Kyiv becomes UNESCO City of Music
Kyiv has officially received UNESCO City of Music status and has joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Source: Kyiv City State Administration
Details: The Ukrainian side has worked on the bid for a year.
Quote from Viktoriia Mukha, a member of Kyiv City Council and chair of the standing commission on culture, tourism and public communications: "We submitted our application at a difficult time when Kyiv proves its resilience and spirit every day. But we believed that our city has every reason to be part of the global cultural community. This UNESCO decision recognises not only our rich musical heritage but also the contemporary creative energy of Kyivans, the city's ability to generate new meanings and unite people through art. For us it is not just an honorary status but a spur to develop sustainable cultural policies, support young talent, create opportunities for artists and present Kyiv and all of Ukraine to the world through music."
More details: The idea to apply emerged in 2023, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko backed the project. State and city institutions, the education sector, civil society and the creative industries helped prepare the dossier. Their in-depth analysis demonstrated that Kyiv's music ecosystem is strong, with dozens of concert venues, music academies and schools, and hundreds of events, festivals, competitions and international initiatives each year.
Quote from Serhii Anzhyiak, director of the Department of Culture at the Kyiv City State Administration: "This marks a new stage in Kyiv's cultural development, opening opportunities for international cooperation, exchange of experience and investment in music infrastructure. We want Kyiv's music to be heard worldwide as the voice of a modern, free and unbreakable Ukraine."
More details: Initiatives linked to the City of Music status have been included in the comprehensive municipal programme Capital Culture: 2025-2027, which envisages developing Kyiv's cultural ecosystem, supporting creative industries and expanding international ties.
Kyiv City State Administration also stated that it plans to establish a coordination office at the R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music to implement Kyiv's four-year strategic plan within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was founded in 2004 to foster cooperation among cities that view culture as a strategic driver of sustainable development. It now unites 408 cities across eight creative fields: crafts and folk art, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature, and music, with architecture added in 2025.
Lviv joined the network in 2015 as a UNESCO City of Literature. Odesa followed in 2019 in the same category, and Kharkiv earned UNESCO City of Music status in 2021.
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