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450 cases of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian sites of cultural heritage and cultural institutions

450 cases of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian sites of cultural heritage and cultural institutions
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As of July 30, 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has recorded 450 cases of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian cultural heritage.

As a result of the shelling of the occupiers, 135 sites of cultural heritage have already been destructed and damaged. In particular, these are 23 monuments of national importance, 105 monuments of local importance, 108 sites of valuable historical buildings and 7 newly discovered sites of cultural heritage.

As a result of the actions of the occupiers, 346 art objects and cultural institutions were destructed or damaged.

Unfortunately, 14 sites in Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv regions were completely destructed. In particular, they are:

  • House of prayer of Christian Evangelicals in the city of Toretsk, Donetsk region (religious building),
  • Skete of All Saints of the Svyatogirska Lavra, in the village of Tetianivka, Donetsk region (religious building),
  • Monument to Metropolitan Ignatius of Mariupol in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region (memorial monument),
  • Library of the Orthodox Church of St. Petro Mohyla in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region (library collection),
  • Museum of History and Archeology of the Mariupol State University in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region (museum collection),
  • Monument to Hetman Petro Sahaidachny in the urban settlement of Mangush, Donetsk region (memorial monument),
  • Monument to the fallen ATO soldiers in the urban settlement of Mangush, Donetsk region (memorial monument)
  • St. George's Orthodox Church in the village of Zavorichi, Kyiv region. (newly discovered cultural heritage site and religious building),
  • Ascension Orthodox Church in the village Lukyanivka, Kyiv region. (newly discovered cultural heritage site and religious building),
  • Monument to compatriots who died in the ATO/JFO zone in the village of  Borodyanka, Kyiv region. (memorial monument),
  • Rural library in the village of Pidhaine, Kyiv region (library building and collection),
  • Local Lore Museumin the village of  Ivankiv, Kyiv region (library building and collection),
  • Ancient railway station in the town of Okhtyrka, Sumy region (an object of valuable historical construction),
  • Ancient park gazeboin the city of Chernihiv (an object of valuable historical construction).
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Palace of Culture “Diamant”, Lysychansk
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Palace of Culture “Diamant”, Lysychansk

Unfortunately, these numbers are not final, and experts continue to refine the lists of damaged religious buildings. Currently, about 50 more cases are under review.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Kateryna Chuyeva

It should be reminded that the destruction of cultural heritage sites is a war crime according to the 1954 Hague Convention.


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