From 1 January 2027 the base salaries of the majority of employees of state and municipal cultural institutions will increase by 70%. At the same time, for certain categories an increase of only 40% is provided.
This was 16 July 2026 reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agricultural Policy of Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted a decision on the first stage of the wage reform in the culture sector on the joint proposal of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Economy.
Base salaries of employees of state and municipal cultural institutions that are determined according to the Unified Tariff Grid will increase by 70%. The same increase is provided for employees of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the Ukrainian Book Institute. According to the Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, the decision concerns more than 118 thousand employees across Ukraine.
For employees whose base salaries are already set using increase coefficients up to 1.3 inclusive, salaries from 1 January 2027 will increase by 40%.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna stated that this is only the first stage of the reform.
“We are launching a wage reform in the culture sector. We are increasing base salaries of employees by up to 70% already from 1 January 2027. The Ministry of Culture team, together with colleagues, worked for half a year to develop a decision to increase pay. At the same time, we are preparing the next stage — a transition to a modern, fair and transparent remuneration model. People are the main value of Ukrainian culture. So our task is to make work in the cultural sector prestigious and to create conditions for professionals to remain working in Ukraine.”
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agricultural Policy of Ukraine Daria Marchak noted that the salary increases in culture should become the start of a broader wage reform in the public sector.
“The increase in base salaries of culture workers is not a separate decision for one sector, but the beginning of a comprehensive reform of wages across the entire public sector. Our task is to form unified modern principles of remuneration that will ensure fair pay, competitiveness of public professions and effective use of budget funds.”
Regional and the Kyiv City State Administrations were instructed to ensure the implementation of the resolution in subordinate cultural institutions. The government recommended that local self-government bodies move to the new payment rules and seek funds by increasing the efficiency of the network of cultural institutions.
For Mykolaiv this decision is especially important against the backdrop of a shortage of funds in the city budget. In 2026 there was already a deficit of funds for salaries in the culture sector, and institution heads warned that from 1 September funding for payments is not provided at all.
Therefore, the increase in salaries alone does not yet guarantee a real rise in payments: local authorities will have to provide sufficient financing in the 2027 budget.
Earlier we wrote:
- “From 1 September there will be no money for salaries”: Topchiy warned about the situation in cultural institutions
- The budget is running out while municipal enterprise directors receive millions: inspections demanded in Mykolaiv
- Mykolaiv lacks over UAH 50 million for salaries in culture and education: staff and library branches under threat
- There is money, but not for everyone: Mykolaiv increased the budget by hundreds of millions, while culture remained on the brink of survival
- Mykolaiv risks delays in salaries for cultural and education workers
