On October 1, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft law on the ratification of the Grant Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Italian Republic. The next step will be the ratification of the agreement by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The decision will allow the launch of the program “Restoration and Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of the Odessa Region,” which has been jointly developed over recent months by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and Italian partners.
The agreement was signed on July 10 in Rome during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025). According to the terms, the Italian Government will provide Ukraine with €32.5 million in non-repayable aid to implement the program.
The program involves the restoration and preservation of monuments included in the “Historic Centre of Odessa,” listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In particular, it will restore:
- Odesa National Art Museum
- Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art
- Odesa Regional Philharmonic
- Odesa Literary Museum
- Zontag House
- Marriage Palace
“Preserving cultural heritage is about our identity, our history, and the ability to present our legacy to the world even during times of war. I thank the Italian Government, the Embassy of Italy in Ukraine, and all partners for their support and effective cooperation,” said acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna.
As a reminder, on July 10 in Rome, within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025), the Grant Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Italian Republic was signed regarding the implementation of the program “Restoration and Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of the Odessa Region.” Under the agreement, the Italian Government provides Ukraine with €32.5 million in non-repayable aid for the program’s implementation.
