Ukraine

Culture in Times of War
The start of Russia’s unlawful full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 marks a grim new phase in European history. A chapter which dates back to 2014, the annexation of Crimea, and earlier attempts of Russia to manipulate Ukrainian elections.  Alongside the attempts to annex territory, the destruction of Ukrainian cultural identity and the looting and devastation of cultural objects and heritage became an essential part of the Kremlin regime’s strategy.

Since then, the museum and heritage sector in Ukraine have suffered huge losses. More than 60% of the cultural organisations and institutions have disappeared. The sector faces a significant shortage of personnel, with artists, performers, museum staff, and cultural managers either leaving for other countries, for the front line, or passing away. The physical destruction is immense: so far, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communication (before the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy) has documented damage to over 900 cultural sites. UNESCO estimates the total value of the damage at 3.5 billion USD and rising. According to UNESCO’s estimation, approximately 9 billion USD will be needed to restore the damage over the next 10 years. Most of the damage has occurred in the Kharkiv region, followed by the occupied Donetsk and heavily bombarded Odesa.

The Ukrainian cultural sector responded to the threat promptly and resiliently with remarkable self-organisation. They joined forces to protect the cultural heritage and started to think immediately about how to rebuild the sector in the future. To learn more about the involvement of the Dutch cultural and heritage sector in supporting their Ukrainian counterparts, you can visit the following websites: Cultural Emergency Response, UNUN - Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network, Ro3kvit, Panorama Ukraine.

Ukraine and the Netherlands
The cultural ties between the Netherlands and Ukraine have evolved rapidly over the past years. There is a growing recognition of the value of cultural exchange by strengthening bilateral relations. Our countries share a mutual interest in preserving cultural heritage and face the challenges of dealing with contested histories, albeit from a fundamentally different perspective.

Focal Country
In December 2022, Ukraine gained a focal country status in the Dutch international policy 2021-2024, with the goal of fostering collaboration with the Ukrainian cultural and heritage field. By facilitating cooperation and offering support, the Netherlands wishes to contribute to the protection of Ukraine’s rich heritage and diverse cultural sector and to the post-war reconstruction. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine facilitates and supports the cultural relations between the two countries.

A complex history
Ukraine is one of the oldest settled areas in Europe, and the largest country located entirely on the continent. Throughout its history, it has been home to numerous civilisations and underwent many influences and conflicts. Ukraine has a rich and diverse cultural sector that reflects this complex history, including the traditions and influences of various ethnic groups.

In the medieval period, Kyivan Rus' laid the foundations of a state centred around Kyiv. The following centuries were characterised by the Mongol invasions, the influence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later, by the Russian Empire’s domination. The 20th century brought a short period of independence, two world wars, the devastating Holodomor famine and many decades of Soviet rule. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine declared its independence in 1991.

The first years of that sovereign Ukrainian nation-state were marked by political instability, economic challenges, and ongoing tensions with Russia. The Euromaidan Revolution (also known as the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity) in late 2013/early 2014 shifted the country's geopolitical orientation towards Europe and fostered aspirations for democracy and European integration. The conflicts in Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 marked the start of a new, dark chapter in European history. However, the international community became fully aware of the scale of this conflict only on 24 February 2022.

Ukrainians understand that this war is also about preserving their culture and the Ukrainian identity. Therefore, efforts aimed at decolonisation and decommunization have gained momentum since the large-scale invasion began. While the removal of the hammer and sickle from the Motherland statue's shield in August 2023 was widely covered, many other actions have taken place besides. Since early 2022, over 60 monuments associated with the history and culture of Russia and the Soviet Union have been taken down and over 500 street names have been changed.

DutchCulture’s visitors programmes
Since 2023, DutchCulture organised four visitors programmes for Ukrainian professionals. The first programme took place in February 2023 and focused on heritage and museum professionals. The primary focus of the visit was heritage protection, digitalisation and contested histories. For the second visitors programme we invited policy makers whose interest lies in learning about the Dutch cultural ecosystem, the funding system and the codes of governance and fair practice. In 2024 we foucused on the regional museums and artist-in-residence programs of Ukraine. You can read more about the impact of our visitors programmes in our publication Reaping the rewards.

