Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska, head of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for Central and Eastern Europe in Kraków, represented the Society of Friends of Kraków History and Heritage (Towarzystwo Miłośników Historii i Zabytków Krakowa) at the meeting of the European Commission-led expert group on the safeguarding of cultural heritage in Ukraine taking place in Brussels on January 22-23, 2024.
The group of international and Ukrainian experts was formed by the European Commission in 2023 to prepare a set of recommendations targeted to Ukrainian authorities, European Commission and various stakeholders involved in safeguarding and restoring cultural heritage during and after the armed conflict with Russia. After the third meeting and online work the members of the group drafted a set of recommendations which address the risk management, recognition of value of cultural heritage, documentation, monitoring and data collection, recovery etc., as immediate actions and actions in the long-term perspective.
The group will continue working online during the following months and will meet up again in June to finalise the text and discuss further actions regarding communication and advocacy matters.
The Society of Friends of Kraków History and Heritage is one of fifteen organisations and eleven individual members that form the group. The Society brings expertise regarding management, education and awareness-raising of heritage, and as the operator of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for Central and Eastern Europe in Kraków also experience of projects regarding Ukrainian heritage, including the mapping of Ukrainian heritage sector and a series of podcasts entitled “Ukraine Heritage Spotlight”.
