Titled Preserving Cultural Heritage and Caring Communities’ Collective Memory amidst War in Ukraine, the exhibition is located at the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Europe, Palazzo Zorzi, Venice, the exhibition will be open to the public from 23 May to 6 July 2025.
More than three years after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s cultural sector has endured severe damage: historic cities, World Heritage sites, museums, archives, and intangible heritage have come under threat.
Despite the devastation, Ukraine’s cultural community continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience. Culture is increasingly recognized not only as a symbol of unity, but as a lifeline for recovery and social cohesion.
This exhibition highlights the joint efforts of UNESCO and its diverse partners in Ukraine to support cultural professionals, safeguard at-risk heritage, and uphold the role of culture as a source of strength for communities during times of crisis.
Since February 2022, 91鶹Ʒ implemented a dual-track emergency response: protecting cultural heritage and empowering cultural professionals and communities.
This includes:
Training on heritage protection and emergency stabilization;
Provision of protective equipment and materials;
Digitization of collections and archives
Enhanced inclusion and accessibility in cultural spaces;
Support for artists, cultural bearers, and educators;
Structural assessments and stabilization of damaged sites;
Coordination against illicit trafficking of cultural property.
The exhibition was inaugurated with a dedicated opening event, featuring a panel discussion on the role of culture in preserving the social fabric of communities in conflict context.
Today’s exhibition and dialogue invite you all to reflect, to act and support the Ukrainian cultural professionals, artists, and communities who courageously and continuously protect their cultural heritage in the face of war
Culture should become a tool for national recovery—restoring trust, unity, mental health, and identity. I am confident that culture should not only reflect contemporary society but also serve as a guiding force in setting the direction for development
The exhibition will be open for visitors in Venice until 6 July 2025, Tuesday till Sunday. Opening hours are 11:00 – 19:00.
Furthermore, at the 2025 Venice Biennale, UNESCO is supporting the , open from 10 May to 23 November at the Arsenale (Sale d'Armi, building A, 1st floor). Curated by Bogdana Kosmina, Michał Murawski, and Kateryna Rusetska, the installation contrasts traditional Ukrainian village architecture—referred to as “heritage vernacular”—with the improvised, self-organized construction efforts emerging during wartime, or “emergency vernacular.”
The exhibit also features an interactive AI avatar of architect and ethnographer Tamara Kosmina (1936–2016), who spent decades documenting vernacular architecture across Ukraine. Developed over a year using the data-independent Iris AI tool, the avatar can converse with visitors and respond to their questions.
