Our site uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our resource. This allows you to provide a convenient view of our site, as well as improve it. In order to continue working with the site, you must accept the terms of the Cookies Policy.
The war in Ukraine, which began in 2014, has been accompanied by numerous military actions and human rights violations, including crimes against cultural heritage. Russian aggression in the east of Ukraine led to the destruction and destruction of numerous cultural and historical monuments of Ukraine.
In particular, in the period from 2014 to 2022, many architectural monuments, including churches, castles and palaces, were destroyed. For example, the Intercession Church in the city of Sloviansk, located in the Donetsk region, was completely destroyed. Monuments of military architecture were also destroyed, in particular the fortress in the city of Luhansk.
At the same time, many museum collections, archaeological finds and other artifacts were stolen, destroyed or transported to Russia. For example, more than 800 exhibits, including rare books and paintings, were stolen from the open-air museum “Stary Krym” in Feodosia.
At the same time, the Russian occupation authorities introduce their own ideological and cultural standards, which lead to the destruction of Ukrainian culture and identity. For example, in the city of Sevastopol, which was occupied by Russian troops, an architectural monument was destroyed – the colonial villa “Krasny Pyatachok”, which was recognized as one of the symbols of the city.
In addition, in February 2021, it was reported that the Russian authorities destroyed more than 300 archives in Crimea. These archives stored historical documents, in particular, about the life of the Crimean Tatars and their repression during the Stalin era.
Also, as a result of the war in Donbas, many cultural objects were damaged or destroyed. For example, in the city of Avdiivka, the historical church of St. Nicholas and the Chekhov library were destroyed. In the city of Mariupol, a large collection of books and paintings was stored in the local art museum, but some of the exhibits were destroyed during hostilities.
In addition, Ukrainian cultural figures who do not support Russian aggression in Ukraine have become the object of persecution and repression. In particular, Ukrainian directors Oleg Sentsov and Serhiy Loznytsia were detained and convicted in Russia.
In general, the war in Ukraine has a serious impact on the cultural life of the country, destroying not only material objects, but also causing the loss of historical memory and cultural heritage.
The full scale of the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in the damage or destruction of more than 1,500 objects of cultural heritage and cultural infrastructure.
The Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, spoke about this at the international forum on cultural heritage security “War in Ukraine: Battle for Culture”. According to information from the regions, hundreds of cultural heritage sites, dozens of museums, libraries and archives have been damaged or destroyed, and the number is increasing daily as the frontline keeps shifting and the Russians resort to rocket attacks and artillery fire. According to Tkachenko, some objects of cultural heritage were specially selected for destruction.
As of March 18, 2023, the website culturecrimes.mkip.gov.ua states “The number of damaged and destroyed objects of cultural heritage and cultural institutions of Ukraine recorded in the database is 553.”
The AERO3D team is engaged in 3D digitization of the crimes of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.