Ukrainian cultural heritage during the 2022 Russian invasion

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Russia began an invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. It is the largest military attack in Europe since World War II.[1][2][3] During the fighting many pieces of Ukrainian cultural heritage were either destroyed, damaged or put at risk due to the widespread destruction across the country.

Notable sites[edit]

There are seven United Nation Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage sites in Ukraine, which include the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and an entire quarter of Lviv.[4] Additional sites in Kharkiv and Chernihiv, were being considered for nomination to the world heritage status but were not added prior to the invasion.[5]

Conservation efforts[edit]

Domestic[edit]

The director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in Kyiv, Fedir Androshchuk, worked with two colleagues to conserve and safe guard the museum from attack and potential looting. Androschuck also reported that four other museums in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Chernihiv had managed to remove, store and protect their main exhibitions with the museum in Vinnytsia used as a displaced persons housing.[4] An artist collective; Asortymentna kimnata (Assorted Room) that is based from the Ivano-Frankivsk Contemporary Art Center, created several bunkers and worked with galleries in Kyiv, Mariupol, Odesa, Zaporizhzhya and elsewhere to evacuate and preserve pieces from the galleries.[6]

Residents in Lviv attempted to help preserve several stone statues and fountains that could not be dismantled, by wrapping them in plastic and foam. Additional efforts were photographed and posted by the Lviv Foundation for the Preservation of Architectural and Historical Monuments of wooden frames and boards being used to protect monuments and church stained glass windows.[7]

International[edit]

Shortly after the invasion UNESCO announced that they were working to mark any possible key historic monuments and sites across the country with the emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, the internationally recognized symbol for the protection of cultural heritage in an armed conflict. The organization would also work with the countries museum directors to coordinate conservation efforts to protect collections and monitor any damage to cultural sites through satellite imaging.[8]

Cultural institutions in Poland have offered aid, through the Committee for Aid to Museums of Ukraine which was created shortly after the invasion. The Committee offered support to all museums and cultural institutions in Ukraine to support and secure their collections as well as documentation, digitalization and inventory of collections.[6]

Damage[edit]

On 28 February, it was announced by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum about fifty miles from the capital was burned to the ground by Russian forces. The museum contained folk artwork, including paintings by Maria Prymachenko and textile works of Hanna Veres. The number of artworks by Prymachenko, Veres, and other artists which were destroyed or damaged is currently unknown.[9]

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, which was under construction, was damaged on 1 March 2022. A museum building at the center suffered structural damage and there was damage to the adjacent cemetery, Other elements of the site, including the memorial's synagogue and menorah sculpture, were not damaged.[10][11]

The Dormition Cathedral, Kharkiv was damaged during the Battle of Kharkiv, some artwork and stained glass in the cathedral were damaged by a cruise missile that also damaged Kharkiv city center.[12] The Slovo Building in Kharkiv was also damaged.[12]

St. George's Church in Zavorichi was destroyed by fire on 7 March 2022.[13][14][15] The Sviatohirsk Cave Monastery was damaged due to an airstrike on 12 March 2022, which also wounded several of the about 520 refugees seeking shelter in the Monestery.[16] The Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre, which was constructed in 1960, was largely destroyed by Russian airstrikes on 16 March 2022.[17]

Response[edit]

Ukrainian scholars have raised concerns about an "unfolding cultural catastrophe" which has been echoed by the President and CEO of the J Paul Getty Trust, James Cuno. Cunos statement condemned the cultural atrocities being committed in Ukraine, along with the human and environmental losses, and that protecting and preserving cultural heritage is a core value.[4] The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative worked with Ukrainian contacts that have been trained in conservation of cultural heritage to provide support.[5]

The Simon Wiesenthal Center called on UNESCO on 7 March 2022 to take immediate steps to protect all religious and cultural sites in Ukraine following reports of Russian bombing of the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. The Wiesenthal center also called on the banning of Russia from hosting the World Heritage Conference scheduled for later in 2022 due to the Russian invasion.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Herb, Jeremy; Starr, Barbara; Kaufman, Ellie (24 February 2022). "US orders 7,000 more troops to Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine". Oren Liebermann and Michael Conte. CNN. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022. Russia's invasion of its neighbor in Ukraine is the largest conventional military attack that's been seen since World War II, the senior defense official said Thursday outlining United States observations of the unfolding conflict
  2. ^ Karmanau, Yuras; Heintz, Jim; Isachenkov, Vladimir; Litvinova, Dasha (24 February 2022). "Russia presses invasion to outskirts of Ukrainian capital". ABC News. Photograph by Evgeniy Maloletka (AP Photo). Kyiv: American Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022. ... [a]mounts to the largest ground war in Europe since World War II.
  3. ^ Tsvetkova, Maria; Vasovic, Aleksandar; Zinets, Natalia; Charlish, Alan; Grulovic, Fedja (27 February 2022). "Putin puts nuclear 'deterrence' forces on alert". Reuters. Writing by Robert Birsel and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by William Mallard, Angus MacSwan and David Clarke. Kyiv: Thomson Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022. ... [t]he biggest assault on a European state since World War Two.
  4. ^ a b c Sherwood, Harriet (2022-03-01). "'Cultural catastrophe': Ukrainians fear for art and monuments amid onslaught". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  5. ^ a b Katz, Brigit (March 8, 2022). "Unesco Sounds the Alarm Over Threats to Ukrainian Cultural Heritage". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  6. ^ a b Grenier, Elizabeth. "Ukraine rushes to save cultural heritage from destruction | DW | 17.03.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  7. ^ Holland, Oscar (March 4, 2022). "'Concerned' Ukrainian locals help protect Lviv's historic statues". CNN. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  8. ^ Hickley, Catherine (2022-03-04). "Unesco 'gravely concerned' about damage to Ukrainian cultural heritage". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  9. ^ Gelt, Jessica (2022-03-01). "Getty condemns cultural 'atrocities' as Ukrainian heritage museum burns". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  10. ^ Harkov, Lahav (1 March 2022). "Russia strikes Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial site in Ukraine". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  11. ^ Wertheimer, Tiffany (2 March 2022). "Babyn Yar: Anger as Kyiv's Holocaust memorial is damaged". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  12. ^ a b O'Sullivan, Feargus (8 March 2022). "The Ukrainian Cultural Sites at Risk of Destruction". Bloomberg CityLab. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  13. ^ Murphy, Paul P.; Pennington, Josh (2022-03-07). "Church in Ukrainian village of Zavorychi on fire after alleged military strike". CNN. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  14. ^ Ворог спалив Свято-Георгіївську церкву в Заворичах // Телеканал ATR, 07.03.2022
  15. ^ Росія нищить наші православні храми — УПЦ Московського патріархату // BBC News Україна, 07.03.2022
  16. ^ Regan, Helen (2022-03-13). "Russian airstrike damages historic Ukrainian monastery". CNN. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  17. ^ "Ukraine: Mariupol city council claims Russia destroys crowded theater — live updates". Deutsche Welle. 2022-03-16. Archived from the original on 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  18. ^ Klein, Zvika (7 March 2022). "Russia should be barred from hosting World Heritage Conference - SWC". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
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