The Ivanka Historical and Discovery Museum was burned down by Russian shelling and fire in late February this year. It housed some 25 paintings by Maria Prymachenko, which were partially saved. One of them – “Flowers grew next to the fourth block” – was sold at auction. -was sold at auction to support the activities...

In Ukraine, the number of destroyed, bombed and looted museums and shelled temples, libraries and archives is increasing. The Russians are also deliberately destroying monuments symbolizing events and figures important to Ukrainian history and culture. The bullet-riddled bust of Taras Shevchenko, the Ukrainian national bard, was a mute witness to the crimes committed against the...

Odessa is one of the most beautiful Ukrainian cities. It has completely preserved the urban structure of the port center of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The preserved structure of the street network is considered an outstanding achievement of urban construction, which has no analogues in other regions of Ukraine. The best preserved...

Since the first days of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the National Heritage Board of Poland has been engaged in supporting activities aimed at protecting the cultural heritage of our eastern neighbor. By the decision of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Polish Centre to Support Culture in Ukraine was established within the structure...

As a result of Russian shelling of Kharkiv, 9 local cemeteries of historical and symbolic significance were destroyed and damaged. One of them is the Cemetery of Victims of Totalitarianism in Pyatichaty, unveiled in 2000. Buried there are 4,302 Polish prisoners of war – including Polish Army officers shot in 1940 – and 2,746 citizens...

Russian troops have mined the area around the valuable archaeological site of Kamiana Mogila (Stone Tomb), located in the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine. The monument of exceptional value was placed on the Ukrainian Tentative List od UNESCO in 2006. Today, as a result of Russian aggression, it may be irretrievably lost. The central part of...

During the Russian aggression against Ukraine, not only the defenders of its independence, but also the cultural heritage of the country are being killed. Among the victims of the ongoing war are Mariupol’s historical buildings and museum collections. The Archip Kuindza Art Museum, located in a modernist villa from 1902, contained about 2,000 exhibits –...

The defense of Mariupol has become a symbol of the Ukrainian struggle for independence in the face of Russian aggression. The city was destroyed in over 90% – not only residential buildings, public and industrial infrastructure, but also historic architecture and cultural institutions lay in ruins. The Russians intentionally bombed i.a. Palace of Youth Culture...

The heroic defense of Mariupol, an important port on the Sea of Azov, is a symbol of Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian aggressor. However, the price for independence has been high. To date, more than 20,000 of its defenders and civilians remain in Mariupol. Several thousand children have been deported deep into Russia. About 120...

The Mariupol National History Museum, built at the beginning of the 20th century (the so-called “Invalids’ Building”), was also destroyed. Before the Russian invasion there were about 53,000 exhibits in its collection – including manuscripts, old prints, paintings, numismatic, archaeological, photographic and natural history collections. The museum library had 17,000 volumes. Of particular value among...