Ministry of Culture (Ukraine)

Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
Міністерство культури України
Map
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 2, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-09-02)
Preceding agencies
  • Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
  • Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
JurisdictionGovernment of Ukraine
Headquarters19, Ivan Franko Street, Kyiv[1]
Minister responsible
Child agencies
  • State Service of Cinematography
  • State Service of Cultural Valuables Transportation
  • State Service of National Cultural Heritage
  • State Service of Tourism
Websitemcsc.gov.ua/en

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Міністерство культури України) or MinCult is the main state authority in the system of central government of Ukraine responsible for country's cultural development and history preservation.[4]

History

Chronology of logo changes
The logo of the Ministry of Culture, which appeared around November 7, 2015
Simplified logo of the Ministry of Culture, presented on June 11, 2019 and used until March 23, 2020
Logos of Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, used since September 2019 to March 23, 2020
Ministry of Culture and Information Policy logo, used since April 2020 to June 8, 2021
Ministry of Culture and Information Policy logo, presented on June 8, 2021
Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications logo
Ministry of Culture logo, used since November 2025

Ukraine (1917–1919)

The origin of the Ukrainian ministry could be traced to the earliest creation of the General Secretariat of Ukraine where a department of culture was created in 1917 within the Secretariat of People's Education headed by Ivan Steshenko. It was created on same principles that existed during the Russian Empire where cultural life in Ukraine was administered by the Russian Ministry of Enlightenment.

In May 1918 the Ukrainian People's Republic established the Ministry of People's Education and Arts headed by Mykola Vasylenko. Later there was a Ministry of Art headed by Dmytro Antonovych (December 1918 - February 1919) that was disbanded soon after the Soviet invasion of Ukraine.

In the 1918 Ukrainian State there existed the Ministry of Confessions that was first created by the government of Pavlo Skoropadskyi on 30 April 1918 and was at first headed by Mykola Vasylenko. After the fall of Skoropadsky the Ministry of Confessions (30 Apri 1918 - 14 December 1918) was transformed into Administration of Cults at first and later into Ministry of Denomination (13 February 1919) both headed by Ivan Lypa. One of the most noticeable ministers however was Ivan Ohiyenko.

Soviet Ukraine

With advancing Bolsheviks in Ukraine, there also was established the People's Commissariat of People's Education that took over most of cultural life in Ukraine.

On 25 February 1919 by its decree, the Council of People's Commissariats of UkrSSR (CPC of UkrSSR) established Cinema Committee within its People's Commissariat of People's Education and registering all electro-theatres in Ukraine. On 19 February 1921 the CPC of UkrSSR issued statement obligating its People's Commissariat of People's Education to use all of artwork for purpose of communist agitation (propaganda). Previously by decree of 14 December 1920, the CPC of UkrSSR established Main Political and Educational Committee within its People's Commissariat of People's Education.

Another decree of CPC of UkrSSR of 11 March 1921 "About purchase for state museums museum valuables from private individuals" initiated creation of state museums which were previously "nationalised" by Bolsheviks "in the name of the Revolution" in form of simple expropriation. Along with that there was established All-Ukrainian Committee in Conservation of artworks, artifacts, and natural landmarks.

On 19 April 1921 CPC of UkrSSR issued decree "About peasants homes" (Ukrainian: селянські будинки, selyanski budynky) establishing centers of political education (propaganda) in rural areas.

On 22 November 1922, on efforts of people's commissar Hrynko, the Central Executive Committee of Ukraine adopted its statement "About enacting Code of Laws about People's Education" (Ukrainian: Про введення в дію Кодексу законів про народну освіту) which defined the network of cultural and art institutions, their framework of functioning, and mechanisms of administration.

From 1953 to 1991, the Ministry of Culture of the Ukrainian SSR existed.[4]

Ukraine (since 1991)

Following the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union Ukraine retained the cultural management structure inherited from the Soviet Union.[5] In 1997, the ministry changed its name to the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine.[5]

On 9 December 2010 the ministry was renamed to Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine.[5][6]

In 2011, the ministry was again reorganized and its tourism functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Infrastructure, and again the ministry regained the name of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.[5]

The Honcharuk Government (on 29 August 2019) merged the Ministry of Youth and Sports, established on 28 February 2013, with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, into the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.[6] But the succeeding Shmyhal Government undid this merger,[7] separating the Ministry of Youth and Sports into a separate body, and so on 23 March 2020 the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports was renamed the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy,[8] joining the Ministry of Information Policy, which operated from 2 December 2014[9][10] to 29 August 2019.[6] On 6 September 2024, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy was renamed to Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.[11] The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications became the main state authority in the system of central government of Ukraine responsible for ensuring the informational sovereignty of Ukraine, in particular regarding the dissemination of socially important information in Ukraine and beyond, as well as ensuring the functioning of state information resources and country's cultural development and history preservation.

