Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck Receives the Borys Voznytskyi Medal for the Preservation of Ukrainian Culture

Prof. Dr Kilian Heck in front of trees and a building; a man in a blue jacket and glasses
© Kilian Köthe
Portrait of Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck

Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck, an art historian at the University of Greifswald, was awarded the Borys Voznytskyi Medal by the city of Lviv in recognition of his efforts to protect Ukrainian cultural heritage. In 2022, he founded the Ukraine Art Aid Center (UAAC) together with the art historians Dr. Olena Balun and Dr. Johannes Nathan – both of whom were also honoured with the medal – as well as other colleagues. The organisation supports Ukrainian cultural institutions whose holdings and collections are under threat from Russia’s war of aggression.

The Ukraine Art Aid Centre has been organising aid deliveries to cultural sites in Ukraine since March 2022 and has now provided more than 1,200 museums, archives, libraries, and archaeological sites with urgently needed supplies. At regular intervals, an articulated lorry transports items such as crates, plastic sheeting, tools, dehumidifiers, and fire extinguishers from Germany to Kyiv and Lviv. From there, the material is transported to more remote regions in order to safeguard, protect, and professionally store cultural artefacts. In addition, the UAAC also provides electricity generators, power banks, cameras, scanners and computers to digitally record and preserve at-risk cultural heritage for the long term.

Culture is resistance

Ukrainian museums, concert halls, and cultural institutions are increasingly becoming the target of Russian attacks. The Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, one of the city’s landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was severely damaged recently. “Culture is a central part of Ukrainian identity,” explains award recipient Kilian Heck. “The resilience of the Ukrainian people depends to a large extent on whether their culture can be preserved. When opera houses put on performances, museums open their doors, and libraries remain accessible, this is a visible act of resistance against attempts to erase this identity. We are passionately committed to this.” In order to identify the needs of cultural institutions at first-hand, the art historian uses video conferences to keep in close contact with colleagues in the cultural sector in Ukraine.

The Borys Voznytskyi Award

The Borys Voznytskyi Award is named after the Ukrainian art historian and museum director Borys Voznytskyi (1926–2012), who rendered outstanding services to the preservation of Ukrainian art and cultural heritage. The medal recognises commitment to the protection and preservation of Ukrainian works of art and cultural heritage.

In November 2025, Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck already received the State’s Cultural Promotion Award. This honoured his commitment to Ukraine as well as his voluntary work in the preservation of cultural heritage and historic monuments in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.


Further information
Ukraine Art Aid Center [de]
Interview with Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck on the attacks on the cave monastery, broadcast on Deutschlandfunk Kultur


Contact at the University of Greifswald
Prof. Dr. Kilian Heck
Caspar David Friedrich Institute
Rubenowstraße 2b, 17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 420 3255
kilian.heck@uni-greifswald.de

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