From the U.S. a million dollars for the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage

The United States has announced a $1 million grant for the protection of Ukraine’s war-threatened cultural heritage . The measure had been anticipated last Sept. 19, during the G7 Culture G7 in Naples, by Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who signed an agreement with the director general ofICCROM (International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral.

Last Sept. 26, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Lee Satterfield joined the Attorney General of Ukraine, leaders from across Europe, and key stakeholders to announce the two new projects funded by this initiative to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage, and underscored the United States’ continued support for the Ukrainian people and their efforts to protect and preserve Ukrainian culture.

First, in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the United States will help ensure that Ukrainians have the data and expertise they need to restore and restore damaged cultural heritage and to counter false narratives about Ukraine’s war and cultural identity. Second, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Department of Justice prosecutors will work with Ukraine’s Attorney General to strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to investigate, prosecute, and track down cultural property looted, stolen, and illegally trafficked from Ukraine and to prosecute those responsible.

Satterfield also emphasized the importance of the imposition, sanctioned last Sept. 10, of emergency restrictions on the import of certain categories of Ukrainian cultural property into the United States. These restrictions, which will remain in effect until March 2029, will discourage the illicit removal and sale of Ukrainian cultural property and facilitate its seizure and lawful return, in coordination with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. This funding is part of a broader effort by the U.S., which has already allocated $10.5 million to date for Ukrainian cultural heritage.

“Today we celebrate the joint efforts of the U.S. government, ICCROM, the Ukrainian government and, most importantly, the Ukrainian people,” said Director Gujral. “Their resilience, resilience and commitment, along with the contribution of local institutions and heritage experts on the ground, are an inspiration to us all.”

“This additional grant, one of the largest ever awarded,” Jeffrey Prescott, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, said instead, “creates a powerful opportunity to accelerate the emergency response and recovery work that ICCROM is doing in Ukraine. The partnership between the United States, ICCROM and Ukraine is a vital part of the effort to preserve Ukraine’s cultural identity and historical heritage, and the United States wants to continue to strongly support ICCROM and its mandate to preserve cultural heritage around the world.”

Pictured: Lee Satterfield and Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral

From the U.S. a million dollars for the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage

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