The International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH) has announced a $1 million commitment from the J. Paul Getty Trust to help protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage. 

The grant is part of ALIPH’s Ukrainian Action Plan, which has committed $3 million to date in support of efforts to protect cultural institutions and the professionals caring for them. To that end, the grant will support improvements in the security of museum collections, upgrades to large storage spaces across the country, deployment of preventive conservation measures for key sites and monuments, and preparation of stabilization and conservation measures. Since the beginning of the war in early 2022, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has verified damage to 204 Ukrainian sites. 

“The ongoing need to protect cultural heritage in Ukraine has become even more urgent in recent weeks, as attacks in the region are increasing and the onset of winter is creating additional risks,” said ALIPH executive director Valéry Freland. “This new funding will help cultural heritage professionals face the many challenges ahead.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Nzpn)