Churches, memorials, libraries: Russia has damaged or destroyed more than 500 cultural sites in Ukraine, including 150 religious sites, in more than three years of its war, according to UNESCO.
These include the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa and the Popov Manor House in the town of Vasylivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
A “deliberate”, “coordinated,” and “strategic” strategy on the part of Moscow, says the European Union’s Culture Commissioner.
“Our enemies, the Russian aggressors, know that a nation is more than just a territory. A nation is its people, its histories, its traditions, its values, its culture,” Commissioner Glenn Micallef told Euronews.
“That’s why we have to be strong on this point. We must continue to support our Ukrainian friends,” he added.
Conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine
The protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, which has been threatened by more than three years of Russia’s all-out war, was at the heart of the conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The European Commission and member states will be joining forces in a “Team Europe” approach to support the preservation of Ukrainian culture, Micallef announced in Rome on Thursday.
The EU will allocate an additional €2 million to support Ukraine’s cultural sector, bringing its contribution to €7 million this year and to €48 million since the start of Russia’s all-out war in early 2022.
“(Russia’s) war in Ukraine is not just a war for territory. It’s a war against values. It’s a war against culture. And Ukrainian culture is part of European culture. That is why we must recognise its value and why we must protect it”, Micallef said.
“We have to look at what is happening in Ukraine because whenever democracy is attacked, culture is always the main target. Culture must also be the main defence”, he added.
The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage is a war crime under international law.
