Restoration of Cultural Heritage in Odesa with Italian Support
This was announced by Alona Shkrum, the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
According to her, the grant agreement with Italy amounting to €27.5 million will be part of a larger aid package aimed at restoring cultural heritage specifically in Odesa.
The list of objects that will receive new life includes:
- Odesa Philharmonic (formerly the New Exchange);
- Odesa National Art Museum (Potocki Palace);
- Museum of Western and Eastern Art (Abaza Palace);
- Odesa Literary Museum.
The ministry emphasizes that this is not just about preserving architectural heritage but also about developing tourism 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.
Alona Shkrum noted that the preparation of this document took over four months and involved numerous agreements at the intergovernmental level.
In addition, as part of cooperation with Italy, the following are also planned:
- a loan for the construction of a new children’s hospital building in Odesa,
- 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 Odesa region.
