The “More than Poland” Foundation starts its activity in Ukraine.

The More than Poland Foundation is committed to helping
to save works of art and monuments in Ukraine.
We cordially invite you to cooperate – even the smallest amount matters …

Account number 45 1160 2202 0000 0002 7051 1460
BIC / SWIFT: BIGBPLPW

We will support protection of monuments, works of art and objects of Ukrainian culture, as well as Polish heritage in Ukraine.

During the reconnaissance in Lviv, we found out how much has already been done by conservators, museum workers and ordinary residents to protect the most valuable monuments of the city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The valuable stained glass windows of the Lviv Metropolitan Basilica (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) were secured with a special foil. Stained glass windows were designed by – among others – Jan Matejko and Józef Mehofer, famous Polish nineteenth century painters. The sculptures around the cathedral were also covered with scaffolding and wrapped with non-flammable mineral wool. The Lviv cathedral is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Ukraine, a unique monument of sacred art, inscribed in the history of the Polish borderlands.

Nineteenth-century sculptures in the Lviv market square – the statue of Neptune and the statue of Diana, made of brittle limestone, were also carefully protected against shelling. On the other hand, the monument to Adam Mickiewicz from the beginning of the 20th century is not afraid of Russian missiles. He stands as he did, in the busy city center, on the square bearing the name of the Polish poet.

When looking for traces of Polish culture in Lviv, it is impossible to pass by monuments such as the Potocki Palace, where the Lviv Art Gallery is located, or the George Hotel (Żorż), where Jan Kiepura sang for the crowds from the balcony, and the guests were Honore de Balzac, Jean Paul Sartre , Józef Piłsudski or Yurij Gagarin. We also visited the Łyczakowski Cemetery and the Monument to the Lviv Eaglets Cemetery. We admired the beautiful streets and parks of Ukrainian Lviv, where so many monuments remind us of Poles who contribute to the culture of this extraordinary city.

But we were not tourists after all. We established contacts, learned about the city’s needs related to the protection of monuments and more. We have learned from volunteers already operating in Lviv that most of all money is needed to feed 200,000 refugees from eastern Ukraine. Also food with long expiry dates, and medicines: primarily painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as disinfectants and dressings, surgical tools and equipment.

Lviv is getting ready to defend itself. The Russians have already performed rocket attacks in the Lviv region. Commentators point out that the Russian missile attack on a training military base, located only 20 km from the Polish border, was – in the intention of the aggressors – a warning to Western countries, including Poland, to stop supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom. Polish monuments and sacred buildings, which are, in a way, symbols of the cultural bond between the Polish and Ukrainian nations are particularly vulnerable to further attacks. Experts indicate that Russian rockets may target Polish cultural heritage.

That is why the “More than Poland” Foundation will soon start technical and personnel support for the protection of historical, cultural and sacred monuments with the help of groups of volunteers operating in Lviv, as well as in many other places in Western Ukraine.

We plan to raise funds for this purpose. The collected funds will also be used to restore the destroyed national monuments after the end of the Russian aggression on Ukraine.