The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine continues to record russian war crimes against cultural heritage. As of May 14, 2022, 331 cases have already been recorded.
There is nothing sacred about russists. In the short time since the statistics of recorded crimes of russians against our cultural heritage were updated, they fired missiles at the Jewish cemetery in Glukhiv. Do they really differ from the Nazis who exterminated Jews 80 years ago? On the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, they completely destroyed the St. George’s Skete of the Holy Dormition Svyatogirsk Lavra of the Moscow Patriarchate in Donetsk Region. In Odessa, a monument of architecture of the early XIX century – Vorontsov Palace was damaged. The occupiers again shelled Fr. Khortytsia, a sacred place for Ukrainians. Only barbarians can destroy our culture so inhumenly,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
Crimes of russians against cultural heritage have been recorded in 13 regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv. So far, the most damaged is the cultural heritage of Kharkiv region – 90 cases. In Donetsk region was recorded 70 cases, among which – 52 in Mariupol. In Kyiv region 62 objects suffered, among them the most – 37 in Bucha area. In Chernihiv region 37 cases were recorded, in Luhansk region – 22, in Sumy region – 20. In addition, 8 – in Zaporizhia region, 6 – in Zhytomyr region, 5 – in Kyiv and Kherson region and 3 – in Mykolaiv region. The heritage is also damaged in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Lviv regions.
As a result of shelling, rocket and bomb attacks by russians in Ukraine, 110 cultural heritage sites were destroyed and damaged. Among them: 20 monuments of national importance, 83 – local and 7 – newly discovered cultural heritage sites.
We are grateful to all Ukrainians who help record russian crimes against Ukrainian cultural heritage through the national platform culturecrimes.mkip.gov.ua. After all, it is very difficult to obtain information from the temporarily occupied territories and zones of active hostilities. At the same time, we ask people to mind their own safety. The Ministry thoroughly records all the data received, verifies and systematizes them so that everyone guilty of atrocities will be punished,” said Kateryna Chuyeva, Deputy of Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
The MCIP is aware of the destruction or damage of 114 religious buildings by the occupiers, 42 of which are registered as monuments of history, architecture and urban planning.
Damaged or destroyed: 41 memorials in honor of historical figures and events of the XIX – early XXI centuries, 26 buildings and complexes of museums and natural reserves, 62 buildings of houses of culture, theaters and libraries, as well as some other valuable historical buildings.
It should be reminded that the destruction of cultural heritage sites is a war crime under the 1954 Hague Convention.
