Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

History

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.

Ukraine (since 1991)

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

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

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.

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. But the succeeding Shmyhal Government undid this merger, 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, joining the Ministry of Information Policy, which operated from 2 December 2014 to 29 August 2019. On 6 September 2024, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy was renamed to Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications. 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. 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. 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.

Structure

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

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.

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.

Cultural center of Ukraine in Russia

Ukrainian cultural and information center in Sevastopol

State agency in promotion of culture of Ukraine

List of ministers of culture