The Verkhovna Rada has not yet ratified the agreement on Italian money for the restoration of Odesa

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has not yet ratified a grant agreement with Italy for the restoration of Odesa's cultural heritage, which provides for the allocation of 32 million euros to restore the city's architectural monuments affected by the Russian Federation's aggression.

According to the Center for Public Investigations, this was announced by Ivan Liptuga, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Culture and Marketing, during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Territorial Development Planning, Urban Design, Architecture and Cultural Heritage Protection.

According to him, the project is in the process of ratification. After ratification, the funds will be transferred to the Ministry of Culture, which will transfer them to Odesa Oblast as a subvention. The city council will be allocated six million euros for the restoration of those architectural monuments that are on the balance sheet of the city council, and the rest of the funds should go to restore buildings on the balance sheet of the regional council. However, all these monuments are located in Odesa. The project involves the restoration and preservation of monuments in the historic center of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The objects to be restored include: Odesa National Art Museum, the Zontag House, the Palace of Marriages, and the Philharmonic building.

The agreement was signed on July 10 in Rome during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025). Italy will allocate 32.5 million euros of non-repayable assistance to Ukraine for the program.

In October, the Government approved a draft law on the ratification of a grant agreement with Italy to restore Odesa's cultural heritage. The program provides for the restoration of museums, the Philharmonic, and other historical monuments in the city center.

In total, in the spring of 2025, Italy announced that it would finance three large-scale projects in the Odesa region totaling more than 63 million euros. The money is planned to be allocated in two agreements. The first agreement provides for a €27.5 million grant for the restoration of Odesa's architectural monuments. The funds will be used to restore the Odesa Philharmonic (the former New Exchange building), Potocki Palace, Abaza Palace (where the Museum of Western and Eastern Art is currently located), and the Literary Museum.

The second loan agreement provides for the allocation of EUR 30 million on favorable terms: for 20 years, of which the first 10 are grace periods without repayment, at 0% per annum. The money will be used to build a new building of the regional children's hospital in Odesa.

Кирило Бойко