By Aslesha Mehta
Since Russia launched a full-scale military invasion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, ongoing attacks have caused over three thousand civilian deaths and internally displaced over seven million people, according to UN statistics. Alongside this irreversible destruction comes the imminent threat to Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage. The conflict has destroyed sites such as a Gothic revival library in Chernihiv and the Kuindzhi Art Museum in Mariupol. Monuments, museums, art, and culture represent sources of collective memory as well as powerful identity.
Monuments, museums, art, and culture represent sources of collective memory as well as powerful identity.
Over twenty-five paintings of legendary Ukrainian painter Maria Prymachenko, have been reportedly burnt by Russian forces. The works of other Ukrainian artists such as Hanna Veres have also been destroyed. These famed artists have contributed towards Ukrainian national identity. Hence, protecting cultural heritage is salient in times of war as it enables nations to assist in rebuilding in the aftermath of conflict and in most cases, preservation contributes towards security, stability, and economic revival. More importantly, the preservation of cultural heritage allows citizens to hold onto their homelands and can be used to help heal individuals after war.
Ukrainian artists, creatives, culture professionals, and all cultural and creative sectors, ‘are the beating heart of Ukraine, and their work epitomizes Ukrainian history, identity, language, and hopes for the future. They are also part of our common European identity, made of a mosaic of cultures, in full respect of cultural diversity’ says Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
How is the EU helping?
As of April 2022, the European Commission is extending its support in this time of need to help protect Ukrainian cultural heritage. The Commission has extended the 2022 Creative Europe Cultural Cooperation Projects call from 31 March to 5 May 2022 to allow more Ukrainian members to participate. Additionally, as part of the Create Europe programme in 2022, part of the budget of the new mobility instrument will be redistributed to Ukrainian creative professionals.
Soon, the Commission will be launching a platform on sharing expertise and capacity building in order to support the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage. Additionally, under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism the Commission will be delivering emergency equipment for the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage. The European Competence Centre for Cultural Heritage (4CH) has launched ‘Save Ukraine Monument.’ The war has destroyed many museums and artworks within a short time period and this EU funded project will contribute towards digitizing and preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage for future generations.
‘Creatives Unite’, a platform launched for creative and cultural sectors co-funded by the EU, is collecting public actions from the European networks which are supported by the platform. Creative sectors, Member States and others are able to use ‘Creatives Unite’ to showcase their initiatives and campaigns towards the Ukrainian crisis.
Lastly, on 18 April 2022, the EU launched #ARTvsWAR campaign which enables individuals to share evidence of Russian war crimes related to cultural heritage destruction in Ukraine as well as stories of protecting Ukrainian culture. This initiative put forward by the EU also provides a platform for Ukrainian artists to raise awareness and lay the groundwork for post-war renaissance. Campaigns such as #ArtvsWar helps to raise awareness and provides a helping hand as well as a future to Ukrainian culture. (European Commission, 2022)
How citizens can protect Ukrainian culture & heritage
A few days prior to the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukraine an ‘artificial creation.’ These words were seen as an imminent threat towards the ethnographic museum staff of Honchar Museum based in Kyiv, who had dedicated their entire careers to the preservation of Ukrainian heritage and culture. The employees’ current rescue mission consists of uploading digital copies of exhibits and intangible artifacts such as local folk music onto a cloud database. With the help of hundreds of historians, IT specialists and librarians all over the world, an online army has been created to help rebuild any collection which is damaged or destroyed. Moreover, an initiative called Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) has been launched by three affluent researchers from the US and France. SUCHO already has over 1,200 volunteers from across the world. ‘Ukrainian culture is often shown abroad as part of a broader Russian culture. Now it’s time to make our unique Ukrainian voice heard loud and clear,’ says Myroslava Vertiuk, deputy head of Ukraine’s Ivan Honchar Museum. (Reuters and ILH Staff, 2022)
There has been much discussion surrounding ‘Museums helping Museums’. The Network of European Museums Organization (NEMO) has been collecting and observing support activities and projects organized by museums for Ukraine. Museums all over Europe have put forward initiatives, for example, in Berlin the Allied Museum have offered storage spaces for cultural objects that have been evacuated from Ukraine to provide safe spaces. Additionally, the Portuguese Association of Museology in Lisbon, is open to welcoming museology professionals as well as their families from Ukraine. (Chris, 2022)
Overall…
History is currently being attacked and many believe that Russia’s attack on Ukrainian art and heritage is their way of erasing Ukrainian history and overtaking their society. This is a heritage war, and the race to preserve Ukrainian culture is on. The heroic effects made by millions to save Ukrainian culture and heritage gives the people of Ukraine a source of resilience and hope – expression of culture gives people strength, and that is what the people are fighting for.
Aslesha Mehta Aslesha Mehta completed her BA in History from King’s College London and is now completing her MA in European Studies, specializing in European Policy from the University of Amsterdam. She is part of the Blog Team at BridgeEurope.