The occupiers continue to fire missiles on Ukraine, to destroy our cities with bombs and shellings. russians have mercilessly destructed the All Saints Skete of the Sviatohirska Lavra in the village of Tatianivka (Donetsk region), the library of the church of St. Petro Mohyla and the Museum of History and Archeology of the Mariupol State University in the city of Mariupol (Donetsk region), the Museum of Local History in the village of Ivankiv, St. George’s Church in the village of Zavorychi and the Church of the Ascension in the village Lukianivka in Kyiv region, the ancient railway station in Okhtyrka in Sumy region, and much more of our historical heritage. 13 objects in Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions were completely destroyed.
In total, as of July 8, 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has recorded 417 cases of war crimes against Ukrainian cultural heritage. Information continues to be received. The MCIP specialists check and systematize the received data and publish it at culturecrimes.mkip.gov.ua.
“There is no excuse whatsoever for such cruelty of the russian horde. Destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine is an irreparable loss for all humanity. We will rebuild everything that can be rebuilt. But we will forever remember what the russian barbarians have done towards us,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
Kharkiv region is the most affected. 99 cases were recorded in this region, 82 of them are in the city itself and its surroundings. 95 crimes were documented in Donetsk region, 64 of them – in the city of Mariupol. 79 cases were recorded in Kyiv region. The largest number – 52 cases – is in Buchansk district. Also, 38 crimes are in Chernihiv region, 34 – in Luhansk region, 28 – in Sumy region. Also, 16 cases were recorded in Zaporizhia region, 6 – in Zhytomyr region, 5 cases each in the city of Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, 4 – in Dnipropetrovsk region, 2 – in Odesa region, and 1 case – in Lviv region.
All recorded objects have different degrees of damage: 71 – severely damaged (up to 25 % in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and more than 15 % in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kyiv regions); 137 – moderately damaged, 172 – slightly damaged. The state of 24 objects remains unknown.
Currently, it is known exactly about damage of 26 sites of cultural heritage. 21 of them are sites of national importance, 98 are of local importance, and 7 – newly discovered cultural heritage sites.
In total, 103 objects of valuable historical buildings were affected. Most of them are religious buildings. These are 146 objects, where 50 of them are registered as historical, architectural and urban planning sites. The occupiers have damaged 136 Christian churches, 125 Orthodox churches, 9 Reformed churches, and 2 Catholic churches, as well as 4 mosques and 6 synagogues.
“Damage and loss are very serious, especially if we are talking about authentic, ancient objects. After all, even if restoration is possible, these objects will never become what the builders of past eras created them to be. Modern cultural institutions suffered numerous damages. For example, 18 out of 26 institutions were destroyed or damaged in the territory of Borodiansk community. Funds for their restoring are needed now. Our colleagues are determined to win, they are working actively, putting surviving premises in order and looking for the support of patrons and international organizations,” says Kateryna Chuyeva, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, the enemy has destroyed 46 memorial monuments in honor of historical figures and events of the XIX – early XXI centuries, 33 museums and reserves, 56 constructions of houses of culture, theaters and cinemas, and 37 libraries.
It should be reminded that the destruction of cultural heritage sites is a war crime under the 1954 Hague Convention. We also urge you to join this process, while remembering your personal safety.
