UNESCO, EU kick off project to preserve Jewish documentary heritage in Ukraine

The organizers noted that its goal is to preserve and ensure access to the cultural and documentary heritage of the Jewish community in Ukraine, as well as promote the recognition of such heritage and its valuable contribution to the diversity of Ukraine.

UNESCO, together with the Ukrainian side, will work on the preserving and digitizing Jewish documentary heritage in 10 memory institutions, providing equipment and restoring documents. Ukrainian preservation specialists will be trained and supported in their relevant research. The effort will also finance art projects and multimedia events.

The 24-month project will focus on Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. The organizers emphasize the goal of supporting the development of Ukrainian institutions and archives and facilitating access to documents, including through digitization.

“I am grateful to UNESCO and the EU for launching this project to preserve Jewish documentary heritage, which is an integral part of our past and our history. Against the backdrop of Russia’s genocidal war, it is very important to preserve heritage. Russian aggression has created many challenges for the protection of our sites,” emphasized Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, during a visit to Lviv, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay announced projects to preserve Jewish documentary heritage in Ukraine, to restore and promote more than 300 works by nearly 50 Ukrainian artists.