The wealth of Central and Eastern European cultural heritage consists of Polish, German, Ukrainian, Russian and many other traditions. This unique resource has been threatened by Russian aggression against Ukraine. From the very first days of the war, more than 140,000 monuments in the neighboring country have been the target of deliberate attacks or were destroyed as a result of war atrocities.
Poland, as a country that suffered enormous cultural losses during the Second World War, got engaged in safeguarding of cultural heritage in Ukraine from the very first day of the conflict. In order to coordinate the activities in this area, Prof. Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, established the Support Center for Culture in Ukraine within the structure of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage. The main task of the Center is to respond to the needs of cultural institutions in Ukrainian and to coordinate aid supplies delivered by various organizations from Poland and Europe.
Currently, the Center cooperates with more than 50 institutions in Ukraine. We provide firefighting equipment, specialized protective materials for buildings and collections as well as material assistance allowing for the daily functioning of cultural institutions.