Ukrainian culture minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on social media, that the Khanenko Art Museum and the Kyiv Art Gallery are among the destroyed Kyiv Cultural Sites. Missile attacks continued overnight into Tuesday. As a result, it is one of the worst attacks on Kyiv from the start of the invasion on 24 February.
“Russia is targeting central cultural sites in Ukraine” – Zelensky
“Facades, roofs and interior elements of many cultural and educational institutions are in ruins”, says Tkachenko in a Facebook post. He also listed destroyed institutions during the attack. From the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University to the National Philharmonic and the Museum of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-21.
The windows of many important cultural centers were also destroyed. Some of them are the Khanenko Art Museum, the T. Shevchenko Museum and the Kyiv Art Gallery. There are also the National Natural Science Museum, the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv, and other important Ukrainian cultural sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is targeting cultural heritage at the heart of Ukrainian identity. “The playground in Shevchenko Park became a target for a Russian missile. But it is not just in Shevchenko Park. It is on one of the main museum streets of Kyiv. In particular, the attack damaged the Khanenko Art Museum.”
The culture ministry’s website reported Tkachenko is calling for a meeting of the culture ministers of G7 countries “regarding the strengthening of sanctions against Russia and the strengthening of support for Ukraine”.
More than 150 cultural sites destroyed – UNESCO
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More than 150 cultural sites in Ukraine–including churches, museums and monuments–are damaged or destroyed in warfare since Russia invaded Ukraine. This confirms UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural branch, as officials claim Russian forces are targeting Ukrainian culture.
UNESCO’s verification says, among the destroyed buildings are 152 cultural sites. Most sites are in the heaviest welfare regions. This includes 45 sites in Donetsk, 40 in Kharkiv, and 26 in Kyiv.
UNESCO noted that none of Ukraine’s seven World Heritage Sites—designations given by the organization to places with “outstanding universal value,” including St. Sophia Cathedral and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv and the historic Old Town in Lviv—appear to have been damaged since the invasion began.
