February 28th, 2022
Goethe-Institut Shows Solidarity With Ukraine

The Goethe Institute reacts with great dismay to the Russian attack on Ukraine. Secretary General Johannes Ebert said: “We are shocked by the current situation in Ukraine. Our thoughts are with our colleagues and partners in the country and with their families. While economic sanctions against Russia are now essential, we believe civil society exchange and engagement is now more important than ever.”

Johannes Ebert continued: “We are in constant contact with our Ukrainian colleagues; everyone is doing well given the circumstances. They are receiving intensive support from us so that they can take care of themselves and their families. The Goethe-Institut Kyiv continues to work online as far as the security situation allows.”

In Ukraine, the Goethe-Institut is represented by a large institute in Kyiv, from which an extensive network of three cultural societies, 15 language learning centers, 17 partner libraries or reading rooms and many university co-operations are controlled. It reaches around 4,000 language course students per year. The Goethe-Institut has been active in Ukraine since 1993. A total of 115 colleagues work at the Goethe-Institut Kyiv, including the staff of the multi-year European project "House of Europe". All employees sent from Germany have already left the country on the instructions of the Federal Foreign Office. According to official information from the Ministry of Education, 670,000 people are learning German in Ukraine. German is taught in well over 5,000 schools. The majority of these schools take advantage of the offers from the Goethe-Institut. 17 schools receive special support from the Goethe-Institut as part of the PASCH initiative. The Goethe-Institut works closely with the Ukrainian art and culture scene and connects them with Germany.

The Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany that operates worldwide. With 158 institutes in 98 countries, it promotes knowledge of the German language abroad, cultivates international cultural cooperation and conveys a contemporary image of Germany. Through co-operations with partner institutions in numerous other locations, the Goethe-Institut has a total of around 1,000 contact points worldwide.

www.goethe.de

CONTACT

Klaus Krischok
Director Goethe-Institut Washington
Regional Director North America
Tel.: +1 (202) 847 4701
Klaus.Krischok@goethe.de