The search for stolen works of art from Ukraine

The search for stolen works of art from Ukraine

for the Ukrainians: Inside, who live more than three years after the extensive invasion of Russia, the war is not only held in rifle trenches. It also takes place in museums and in the cultural heritage that they try to preserve.

threat to the cultural heritage

In the middle of the continuing attack, the historical centers of the country - which could be argued that they represent the cultural identity of Ukraine - seriously suffered. Cultural sites were damaged, museums were robbed and artifacts stolen. According to legal experts and historians, these disasters are not coincidences; They claim that Russia intentionally attacks artistic and cultural sites in order to expire Ukrainian identity. "Even if we have an advantage on the battlefield, but they destroy all of our museums and burn our books, can we then Ukrainians: stay in?" Asked Halyna Chyzhyk, a legal expert who is committed to protecting the remaining cultural sites in Ukraine. "What remains?"

The Ukrainian art scene in resistance

politically, like its greatest ally, the United States, fluctuates between the support of its cause and diplomatic approaching to Russia, while US President Donald Trump tries to accelerate peace. In the meantime, Russia continues its offensive and started his biggest drone attack in the past three years on the eve of the anniversary of the war. Nevertheless, Ukrainian art historians do: Inside and museum director: Inside everything to get stolen works back and to protect what remains.

damage to cultural heritage

In January, the UNESCO has confirmed damage to 476 cultural sites - from cathedrals to museums, monuments and libraries. The Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab documents in its 128 expeditions “reliably over 1,200 damaged cultural heirs and cultural infrastructures” across the country. As Chyzhyk and numerous experts emphasize: Inside the cultural sector, many sites were specifically attacked and not only destroyed as collateral damage.

life -saving evacuations

During the war, historians have started: inside and museum staff, have started to take evacuation measures into their own hands. Historian Leonid Marushchak, co -founder of the NGO Museum Open for Renovation, has evacuated almost 2 million artifacts - paintings, sculptures and more - while the Russian troops continue to target and devastate museums across the country. The evacuated exhibits included a lion's stone sculpture that could be up to 1,000 years old. She was stored in a museum in Bakhmut, a city that was conquered by the Russians after difficult fights.

documentation of the destruction

For many historians: Documentation of the destruction is an essential part of the restoration process. "Crime must be documented as long as there are traces of it," said Vasyl Rozhko, founder of the Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab. As an example, he cited a church that was built in the northern village of Vyazivka in the 1860s and was damaged during the attacks in 2022 before collapsing less than a year later. The team created a 3D model of the church, but while they decided how they could save the building, it collapsed.

challenge of art protection

The situation has changed dramatically in museums. One example is the Khanenko Museum in Kiev, one of the largest art museums in the country, where director Yulia Vaganova and her team decided that the only way to protect the collection-which mainly includes works of art from other Western European countries-is to exhibit them. For this purpose, 16 works were transferred to the Louvre as a precaution, which briefly presented five of them. "In the museum we asked ourselves: What should we do? Who are we as a museum? What is our task during the war?"

preserve from destruction

The exhibition has become important to offer people something and show that the museum is open. "You can see how much people miss and appreciate the collection," said Vaganova. "There is a lot of support, warmth and tenderness at this moment, but also fragility." Nevertheless, the museum has to expect an attack at any time. Your collections are vulnerable, and not all objects may be secured.

retrospective about the cultural heritage

Some museum leaders: Inside, tens of thousands of artifacts are still being returned on a mission that were stolen at the beginning of the extensive invasion. Alina Dotsenko, founder of the Kheron art museum, and her team had packed the entire collection of the location several months before February 24, 2022 to prepare work on the building. But seven months later a different kind of invasion took place when groups of museum staff from the Crimea, occupied by Russia, that the collection was hidden, and loaded and drove around 10,000 artifacts and works in trucks.

emotional loss and replacement

After the liberation of Kherson through the Ukrainian army, Dotetsenko found the once full storage rooms empty. With the documents about the existence of the Kherson Museum, she and her team were able to document the loss. "We work on it every day and I don't know how it will end." Such backing attempts are not only directed to preserve valuable history, but also to a certain extent to save Ukraine itself. The historical place of residence of Hryhorii Skovoroda, a famous Ukrainian poet and philosopher, was destroyed in 2022.

The challenge of art preservation

It is impossible to completely protect any works of art, explains Vaganova. You can't simply move a museum from the east that borders on Russia. There are no large warehouses or bunkers that are large enough to house thousands of valuable works of art. No matter where the works of art are stored, they could still be bombarded.

no real solutions

As Dotetsenko explains, there is no right solution for the dilemma of the cultural heritage in times of war. "There is no real solution book that prescribes the exact path to preserve the cultural heritage of an entire country. If you hide the works, they can be found and stolen. If you evacuate them, they can be damaged. If you leave them, they could be destroyed."