On March 11, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia, Maksym Kononenko, met with Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, Heidy Purga.

During the meeting, the Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Minister for her consistent, principled, and comprehensive support of Ukraine. He also extended his deep appreciation to the Minister and her team for the decision to return 274 cultural artifacts to Ukraine, which had been confiscated by Estonian authorities at the Russian-Estonian border.

The Ambassador emphasized that this decision is not only about the return of historical artifacts but also about restoring justice, reaffirming Ukraine's legitimate right to its cultural heritage, and countering Russia's attempts to appropriate Ukrainian cultural assets.

Seizing the opportunity, the Ambassador sincerely thanked Estonia for its significant contribution to the joint Ukrainian-Estonian nomination – Pysanka: Ukrainian Egg Decoration Tradition, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Asunción, Paraguay.

Maksym Kononenko also congratulated Estonia on the successful inscription of Mulgi puder – the tradition of preparing and consuming this national dish – on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Ambassador delivered a letter from Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, M. Tochytskyi, addressed to Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia, Heidy Purga. The letter expressed gratitude for the participation of Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage Märt Volmer and Adviser Kadri Jauram in the Cooperation for Resilience conference (January 31 – February 2, 2025, Uzhhorod), as well as for Estonia’s accession to the Declaration on Strengthening Cultural Sector Resilience in Ukraine (Ukraine, February 1, 2025). The Ambassador noted that Ukraine would be sincerely grateful if Estonia considered the possibility of further cooperation by selecting a priority area from those outlined in the Declaration that best aligns with its interests.

Maksym Kononenko also raised the issue of imposing sanctions against Russian singers, actors, artists, and other cultural figures. He emphasized that these individuals are actively used by Russia to justify its war against Ukraine and to spread fake narratives aimed at misleading the international community.

The meeting took place in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. Heidy Purga reaffirmed Estonia’s unwavering support for Ukraine and expressed readiness for further cooperation and deepening bilateral cultural ties.