Support for Ukraine in Culture and Education through UNESCO

In response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has posed significant threats to its cultural heritage, ICOMOS is collaborating with UNESCO and ICCROM to support Ukrainian heritage professionals in safeguarding World Heritage and Tentative List sites. The project, “Support for Ukraine in Culture and Education through UNESCO,” is funded by the Government of Japan, and forms part of UNESCO’s broader emergency assistance program for Ukraine.

The initiative brings together experts from ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Heritage Documentation (CIPA), the International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP) and the International Scientific Committee on Historic Cities, Towns and Villages (CIVVIH), engaged in the key project activities of advanced documentation and capacity building efforts aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness.

The World Heritage properties concerned by the project are: Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the  Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine, and the Historic Centre of Chernihiv which is included on UNESCO’s Tentative List.

ICOMOS, jointly with UNESCO, organizes and conveys online workshops and five on-site missions for capacity building of Ukrainian heritage professionals. Additionally, advanced technical documentation is being created to support emergency preparedness planning. The project also produces guidance for the development of Emergency Preparedness Plans for these three sites, as well as a Rehabilitation Plan for the historic centre of Chernihiv.