Revitalizing Odessa's Cultural Heritage
Alena Shkrum, the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, reported this.
According to her, the grant agreement with Italy for 27.5 million euros will be part of a larger aid package aimed at restoring cultural landmarks specifically in Odessa.
The list of objects set to be revitalized includes:
- Odessa Philharmonic (formerly the New Exchange);
- Odessa National Art Museum (Pototsky Palace);
- Museum of Western and Eastern Art (Abaza Palace);
- Odessa Literature Museum.
The ministry emphasizes that this is not only about preserving architectural heritage but also about tourism development and creating accessible public spaces of European standards.
The signing of the agreement is planned for the international conference Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, which will take place in June in Rome.
Alena Shkrum stated that the preparation of this document took over four months and involved numerous intergovernmental agreements.
As a reminder, among the planned collaboration with Italy are also:
- a loan for the construction of a new pediatric hospital building in Odessa,
- a grant for the reconstruction of irrigation systems in the region.
These initiatives are part of a joint memorandum between Ukraine and Italy aimed at restoring the Odessa region.
