Since their invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, Russian soldiers are responsible for the destruction or damage of over 350 cultural and historical landmarks, according to statements made by Ukraine’s Minister of Culture on Sunday.
After three months of conflict, hundreds of people have been murdered in Ukraine, and numerous structures have been destroyed. According to Oleksandr Tkachenko, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, the toll that the conflict has had on Ukraine’s historic landmarks has also been significant, with new damage being reported virtually every day.
In a message that was published on Facebook on Sunday, Mr. Tkachenko said that the cultural legacy of the Kharkiv area had suffered the most as a result of the conflict.
According to him, 94 attacks that had an impact on cultural institutions had occurred in the northeastern area of Ukraine, which is home to Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.
Since the invasion, towns like Lviv in the west and Odesa in the south have moved quickly to reinforce and safeguard the architectural and cultural assets that are located inside their respective cities. The beautiful glass windows in churches have been covered with wood panelling, while sandbags and metal cages have been placed over older sculptures.
However, in many locations, such defences have not been sufficient to withstand the continuous bombardment that has taken place.
Mr. Tkachenko said that a hermitage in the Donetsk area and a newly restored House of Culture in the Kharkiv region had both suffered significant damage as a result of recent strikes.
He said that the incessant shelling, rockets, and bombing had resulted in the destruction of 21 monuments of national significance, 88 monuments of local significance, and seven historic sites that had just lately been found. “A strategy to preserve our cultural legacy is now being developed via collaboration with foreign partners.”
