The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that the Belarusian NGO “Brest Fortress Development Foundation” is among the winners of the prestigious international competition for the 2014 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. As a recipient of the 2014 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation award, the organization will receive more than USD 100,000 in funding to inventory and document the outer fortifications of the Brest-Litovsk Fortress, which are separate from the central Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex.
The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is administered by the U.S. Department of State in more than 125 countries. It is aimed at the preservation of objects of historical and cultural significance, both tangible and intangible. The selection of the Brest-Litovsk Fortress in 2014 from among a highly competitive field of projects is a testament to the major historic value of the site in Belarus, the United States, and around the world.
Since 2001, the U.S. Embassy has partnered with five other organizations in Belarus through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation: the National Library of Belarus, the Marc Chagall Museum, the Vitebsk Art Center, the band “Stary Olsa” and the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. The US Embassy is also pleased to continue with a tradition of cooperation with Brest oblast in the field of cultural and historical preservation, following a joint project to restore the Thaddeusz Kosciuszko house near Kosovo, Ivatsevichi region, and continuing support to the Kosciuszko Museum with exhibits and equipment.
The U.S. Embassy looks forward to continued partnership with Belarusian counterparts to identify and preserve the cultural heritage of the region. More information on the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation can be found here, and updates on the project at the Brest-Litovsk Fortress can always be found on the U.S. Embassy’s Facebook page.