In mid-August 2025, the acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Tetyana Berezhna stated that the ministry's strategic communications departments would be transferred into a separate institution in a process that should be completed by the end of 2025.[12] On 21 October 2025, Berezhna was appointed Minister of Culture, with strategic communications departments and responsibilities (such as the United News telethon) being taken out of the ministry's portfolio again.[13] Following the change, the ministry was renamed to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 31 October 2025.[4][14]

Structure

Ministry headquarters at 19 Ivan Franko Street, Kyiv

The ministry consists of the central body of ministry headed by its leadership composed of a minister, his/her first deputy, and other deputies in assistance to the minister. Part of ministry is composed of several state administrations that are specialized in certain field and coordinate operations of government companies.

Central body

Leadership
  • Minister
  • First Deputy
  • Deputies
  • Deputy-Chief of Aparat
Section in support of the Minister's performance
  • Sector of informational-analytic work and communication with public
Sector of control and checks in execution of acts and orders of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as well as the orders of leadership
Sector of job-secrecy work
Sector of mobilization work and public security
Section of financial revisions and support of measures in the fight with corruption
  • Sector for prevention and counter-action of corruption
Section of human resources and state service
Directory of legal support
  • Section of legal expertise
  • Section for the use of legislation
  • Sector for conducting a claim work
Directory of Affairs
  • Section for documents support and control
  • Section for cooperation with Verkhovna Rada
  • Sector for organization of access to the public information
Department in formation of the state policy in the sphere of culture, art, and education
  • Directory of Arts
    • Section of musical art
    • Section of theatrical art
    • Section of monumental, artistic, and folk art
    • Sector of circus art
  • Directory for strategical planning of cultural development and regional policy in the sphere of culture
    • Section of analysis and forecasting of activities in learning institutions
    • Section of analysis and forecasting of socio-cultural development of regions
    • Section of analysis and forecasting of libraries activities
    • Others;

State agencies

  • State Service of Cinematography
  • State Service in control of transportation of cultural valuables over the State Border
  • State Service in protection of the National Cultural Heritage
  • State Service of Tourism and Resorts

Ministerial institutions and organizations

The ministry also administers a network of museums, libraries, cultural centers, regional centers of folklore, national cultural heritage sites, various artistic education in schools and universities, has own research centers and institutions, promotes circus, musical and theatric arts in regions.

The ministry also maintains the registry of fixed landmarks of cultural heritage (national and local). On 11 December 2012 there were 4,719 such landmarks, 891 of national significance and the other 3,828 of local significance.[15]

Note: while most of the educational state institutions are administered by the Ministry of Education, most arts educational state institutions are administered by the Ministry of Culture.

Ukrainian cultural centers

  • Cultural center of Ukraine in Russia
  • Ukrainian cultural and information center in Sevastopol
  • State agency in promotion of culture of Ukraine

Museums under ministry jurisdiction

Culture and heritage reserves managed by the ministry

List of ministers of culture

Ukrainian SSR

Name of ministry Name of minister Term of office
Start End
Administration in Art Affairs Andriy Khvylia 1936 1938
Mykola Kompaniets 1938 1944
Oleksandr Korniychuk 1944 1945
Committee in Art Affairs Oleksandr Korniychuk 1945 1946
Mykola Kompaniets 1946 1947
M.Pashchyn 1947 1950
Davyd Kopytsia 1950 1953
Ministry of Culture Kostiantyn Lytvyn April 10, 1953 July 9, 1956
Rostyslav Babiychuk July 9, 1956 1971
Yuri Yelchenko November 15, 1971 October 15, 1973
Oleksiy Romanovsky October 15, 1973 June 7, 1977
Serhiy Bezklubenko June 7, 1977 September 13, 1983
Yuri Olenenko September 13, 1983 July 7, 1991
Larysa Khorolets July 7, 1991 August 24, 1991
Name of ministry Name of minister[16] Term of office
Start End
Ministry of Culture Larysa Khorolets 24 August 1991 17 November 1992
Ivan Dzyuba 17 November 1992 19 August 1994
Ministry of Culture and Arts Dmytro Ostapenko 25 September 1995 4 August 1999
Yuriy Bohutsky 4 August 1999 7 December 1999
Bohdan Stupka 30 December 1999 31 May 2001
Yuriy Bohutsky 1 June 2001 3 February 2005
Ministry of Culture and Tourism Oksana Bilozir 4 February 2005 5 October 2005
Ihor Likhovyi 5 October 2005 1 November 2006
Yuriy Bohutsky 1 November 2006 18 December 2007
Vasyl Vovkun 18 December 2007 11 March 2010
Ministry of Culture Mykhailo Kulynyak 11 March 2010 24 December 2012[17]
Leonid Novokhatko 24 December 2012 27 February 2014
Yevhen Nyshchuk 27 February 2014[18] 2 December 2014[10]
Vyacheslav Kyrylenko 2 December 2014 14 April 2016
Yevhen Nyshchuk 14 April 2016[19] 29 August 2019
Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Volodymyr Borodiansky 29 August 2019 4 March 2020
Ministry of Culture and Information Policy Svitlana Fomenko (acting) 10 March 2020[20] 4 June 2020
Oleksandr Tkachenko 4 June 2020[21] 27 July 2023[22]
Rostyslav Karandieiev (acting) 28 July 2023[23] 4 September 2024
Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi 5 September 2024[24] 17 July 2025
Tetiana Berezhna 17 July 2025 (acting) 21 October 2025
Ministry of Culture Tetiana Berezhna 21 October 2025 Incumbent

