Ukraine and Sweden have signed a memorandum to preserve the heritage of the Great Meadow
Ukraine and Sweden have signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at researching and preserving the cultural heritage of the Velykyi Luh—a historic region closely associated with the Ukrainian Cossacks.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Sweden noted that after Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2023, significant areas of the Great Meadow were revealed from beneath the water.
Along with these areas, thousands of archaeological and historical sites have become accessible for research, including ancient burial grounds, settlements, shipwrecks, and traces of various historical eras.
These sites require urgent documentation, scientific study, and preservation, the diplomats emphasize.
The memorandum was signed by the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, Zaporizhzhia National University, the Khortytsia National Reserve, the Swedish National Maritime, Transport, and Military Museums, and the International Congress of Maritime Museums.
The signing ceremony took place in Stockholm at the Swedish National Maritime Museum.
The document provides for the creation of the International Center for the Study and Preservation of the Great Meadow, which will be engaged in:
- archaeological research;
- scientific projects;
- educational programs;
- international cooperation;
- post-war restoration of historic territories.
The Ukrainian Embassy emphasized that this initiative is not only an example of international support but also of an equal partnership.
“For Ukraine, this project is not just about receiving aid. It’s about partnership. We have much to offer: the knowledge of our scholars, the expertise of our archaeologists and museums, and the living memory of places where Ukrainian, Swedish, and European histories intersect,” the diplomatic mission noted.
The project aims to preserve the unique historical and cultural heritage of the Great Meadow and to involve international experts in its study and protection.
After Russian occupiers destroyed the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Kherson region, the reservoir resembled a desert. However, two years after the disaster, vegetation has grown so thick there that one has to fight one’s way through it.
As a reminder, the Kakhovka Reservoir effectively ceased to exist after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the water drained away. The corresponding photographs were taken by a Sentinel Copernicus satellite from the ESA program.
As a reminder, on the night of June 6, Russian occupation forces blew up the dam and the turbine hall of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Due to the emergency situation that arose after the Russian occupiers blew up the dam of the Kakhovka Reservoir, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defense Council.
Footage of the aftermath of the enemy’s bombing of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant had previously been released.
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