Russia has already destroyed more than 1200 objects of cultural infrastructure

As a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,200 cultural infrastructure facilities, including more than 500 cultural monuments, have been damaged. Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said this during the United News telethon.

“First of all, we are talking about the conservation of those cultural institutions that were damaged. It is important for us to preserve them this winter,” the minister said.

Marek Lemesz of the Polish National Heritage Office said that despite the record of losses, it is impossible to fully assess the extent of the damage that the Russian military is inflicting on Ukraine.

“Among them, 234 have already been verified by UNESCO. This is probably just the tip of the iceberg. In Chernihiv, where we work, thanks solely to the work of my Ukrainian friends who collected data on the destruction, there were 38 objects that were officially on the list of destroyed sites, and now we have doubled the list,” he added.

Tkachenko noted that the issue of restoring damaged or destroyed cultural infrastructure is being discussed with Western partners: “When we talk to our colleagues in the West about supporting the restoration, they ask whether it is appropriate during the war. We say that it is appropriate.”

As reported, as of May, the occupiers russian destroyed 161 and damaged 1611 educational institutions.

Read also: Cultural Disaster: What Ukrainian Sites Were Destroyed by Russian Occupants

Photo: espreso.tv