See also

References

  1. ^ "Official website of the Ministry. Contact Us".
  2. ^ "Генератор випадкових міністерств. Як постійне переформатування уряду шкодить Україні". 2025-08-13. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  3. ^ Верховна Рада призначила Тетяну Бережну Віце-прем’єр-міністром з гуманітарної політики — Міністром культури України [The Verkhovna Rada appointed Tetiana Berezhna as Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine]. Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications (in Ukrainian). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Кабінет міністрів перейменував Мінкульт: як тепер називається відомство [The Cabinet of Ministers renamed the Ministry of Culture: what is the department called now]. Ukrainian National News (in Ukrainian). 31 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d Kachkovska, Yana (6 September 2024). "How the name of the Ministry of Culture has changed throughout its existence". Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  6. ^ a b c New Cabinet formed in Ukraine The Rada appointed the new Cabinet: Avakov and Markarova remained (РАДА ПРИЗНАЧИЛА НОВИЙ КАБМІН: АВАКОВ І МАРКАРОВА ЛИШИЛИСЬ), Ukrayinska Pravda (29 August 2019)
  7. ^ "Ukraine's new Cabinet of Ministers". 7 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Деякі питання оптимізації діяльності центральних органів виконавчої влади" [Some issues of optimizing the activities of central executive bodies]. zakon.rada.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  9. ^ "Міністр інформаційної політики України" (Press release). Supreme Council of Ukraine. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  10. ^ a b Rada supports coalition-proposed government lineup, Interfax-Ukraine (2 December 2014)
    Rada approves new Cabinet with three foreigners, Kyiv Post (2 December 2014)
    (in Ukrainian) Rada voted the new Cabinet, Ukrayinska Pravda (2 December 2014)
  11. ^ "Про перейменування Міністерства культури та інформаційної політики України і Міністерства розвитку громад, територій та інфраструктури України". Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 2024-09-06.
  12. ^ "Berezhna sets 2025 deadline for culture ministry separation". Interfax-Ukraine. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  13. ^ Herasimova, Herasimova (21 October 2025). "Rada appoints Berezhna Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture". Ukrainian News Agency. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
    "Strategic communications should be coordinated from one place – Culture minister". Interfax-Ukraine. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  14. ^ Про перейменування Міністерства культури та стратегічних комунікацій України [On renaming the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications]. Official Website of the Parliament of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 29 October 2025. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  15. ^ State registry of fixed landmarks of Ukraine. Landmarks of national significance. Ministry of Culture. 11 December 2012
  16. ^ Kateryna Slipchenko. "Remember everyone: Who, how and when headed the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine" ("Згадати всіх: Хто, як і коли очолював Міністерство культури України"). Zaxid.net. 4 December 2014
  17. ^ (in Ukrainian) ЯНУКОВИЧ ПРИЗНАЧИВ НОВИЙ КАБМІН. І КОРОЛЕВСЬКІЙ ДАЛИ КРІСЛО, Ukrayinska Pravda (24 December 2012)
  18. ^ Maidan nominates Yatseniuk for prime minister, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
    Ukrainian parliament endorses new cabinet, Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014)
  19. ^ New Cabinet formed in Ukraine, UNIAN (14 April 2016)
  20. ^ "Fomenko appointed Ukraine's acting culture minister". 10 March 2020.
  21. ^ Ukraine's new culture minister vows to sell stake in Odesa Film Studio, UNIAN (4 June 2020)
  22. ^ "Parliament dismisses Culture Minister Tkachenko". Ukrainska Pravda. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Cabinet assigns Culture Minister duties to first deputy Karandieiev". Ukrainian News Agency. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ^ Sitnikova, Iryna (5 September 2024). "Мінкульт очолив дипломат Микола Точицький. Що про нього відомо?". Hromadske (in Ukrainian).

Further reading

Bohutskyi, Yu. Ukrainian society in aspect of its organization and self-organization (УКРАЇНСЬКЕ СУСПІЛЬСТВО В АСПЕКТІ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ ТА САМООРГАНІЗАЦІЇ). Theory and History of Culture (ТЕОРІЯ ТА ІСТОРІЯ КУЛЬТУРИ).