How Ukraine’s Casualties Extend Beyond Humans

Over the past few months Russia has targeted Ukrainian cultural sites and landmarks.

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The Russian war in Ukraine has also claimed more than lives. Churches, temples, museums, theaters, libraries, and other cultural institutions are being destroyed by the conflict every week.

Russia "intentionally chooses" these targets, claims Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information (MKIP), "in order to fulfill its fundamental purpose, which is to demolish the centers of Ukrainian culture. The invaders "want to erase the identity and memory of the Ukrainian people in this manner." Russian officials have always denied attacking civilian targets in Ukraine.

The MKIP has compiled more than 370 instances of what it refers to as "Russian war crimes" against Ukraine's cultural heritage. Nine cultural heritage sites in the cities of Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv have been entirely destroyed since the war began in February, according to the MKIP, while 51 additional items of cultural significance have sustained substantial damage, and hundreds more have been affected in the fighting.

UNESCO has consistently urged stronger protection of Ukraine's imperiled cultural property in light of the destruction. In a statement released in March, UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay said, "We must maintain the cultural heritage in Ukraine, as a testimony of the past but also as a catalyst for peace and harmony for the future.

The MKIP of Ukraine claimed that it is now taking action to stop the attack on the nation's historical sites. The government agency declared: "We are not waiting for the conclusion of the war; we are commencing work on restoring the cultural legacy now." It added that it was in continual contact with international partners, local communities, and national and international authorities to conserve what it could.

MKIP has started to gather charity donations in order to raise money to support the restoration of national museums. It stated that the money would be utilized for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage as well as for the requirements of the creative industries, publishing, and the arts. MKIP has requested Russia be banned from UNESCO due to the expanding list of cultural collateral in Ukraine.

In the coming days, MKIP hopes to restore the cultural sites back to their original condition. It will require great funds and patience on their end.