Ukraine, allocated $2 million for cultural heritage

The ALIPH (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Zones) foundation, based in Geneva, Switzerland, has announced that it is sending $2 million in aid with the aim of helping to protect the cultural heritage ofUkraine invaded by the Russian army. ALIPH says it has been in contact with Ukrainian heritage professionals since the beginning of the conflict, and so have all the international organizations that deal with cultural heritage (UNESCO, Icom, Icomos, Iccrom, Blue Shield International and Europa Nostra) to try to figure out what actions to take in the immediate, emergency situation. ALIPH also reports that “many sites, monuments and museums have already been damaged,” so this conflict raises serious concerns about the consequences it will have for the country’s entire cultural heritage.

In any case, the situation is evolving rapidly, and the $2 million in aid allocated by ALIPH is an initial package to address the emergency and help Ukrainian professionals who are in the country. In parallel, the foundation has announced that it is supporting a dozen museums and their collections through funding inventorying activities, purchasing protective materials, and strengthening security measures for repositories, and will continue to do so. In addition, ALIPH is in close contact with its partners to develop an emergency support program targeting heritage professionals.

“As a terrible war rages in Ukraine,” says Valéry Freland, executive director of ALIPH, “our thoughts go first and foremost to the victims and the Ukrainian people. However, our mission to protect the country’s exceptional cultural heritage, which also represents the soul of this fighting nation, remains crucial. ALIPH is approaching this crisis with the same spirit that has guided the Foundation’s operations since its creation five years ago: specifically, to make an impact, it is about taking concrete and agile action to protect this unique heritage and its professionals. At the moment, we are facing a race against time.”

ALIPH was founded in 2017, and aims to protect cultural heritage in conflict zones and in areas where wars have ceased, in post-conflict situations. So far it has acted mainly in the Middle East and the Sahel. ALIPH is a foundation formed by a public-private partnership that brings together several countries and several private donors. It is an international organization, based in Geneva, Switzerland, and has so far supported more than 150 projects in 30 countries, including Iraq, Yemen, Mali, Afghanistan, Sudan, Libya, and Syria, on four continents. ALIPH works by funding projects that come to life on the ground, in collaboration with partners, authorities, and local communities. The idea behind the foundation is that the protection of cultural heritage contributes to peace and sustainable development.

Pictured are the ruins of Chersoneso Taurica, near the city of Kherson in Ukraine. Photo by Dmitry A. Mottl

Ukraine, allocated $2 million for cultural heritage

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