Lviv is a historically multicultural city, the heir to many influences and a jewel of Ukrainian architecture. Even before the war, it was one of the country's cultural capitals, and boasted an extraordinarily rich artistic scene. For the past three years, it also became a city of refuge for artists from all over Ukraine, which is why UNESCO is mobilizing substantial resources here.
More than just a cultural centre, the Lviv Culture Hub created by UNESCO will be a place for all those involved in culture accross Ukraine to meet and share ideas. As a centre of excellence for training, it will also organize workshops for artists, conferences and exhibitions. Additionally, it will run an arts and culture therapy programme for victims of the war.
The Lviv Culture Hub is located in the heart of a remarkable historic building that has been fully restored by UNESCO. This ambitious project was made possible thanks to financial support from Spain ($1.7 million). The Hub will be managed by the city of Lviv, whose Mayor also attended the inauguration.
Two new heritage initiatives
During her visit to Lviv, Audrey Azoulay announced two additional UNESCO initiatives for Ukrainian heritage. The first, conducted in partnership with ten of the country's cultural institutions and supported by the European Union (€2.2 million), will help to safeguard Ukraine's Jewish documentary heritage. Fifty cultural professionals will be trained by UNESCO to inventory, preserve and digitize these historical documents throughout the country. UNESCO will also support dozens of artistic projects aimed at increasing the visibility of this heritage and explaining it to a wider audience, especially among young people.
The second action will involve the restoration and promotion of more than 300 works by around fifty Ukrainian women artists. UNESCO will train eighty Ukrainian professionals. These works will also be digitized and exhibited in a virtual museum accessible to all. This action was conceived as a tribute to the Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko - a museum dedicated to her life's work having been destroyed in Ivankiv at the start of the war.
$74 million mobilized by UNESCO since February 2022
Since 2022, UNESCO has been resolutely supporting culture, education and information professionals in Ukraine in line with its mandate. To this end, the Organization has mobilized nearly $74 million from its Member States - a concrete demonstration of international solidarity.
The UNESCO office in Kyiv, which opened in September 2022, now employs over 35 experts who are implementing actions throughout the country: damage assessment, ensuring the safety of museum collections, restoring monuments, conducting remote learning, psycho-social support for students, training and equipment for journalists, etc.
Lviv has long had close ties with UNESCO. In 1998, its Historic Centre was inscribed on the World Heritage List. In 2015 Lviv became a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, and in 2024 a UNESCO Learning City.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
