Ukraine/ 7. Public institutions in cultural infrastructure  

7.3 Status and partnerships of public cultural institutions

A cultural institution that has been granted a "national" status is entitled to receive direct financial support from the central government and special standards of material provision. From 1992-1994 the decision to grant this status was the prerogative of the Presidential Administration, through the Cabinet of Ministers. A presidential edict of 1994 reserved the right to grant this status to the President only.

The most important national cultural institutions are:

• National Academy T. Shevchenko Opera Theatre;
• National Academy I.Franko Drama Theatre;
• National Academy L.Ukrayinka Russian Drama Theatre;
• National Philharmonic Society;
• Ukrainian National Academy Folk Choir Named after H. Veriovka;
• National Merited Dance Company Named after P. Virsky;
• National Merited Bandura Players Company Named after H. Maiboroda;
• National Merited Academy Choir "Dumka";
• National Merited Academy Symphony Orchestra;
• National Folkloric Orchestra;
• National House of Organ and Chamber Music;
• National Circus;
• National Company of Soloists "Chamerate of Kyiv";
• Lviv State Academy M. Zankovetska Ukrainian Drama Theatre;
• State Dance and Symphony Orchestra;
• State Brass Band;
• Odessa State Philarmonic Orchestra;
• State Theatre Centre Named after L. Kurbas;
• State Enterprise "Circus Company Stars of Ukraine";
• Touring Administration of Circus Companies of Ukraine;
• Donets State Circus; and State Circus of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvy Rig, Luhansk, Odessa, Lviv, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Kharkiv, and Yalta; and
• Administration of the House of Art Companies (Kyiv).

In addition to the national institutions, the following major cultural institutions are directly under the authority of the Ministry of Culture:

• Enterprise "International Agency Ukraine-Art";
• Ukrainian Centre of Festivals and Concert Programmes;
• Film Studio "Ukrainian Animation";
• National Kinematics of Ukraine;
• Ukrainian Newsreel Studio;
• National O. Dovzhenko Film Studio;
• Odessa Film Studio;
• National History Museum of Ukraine;
• National Art Museum;
• National 1941-1945 War History Museum;
• State Museum of Literature;
• State Open-Air Museum of Architecture;
• Administration of Art Exhibitions;
• National Parliament Library;
• State Historical Library;
• Kharkiv State Scientific Library;
• Odessa State Scientific Library;
• State Children's Library;
• Kyiv State Choreographic Scool;
• Lviv Cinema Technical School;
• National Chaikovsky Music Academy;
• Odessa State Conservatory;
• Ukrainian Academy of Art;
• Kyiv Theatre Institute;
• Kyiv State University of Culture; and
• National Academy of Managing Personnel in Culture and Art.

There are a number of partnership initiatives or programmes between the state, regional or local governments and different councils or international foundations, such as the Soros Foundation, the European Cultural Foundation, the British Council in Ukraine, French Cultural Centre, Polish Institute, Goethe Institute, Swedish institute, etc. These initiatives encourage the participation of non-government organisations - sometimes even of the private sector - or cultural societies to support projects at the central or local level. The most popular example is the annual international film festival "Molodist", supported by a wide range of partners.

In November 2007, the Ministry of Culture signed an agreement with the non-governmental Development Centre "Democracy through Culture" on co-operation in international initiatives and training projects.

The Art Association "Dzyga" is a conglomeration of artists, public figures, and businessmen, assembled by different kinds of cultural, creative projects and actors, namely clubs, festivals, media-projects, etc. It was founded in 1993 and united the representatives of "The Students' Brotherhood" (a pro-independence Ukrainian students' movement, 1989-1993), vanguard art circles ("Shlyakh", 1989-1992) and L'viv Underground Musicians ("Club Shanuval'nykiv Chaju", "Mertvyj Piven'", Festival of Underground "Vy-Vyh").

The civic initiative group "Protect Old Kyiv" was created in 2007 as a reaction to the intentions of authorities to destroy old city architecture in commercial interests.

Gostiny Dvir Republic was established in Kyiv, in May 2012, as a civil society initiative to save the historical heritage (see also chapter 4.3).

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