A recent Russian strike on the city of Kyiv caused “serious damage” to the National Art Museum of Ukraine, when a blast wave affected the building without harming the collection or workers there.
According to a report from Reform.news, “The blast wave damaged the museum’s historic façade: windows were blown out, window frames damaged, and plaster partially collapsed from walls and inside several halls. In addition, the glass covering of the skylight roof, which provides natural overhead lighting for the exhibition halls on the second floor, was damaged.”
The halls of the museum were empty during the attack, after valuable holdings were moved to secure storage during the first days of the Russian invasion.
Tatsiana Berezhna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture, said in a statement, “The National Art Museum of Ukraine is a place where the history of Ukrainian art is preserved. Russia is systematically attacking civilian infrastructure and cultural institutions. Every such strike is an attempt to intimidate and destroy our identity. We are documenting all damage and continue working on restoring our damaged cultural heritage.”
The Ministry of Culture is currently preparing an appeal to UNESCO, the UN agency whose duties include the protection of cultural and natural heritage. As noted by Reform.news, “Since deliberate or collateral strikes on cultural heritage sites fall under the definition of war crimes, international observers have been invited to the site to officially document the damage.”
