From September 24-26, the UREHERIT project hosted its CPD Ukraine Module 2 seminar in Ivano-Frankivsk. This three-day event, focusing on sustainable development through heritage preservation, was organized by the National Union of Architects of Ukraine (NUAU) and the Association of Architects of Sweden, with support from the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Organization of NUAU and Potocki Palace’s “Space of Innovative Creativity.”
The seminar was held at two iconic sites: the Franko Drama Theater, showcasing Carpathian-style architecture from the 1970s-80s, and the Potocki Palace, presented by architect Volodymyr Haidar as a model for community-focused heritage revitalization.
The official opening of CPD: Ukraine, Module 2 took place with the opening remarks from NUAU President Oleksandr Chyzhevsky, Swedish project manager Per Mikael Sellström (online), UREHERIT curator Ruta Leitenaite (online), and Ivano-Frankivsk Mayor Ruslan Martsynkiv.
This continuous professional development (CPD) program offers Ukrainian and EU professionals opportunities to exchange knowledge, gain European-level certifications, and work on pilot projects. The seminar explored methods to assess, document, and sustainably transform Ukraine’s cultural heritage while balancing monument protection with community development, tourism, and public services.
Legal challenges in Ukrainian heritage management, highlighted by MP Anna Bondar, emerged as a focal point: “Ukrainian legislation has gaps and conflicts of norms, which makes it possible to destroy heritage absolutely “legally” within the law,”. She called for clearer regulations to prevent the destruction of valuable sites within current legal frameworks. Swedish experts, such as Mia Geer from Uppsala University, and Ukrainian specialists like Vasyl Petryk from the Ministry of Culture, provided insights into bridging legislative gaps with international standards.
Speakers included architects, researchers, and cultural heritage specialists from Sweden and Ukraine, including Tina Wick, Suha Hasan, Olena Zhukova, and Yuriy Verbovetskyi. Topics ranged from restoration practices to engaging local communities in heritage projects. The event was moderated by Olga Terefeyeva (Kyiv).
“Ukrainian legislation has gaps and conflicts of norms, which makes it possible to destroy heritage absolutely “legally” within the law,” said Anna Bondar and called on the Ministry of Culture to regulate bylaws to make it impossible to ‘legally destroy’ valuable objects.
Other speakers included architect Tina Wick (Sweden), researcher Suha Hasan (Sweden), Olena Zhukova, architect Oleksandr Pavliv (Lviv), and architect and restorer Yuriy Verbovetskyi (Ternopil), Henrietta Eystrup (Sweden), architects Daria Korba, Vitalia Barkar, and Ksenia Paltsun (Kyiv), architects Ivan Revsky and Olha Podushkina (Dnipro), architect Mariana Kaplinska (Lviv), and architect Viktor Dvornikov (Kharkiv).
The event was moderated by Olga Terefeyeva (Kyiv).
UREHERIT, a consortium of 11 organizations from 8 European countries, aims to modernize Ukraine’s approach to heritage preservation by integrating international best practices and securing investment. This includes addressing legal conflicts, attracting funding, and fostering collaboration with UNESCO and other stakeholders.
Special thanks were extended to local partners, socially responsible businesses, and media outlets for their support. The event was funded by the European Union as part of the “UREHERIT: Architects for the Heritage of Ukraine” project.
“This seminar highlights the urgent need to fill gaps in heritage preservation, an issue facing nearly all historical cities in Ukraine,” noted Volodymyr Haidar, director of the Potocki Palace.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author (s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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