Information & advice
DutchCulture primarily helps Dutch and Netherlands-based artists and organisations by answering questions and providing information about cultural cooperation with Ukraine. Topics we can help you with are policy, funding, networks, partners, mobility, and other related issues in related to art and culture. Unfortunately, it is beyond our capacity to directly match partners.

If you want to learn more about Ukraine's cultural sector, you can start you research here: Insight UA
Insight UA is a guide to discover Ukrainian culture, personalities, and inspiring events. It is curated and hand-picked by the Ukrainian Institute team.

Please note that DutchCulture is not a funding body.

Would you like to receive more information about cultural exchange with Ukraine? Feel free to contact our advisor for Central and Eastern Europe, Tijana Stepanovic. She can inform you about the latest developments in the country, relevant networks and funding opportunities.

Further reading

Advisor

|
 Tijana Stepanovic
Advisor - Central and Eastern Europe
t.stepanovic [at] dutchculture.nl
|
Year:

Ukraine at a glance

PlaceArtist
23 registered activities in 2023
featuring 23 artists
Calendar
Number of activities
12 months (2023)
Discipline
Activities by
discipline in 2023
1Audiovisual Media  54%
2Literature  8%
3Performing Arts  8%
4Visual Arts  8%
5Architecture  4%
6Sustainability  4%
7Heritage  4%
8Education  4%
9Journalism  4%
10Music  4%
|

Frequently asked questions

I need to help someone in Ukraine travel to the Netherlands. What do I need to know?

Before leaving
It is important to bring valid travel documents (a valid biometric Ukrainian passport, Ukrainian residence permit if you are a non-EU citizen living in Ukraine and a birth certificate and/or marriage certificate) if possible. These will be helpful when travelling, but also when temporarily settling in one of the EU countries. However, the lack of these documents should not be an obstacle to enter the EU. You can find additional information about travelling to the Netherlands here: Arrival, registration and stay of refugees from Ukraine | Reception of refugees from Ukraine | Government.nl

EU Temporary Protection Directive
Refugees from Ukraine can receive temporary protection in the Netherlands under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. The Temporary directive for Ukraine entitles you to shelter, health care, education for minor children in the Netherlands as well as the possibility to work. Find out here whether this scheme covers you and whether you are entitled to temporary protection.

Work
Everyone who comes under the Temporary Protection Directive forUkraine can work in the Netherlands without a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or twv). This means that an employer does not have to request a work permit for you, and that you can look for a job. The work permit exemption applies to all work in employment. However, you will need an employment contract with an employer. You must also meet certain requirements. Please note that employers must notify the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV in Dutch) when they employ someone.

Useful Links
RefugeeHelp to help Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands.

Ukraine: War in Ukraine | Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
Temporary Protection Directive Ukraine | Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
The Hague - Answers to questions frequently asked by Ukrainian refugees (denhaag.nl)

 

Where can I find further funding opportunities for collaboration with Ukrainian partners?

Worldwide there are numerous funding programmes supporting the Ukrainian cultural and heritage field and collaboration with Ukrainian partners. We list a few programmes below:

On The Move
On the Move provides information on cultural mobility that is clear, up-to-date, and always free to use.

Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund
UEAF is a local, Ukrainian network supporting Ukrainian artists. The goal of the Fund is to ensure the continuity and development of the Ukrainian cultural sector during the war. The UEAF was established by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), in partnership with Zaborona, The Naked Room and Mystetskyi Arsenal.

House of Europe
House of Europe is an EU-funded programme fostering professional and creative exchange between Ukrainians and their colleagues in EU countries and the UK. The programme focuses on different professional fields: culture and creative industries, education and youth work, social entrepreneurship, and media. House of Europe collects and lists open calls for collaborative cultural projects.

Support for Ukrainian artists in the Netherlands
The Support Programme for Ukrainian Artists reopened in the autumn of 2024. The Dutch government has earmarked €180,000 to support cultural and creative creators with a Ukrainian passport who were living in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and are now living in the Netherlands as refugees or who are coming to the Netherlands for the project for which the application is submitted. The programme is financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Dutch Foundation for Literature coordinates the support on behalf of the six national cultural foundations.

