Protecting Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage Amidst War
Protecting Physical Cultural Heritage
As the devastating conflict in Ukraine continues, civilians and experts are working tirelessly to protect the country’s rich cultural heritage. Amidst the chaos and destruction, Ukrainians are safeguarding precious artifacts, buildings, and monuments.
In Lviv, construction workers have erected scaffolding and boarded up stained-glass windows to protect the city’s iconic Latin Cathedral. Fire-resistant coverings protect statues of Greek gods in the city’s market square.
Similar efforts are underway across the country. Volunteers have covered the statue of Ukraine’s national poet, Taras Shevchenko, in sandbags. In Odessa, a neoclassical monument to Duc de Richelieu has been shielded with a comparable sandbag barrier.
Despite these protective measures, Russian forces have damaged or destroyed several cultural sites, including the historic city center of Chernihiv, a 19th-century wooden church, and the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum.
Relocating and Protecting Art and Artifacts
Museums and cultural institutions are taking steps to protect their valuable holdings. A wooden altarpiece depicting Jesus, Mary, and Mary Magdalene was removed from an Armenian church in Lviv and transported to a bunker for safety.
In Odessa, artwork has been hidden in the basement of the Fine Arts Museum, while staff at Kyiv’s National Museum of the History of Ukraine relocated significant artifacts to a secure location.
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in central Kyiv has moved prehistoric artifacts, including Scythian weapons and an Ice Age mammoth tusk bracelet, to safe spots.
Conservation and Rescue Efforts
Conservation biologist Anton Vlaschenko risked his own safety to release hibernating bats from their refrigerators and relocate them to his apartment when shelling began in Kharkiv. He also moved the center’s collection of bat skulls and rescued bats too weak to release.
Digitization and Online Preservation
Recognizing the fragility of physical cultural heritage, volunteers from Europe and the United States launched the Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) initiative. They have backed up over 1,500 websites, digital exhibitions, and open-access publications.
SUCHO volunteers have learned firsthand the importance of digitization. Just hours after capturing 105 gigabytes of data from the State Archives of Kharkiv, the website went down due to the conflict.
The preserved data, which includes scans of rare books and scientific records, is stored on servers outside Ukraine and on the Internet Archive.
International Collaboration and Support
Libraries and cultural institutions worldwide are collaborating to support Ukrainian heritage preservation efforts. Anna Kijas of Tufts University, a co-organizer of SUCHO, emphasizes the global responsibility to protect cultural collections.
Impact on Ukrainian Identity
The preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage is crucial for preserving the country’s identity and history. As museum director Olha Honchar states, “Moscow wants to eradicate Ukrainian culture. It’s what defines us and our identity. It’s a memory of who we are.”
Ongoing Efforts and Challenges
Despite the ongoing conflict and the destruction it has inflicted, Ukrainians and their international partners continue their efforts to protect their cultural legacy. As the war rages on, the preservation and safeguarding of Ukraine’s cultural heritage remain vital to the preservation of the country’s history and identity.
