The Regional Development Agency of Odesa hosted the event «Odesa's Resilience: An International Dialogue on Reconstruction».
This meeting brought together city officials, scientists, international partners, and urbanists. Among the participants were: the president of the French Architects Association Martin Duplantier; advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine, founder of the EU PravoJustice project Dovidas Vitkauskas; former head of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs Alvydas Medalinskas.
During the dialogue, the first deputy mayor of Odesa, Oleksandr Filatov, emphasized that despite the historical center of Odesa being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Russian attacks continue to harm cultural monuments and civil infrastructure.
«Odesa remains a city of resilience and development. We are focused on preserving cultural heritage and swiftly restoring the city. Thanks to the joint efforts of the city authorities and specialists from the Odesa State Academy of Construction and Architecture, we have a clear action plan and practical experience in restoring residential buildings and addressing the consequences of aggression», noted Oleksandr Filatov.
Ukraine, particularly the port city of Odesa, is becoming a source of practical experience in business resilience and building civil safety systems in wartime. We are not just reacting to threats — we are creating solutions that save lives. From building shelters and effective alerts to rapid consequences management of attacks. From scientific support for stabilization and restoration of damaged facilities to systematic coordination with non-governmental organizations.
«Most importantly — we are not only adapting to the new reality, we are shaping it. We are creating models that are already attracting interest from Baltic countries and other European partners», commented Oleksandr Filatov.
International partners also expressed interest in Odesa's experience in rebuilding after hostile attacks. European experts noted their readiness to share their experience in managing UNESCO-protected sites and facilitating international support for Odesa.
The rector of the Odesa State Academy of Construction and Architecture Anatoliy Kovrov emphasized the importance of involving the academic community in international cooperation, sharing experiences with European partners, and researching the impact of Russian strikes on urban architecture.
Following the meeting, participants agreed to continue the dialogue and initiate joint projects in the areas of urban environment restoration, cultural heritage preservation, and international partnership development.
The event was organized by the public organization «Volunteer Movement «Common Goal» in collaboration with Urban Buro.
