Cultural Partnership Between Odesa and Vienna
The Mayor of Odesa, Hennadii Trukhanov, along with Ivan Liptuga, the Director of the Department of Culture, International Cooperation, and European Integration, held a fruitful meeting with Mr. Ernst Woller, the first President of the Vienna Parliament, and Alena Sirka-Bred, the head of the Office for European and International Relations of the city of Vienna.
For many years, Odesa and Vienna have enjoyed a vibrant partnership, particularly in the fields of culture and heritage preservation.
During the meeting, Mr. Woller shared insights into Vienna's experience in preserving architecture and monuments, as well as the management system of the UNESCO World Heritage site «Historic Centre of Vienna».
Ernst Woller emphasized that preserving history is of great significance for future generations in every city and country.
Austria has navigated through challenging historical periods, yet it has succeeded in preserving its architecture, culture, and art, sometimes altering the context of certain historical figures but always maintaining the achievements of past generations.
«Vienna is rightly considered a global capital of culture and art, while also winning top awards in smart city innovation competitions,» Mr. Woller stated.
As Hennadii Trukhanov noted, Odesa is a city of culture, literature, and music in Ukraine. This year, the festival «Golden Violins of Odesa» will celebrate its tenth anniversary.
«We are very pleased that our anniversary festival «Golden Violins of Odesa» will take place in the capital of Austria. Of course, Vienna's experience in balancing heritage preservation and urban development is incredibly beneficial for Odesa, which is currently developing practices for managing World Heritage sites amid war,» emphasized Hennadii Trukhanov.
