Visit to Vienna: Expanding Cultural Ties
The Mayor of Odessa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, and the Director of the Department of Culture, International Cooperation, and European Integration, Ivan Liptuga, met with Mr. Ernst Woller, the first president of the Vienna Parliament, and the head of the Office for European and International Relations of the City of Vienna, Alena Sirka-Bred.
For many years, Odessa and Vienna have maintained fruitful partnerships, particularly in the fields of culture and heritage preservation.
During the meeting, Mr. Woller shared Vienna's experience in preserving architecture and monuments, as well as the management system of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the «Historic Centre of Vienna».
Ernst Woller emphasized that preserving history is crucial for future generations in every city and country.
Austria has gone through challenging historical periods, yet it has managed to maintain its architecture, culture, and art while sometimes altering the narrative around certain historical figures, always safeguarding the achievements of past generations.
«Vienna is rightly considered a global capital of culture and the arts, while also winning top prizes in smart innovation competitions among cities,» Mr. Woller noted.
As Hennadiy Trukhanov pointed out, Odessa is a Ukrainian city of culture, literature, and music. He also mentioned the festival «Golden Violins of Odessa», which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
«It is very pleasing that our anniversary festival, the «Golden Violins of Odessa», will take place in the capital of Austria. And of course, Vienna's experience in balancing heritage preservation with urban development is very beneficial for Odessa, which is currently developing practices for managing a World Heritage site amid the ongoing war,» emphasized Hennadiy Trukhanov.
