraine as an important country for international cultural cooperation.
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine will serve as a bridge to establish cooperation between Ukrainian and Dutch cultural institutions. Tkachenko also invited the leadership of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands to Ukraine. The parties discussed supporting Ukrainian culture through joint art projects. In collaboration with the United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation, they plan to create a modern production of the Ukrainian ballet “Forest Song” with world-famous choreographers. The Dutch Government will finance this project, which may be of interest to many theaters around the world. Dutch cinemas will also screen the Ukrainian animated film “Mavka. The Forest Song.”
Digitalization of Ukrainian Culture
The meeting also focused on cooperation in the context of digitalization of Ukrainian culture. The State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine and the Register of the Museum Fund of Ukraine will automate all processes of recording information about cultural heritage, its condition, and existing values. This will help preserve and restore Ukrainian cultural heritage.
The parties also discussed supporting Ukrainian cultural institutions, cultural artists, and creative industries in Ukraine. This includes the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Ukrainian Book Institute, and the book publishing industry in general. They also talked about creating high-quality translations of Ukrainian authors into Dutch and the publication of Dutch authors in Ukrainian.
The collaboration between Ukraine and the Netherlands in the field of culture will provide financial assistance, digitalization, and preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