Cultural Emergency Response
Cultural Emergency Response (CER) coordinates and supports the locally-led protection of heritage under threat. Beyond emergency response, CER’s wider purpose is to make global heritage protection more inclusive, sustainable and locally-led. It does so by training heritage experts, sharing expertise and experience, and advocating the recognition of cultural heritage rescue as a crucial aspect of humanitarian relief, recovery, development and peacebuilding.

The Black Sea Regional Hub was launched in the autumn of 2024, you can read more about it here.

University of New Europe - UNE mentor programme
The UNE mentor programme was launched by a collective of scholars and activists advocating for a new European university - the University of New Europe - with a fixed set of places for Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian students, scholars and cultural professionals at risk. They connect them to high-profile experts elsewhere, among others in the Netherlands. To participate as a mentor or mentee, you can send an email with the following details: name; disciplinary expertise (in 3-4 keywords); participating as mentor/mentee; if mentee: seeking short-term or long-term advice. As a mentor you can make a difference by offering emotional support and relevant information to your mentee, based on their needs.

NEMO, Museums support Ukraine
NEMO collects and monitors support activities and initiatives organised by museums for Ukrainian colleagues and citizens. This page lists support actions relating to storage and housing, donations, education and exhibitions as well as statements issued by European museum organisations. You can use this site for inspiration and information. Museums are furthermore encouraged to join the initiative.

Creative Europe programme
The European Commission publishes special calls to support Ukrainian artists through the Creative Europe programme. The call supports artists outside their country, cultural organisations in Ukraine, and preparation for the post-war recovery of the Ukrainian cultural and creative sector in the medium term.
More information on the Ukrainian site: https://creativeeurope.in.ua/en/

Explore how Creative Europe initiatives are helping Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors’ recovery and resilience: Supporting Ukraine’s arts and culture - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu)

Where can I find funding within the Netherlands?

Are you looking for (international) funding? Check our general funding page for different funding guides, grants and open calls, or the digital Cultural Mobility Funding Guide for the Netherlands for regional, private and international (mobility) funding.

In the Netherlands the means for international cultural cooperation are delegated to the national funds. The fund that works for your art form or discipline, has one or several subsidy schemes for internationalisation. To make sure the program fits your project, contact the advisors of the fund before starting the process of application. These are the national funds:

Design, Creative Industries, Architecture, Digital Culture

Creative Industries Fund NL
> International Vouchers
> Internationalization of the Design Sector Grant Scheme

Visual Arts, Heritage

Mondriaan Fund 
> Subsidy for International Art Presentation to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch(-based) artists or internationally recognized art organizations outside the Netherlands.
> Subsidy for International Art Fair/Art Book Fair to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch and non-Dutch galleries, publishers and non-Dutch art fairs.

Theater, Dance, Music

Performing Arts Fund 
> Grants for foreign organisations to invite Dutch(-based) artists
> Internationalisation grants for Dutch(-based) artists

Audiovisual media, Film, Documentary

Dutch Film Fund
The Film Fund has several subsidy schemes to support co-productions and distribution (film & documentary).

Literature

Dutch Foundation for Literature
The Dutch Foundation for Literature has several subsidies for internationalisation:
> Translation grants for foreign publishers
> Travel grants

Participation, Education, Communal arts, Cooperations, Projects with non-professionals

Cultural Participation Fund
> The international collaboration grant is available for all disciplines and designated for finding partners abroad.

Heritage

International Heritage Cooperation is part of the Netherlands’ international cultural policy. The embassies of the Netherlands in the partner countries have a budget for supporting local cultural heritage projects. DutchCulture manages a Matching Fund. Dutch legal entities (companies and registered freelancers) are able to apply for partial funding for an international heritage cooperation project.

DutchCulture supports sustainable Dutch-European heritage cooperation by supporting and facilitating (international) expert meetings and exchanges while underlining the European context of heritage. The Europe + Heritage programme offers advice, a travel grant scheme and a support grant scheme for European heritage cooperation.

More funds

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency is not a national fund but also offers on behalf of various ministries and the European Union subsidies for companies in the creative industries.