The UK government has announced an additional £200,000 in emergency funding to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage during and after Russia’s illegal war, covering everything from ancient manuscripts to historic buildings. Culture Minister Ian Murray made the announcement while attending an informal meeting of EU media and culture ministers in Copenhagen, highlighting the UK’s commitment to collaborating with European partners to safeguard cultural heritage.
This funding will support Ukraine’s newly established Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund through the UK’s International Cultural Heritage Protection (ICHP) programme, under the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership. It builds on £1.45 million already committed for Ukrainian heritage protection between 2025 and 2029, ensuring continued support for the preservation and restoration of Ukraine’s cultural sites.
Minister Murray also indicated the UK’s intent to join the Culture Resilience Alliance, an international initiative promoting culture as a key driver of resilience, recovery, and peace in times of conflict. By participating, the UK will collaborate with international partners to share expertise and coordinate long-term actions to preserve Ukrainian culture during the ongoing conflict and as the country rebuilds.
The partnership aims to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage, prevent illicit trafficking and looting, and counter attempts at cultural erasure. Ukraine’s landmarks and artefacts are integral to its national identity, and the UK’s funding and alliance participation reinforce support for Ukraine in the face of deliberate attempts to destroy its culture.
Minister Murray emphasized that Ukraine’s cultural heritage is important not only to its people but to the world, and that this emergency funding will provide immediate protection while joining the Culture Resilience Alliance ensures a coordinated, long-term preservation effort. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Minister of Culture, Tetyana Berezhna, highlighted the extent of the damage, noting that 1,612 heritage sites have been harmed, 27 of them completely destroyed, and expressed gratitude for the UK’s support and continued solidarity.
During the Copenhagen meeting, Minister Murray also participated in discussions on protecting cultural heritage and strengthening the media sector, recognising its role in tackling disinformation. He joined other European nations in signing a declaration affirming the importance of culture, art, and media in safeguarding European democracies and strengthening the UK-EU strategic alliance.
The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund will manage international financial support for programmes that protect, restore, and rehabilitate tangible and intangible heritage. Its responsibilities include mobilising donor contributions, launching preservation project calls, promoting digitisation, and training professionals. Since Russia’s invasion, the ICHP programme has funded initiatives including war crime investigations into the destruction of heritage, the creation of a Ukraine Heritage Crime Task Force, capacity building for prosecutorial support, and contributions to UNESCO’s Special Fund for Ukraine to preserve at-risk heritage and museum collections.
