The European Union and ALIPH have launched 29 new cultural heritage projects across Central Asia, co-funded with a total of EUR 1.5 million—EUR 1.1 million from the EU and the remainder from ALIPH. These projects will be implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, aiming to safeguard both tangible and intangible heritage threatened by climate change. The initiative follows a highly successful Call for Projects that received 233 applications.
The projects focus on iconic heritage sites and living cultural traditions, combining conservation, documentation, skills development, and economic empowerment. Key interventions include protecting World Heritage sites such as Sarazm in Tajikistan, the Ak-Saray Palace and Kayrit Oasis in Uzbekistan, and the Dandanakan Mosque in Turkmenistan. Restoration and professional training will strengthen museums, including the Kasteyev Museum in Almaty, the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan, and two institutions in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan: the Savitsky Museum in Nukus and the Ecological Museum in Muynak. Efforts also include restoring paintings from the Romanov Palace’s collection in Tashkent and regional programs on conservation, climate-resilient restoration practices, and a museology forum in Astana to foster knowledge exchange among museum professionals.
Intangible heritage will also be supported through documenting nomadic and mountain cultural practices, preserving epic poetry, and revitalizing traditional games and music in Kyrgyzstan. In Uzbekistan, sustainable silk and ikat production will benefit from restoring natural dyeing techniques and knowledge transfer. Creative industries will be reinforced with artisan and entrepreneurship training in felt-making, suzani embroidery, ceramics, wall painting, and digitization of ornamental traditions, with special attention to youth and returnee communities.
Peter Wagner, Director of the EU Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, emphasized that this partnership with ALIPH strengthens concrete actions to safeguard heritage at risk as an enabler of peace and security. Valéry Freland, Executive Director of ALIPH, highlighted the initiative’s role in helping local heritage professionals adapt creative industries and traditional crafts to climate change challenges.
ALIPH, founded in Geneva in 2017, is the main global fund dedicated to protecting heritage in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis areas. It supports local actors in restoring museums, sites, monuments, and intangible heritage in challenging contexts and provides rapid response during crises. Since its creation, ALIPH has supported around 600 projects in 64 countries, funded by nine member states, three private members, and additional donors.
