Culture Ministry moves heritage preservation services to electronic format

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry's e-Culture strategy (2024-2026) is successfully advancing the digitalization of various clusters within the cultural sector, Azernews reports.

In this context, the Culture Ministry has moved a number of services related to the preservation of cultural heritage to electronic format, and applications are now being accepted through the Ministry's "MyCulture" unified personal cabinet.

The digitalization of services is of great importance in terms of simplifying processes, increasing efficiency, and improving user satisfaction by applying digital solutions.

Among the services being digitized are the approval of construction and landscaping works in protected areas and the protection zones of cultural monuments, granting permission for construction and other economic activities when immovable historical and cultural monuments are discovered, the approval of the sale of immovable historical and cultural monuments, granting permission to convert residential spaces of immovable historical and cultural monuments to non-residential or vice versa, granting permission to lease immovable historical and cultural monuments and related residential and non-residential spaces in private ownership, as well as the approval of projects for restoration, conservation, repair, reconstruction, regeneration, and other works on immovable historical and cultural monuments or their parts.

Applications for these services are submitted electronically through the "MyCulture" personal cabinet.

Users can create personal accounts by logging into their personal cabinet, use services in the cultural sector on a "one-stop-shop" basis, send applications and suggestions, view announcements, and track the status of their applications.

One of the services digitized is the "Approval for the Sale of Immovable Historical and Cultural Monuments."

According to Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the "Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments," the owner of a monument in private ownership must inform the State Service for the Protection, Development, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage under the Culture Ministry when selling the monument.

In the case of this service, the digitalization of processes related to the turnover (buying, selling, donation) of immovable historical and cultural monuments placed under state protection will ensure increased efficiency, allow for the electronic tracking of the process, prevent delays, and improve user satisfaction.