Czech President Petr Pavel recognises the role of Ark I during his visit to Kyiv

During his visit to the Ukrainian capital, the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, visited the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, the first location to host Ark I, a mobile conservation unit designed to rescue and restore rare books and manuscripts, which is supported by the Karel Komárek Family Foundation.

At the library, the President saw the specialised equipment that enables emergency interventions directly in the field to protect endangered books, manuscripts and other valuable documents.

"Cultural heritage is the core of any nation and the source of its identity. The Russian side often tries to claim that Ukraine is not a nation. By helping to preserve Ukraine's cultural heritage, we are supporting the country's national identity," said the President Petr Pavel during his visit to the Ark. His trip was designed to support Ukraine not only in terms of security, but also in its post-war recovery and development.

The Ark project was launched in response to the widespread destruction of cultural landmarks during the Russian invasion, which has already resulted in the loss of more than 400 sites, including libraries, museums and churches. The initiative aims to preserve the country's cultural heritage for future generations and is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the National Library of the Czech Republic and KKCG company, MND, as well as by the Karel Komárek Family Foundation.

Learn more about this initiative at: Ark for Ukraine