1,612 cultural heritage sites destroyed or damaged in Ukraine amid full-scale war
This was reported by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
Among the damaged cultural heritage sites, there are 149 of national significance, 1,311 of local significance, and 152 that have recently been discovered.
Damage has been recorded in 18 regions and in Kyiv. The areas that suffered the most damage are the Kharkiv region (342 sites), the Kherson region (294), the Odesa region (182), the Donetsk region (173), as well as the Kyiv region and Kyiv itself (156).
In total, 2,427 cultural infrastructure facilities were damaged due to shelling and hostilities, with 493 completely destroyed.
The greatest losses were noted in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions.
Specific damage includes 1,180 clubs, 852 libraries, 186 art education institutions, 134 museums and galleries, 50 theaters, cinemas, and concert halls, nine nature reserves, 11 parks, zoos, four circuses, and a film studio located in Kyiv.
Destruction has been recorded in 327 territorial communities across Ukraine. The most affected communities are located in Donetsk (46), Sumy (37), Kharkiv (33), Chernihiv (31), Zaporizhzhia (29), Mykolaiv (23), Dnipropetrovsk (22), Kyiv (21), and Luhansk (12) regions.
The ministry noted that almost the entire Luhansk region and significant parts of the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson regions are still occupied by Russian forces. This occupation complicates efforts to accurately assess the number of damaged cultural institutions.
In response to the extensive destruction caused by Russian aggression, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, in collaboration with international partners, established the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund. This fund aims to mobilize both international and national resources to protect, restore, and develop Ukrainian cultural heritage and identity, as well as to foster democracy and a sense of European belonging.
The ministry and its partners will continue to work together to address the aftermath of the destruction and restore Ukraine's cultural strength..
