Italy's Grant for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage in Odesa
Italy will provide Ukraine with €32.5 million in non-repayable aid for the restoration of cultural heritage in Odesa. The agreement was signed by the governments of both countries on July 10 in Rome during an international conference on Ukraine's recovery.
This information was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
According to the agreement, the funding will be directed towards the restoration of six architectural monuments in Odesa affected by Russian aggression. These include:
The Odesa National Art Museum;
- The Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art;
- The Odesa Regional Philharmonic named after David Oistrakh;
- The Odesa Literary Museum;
- The Zontag House;
- The Palace of Weddings.
The agreement will entail comprehensive restoration, enhancement of security and energy efficiency of the buildings, modernization of engineering systems, and improving accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
In addition to the restoration of monuments, plans are underway to establish the Odesa UNESCO Heritage Management Center — an institution that will coordinate the preservation of sites included in the World Heritage List.
The grant will be implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in coordination with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with Ukrainian ministries, the Odesa regional military administration, and the city council.
The OVA also added that Italy will allocate €6 million for the reconstruction of two irrigation systems in the Odesa region, which will allow for the modernization of irrigation systems, reduce water losses, and increase the yield of grain and vegetable crops by up to 50%.
