Culture remains one of the targets of Russian aggression. 2,138 cultural heritage sites and 2,640 cultural institutions have been affected by Russian aggression. 569 of them have been destroyed.
This summer, Russia actively attacked Ukrainian culture. Unfortunately, the scale of the destruction is vast—in June, a Russian strike damaged sites within the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, including the Assumption Cathedral. In August, sites in the historic center of Odesa—part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site—sustained new damage. Repeated strikes on already damaged monuments and cultural institutions have also been recorded.
A specific target of Russia’s attacks is Ukrainian books and the book infrastructure. Over the summer alone, more than 10 million books worth over 1.2 billion hryvnias were destroyed. In addition, 913 libraries have been damaged since the start of the full-scale invasion.
“We are documenting all losses and working on the prompt restoration and preservation of damaged sites. To this end, we are developing the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund and engaging international partners. Eleven countries have already joined the fund, and the amount of support raised totals approximately 4.3 million euros. We are continuing to work with our partners to scale up the restoration of Ukraine’s cultural heritage,” said Tetyana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine and Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
The foundation has already begun funding projects—the first grant was awarded to the Art Arsenal for emergency repairs following the Russian attack. Upcoming pilot projects include the restoration of the Ivankiv Museum of History and Local Lore, the establishment of a rapid-response mechanism for damage, and the creation of secure museum storage facilities.