Arka is a project that is unique not only in Ukraine, but in the whole of Eastern Europe as well. Its mission is to connect people from different cultures and religions, overcome stereotypes and explore selected aspects of the history of the lands making up Ukraine. Arka is not only a place for young people to develop their academic interests, but also a space for intercultural dialogue where people can learn from one another to build a future without prejudice and conflict.




The first meeting as part of the Arka project took place in the Studite monastery near Lviv in 2006. During World War II, the place was a safe haven for a group of Jewish children, who found shelter with the Uniate monks. Those who were saved in this way include former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Professor Adam Daniel Rotfeld.
Subsequent meetings have been organised at the Studite monastery in Univ, in Yaremche and at the Franciscan Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Bilshivtsi.




These ten-day meetings are attended groups consisting of around ten young Poles, Jews and Ukrainians, and since 2014 also Crimean Tatars living in Ukraine, who take part in lectures, presentations and meetings, various workshops, film screenings and community building exercises.
An important part of the programme is the National Day, during which every ethnic group presents their traditions, customs and national speciality dishes. This is a perfect opportunity to learn new things and pass them on to others.




The rich and organisationally robust programme allows participants to learn more and better understand the people of different nationalities who live alongside them in Ukraine.
Arka is co-organised by such institutions as the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv, Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, H. Khotkevych Palace of Culture in Lviv, TKUMA Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies in Dnepropetrovsk and the Federation of Polish Organisations in Ukraine. Other contributors include the Centre for Polish Culture and European Dialogue in Ivano-Frankivsk.











