Ukraine’s Cultural Institutions Face ‘Largest Wave of Damage’ Since Russian Invasion

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Ukraine’s cultural institutions have suffered the “largest wave of damage” since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion amid a missile and drone attack that killed four people and left around 100 injured. The series of strikes hit on Saturday 23 May, with the majority of damage focused in the capital city of Kyiv.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, damage was done to the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the National Music Academy of Ukraine, the Ukrainian House national cultural centre, the Yaroslav the Wise National Library of Ukraine and Kyiv Opera. In a post on X, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said The National Chernobyl Museum had also been “effectively destroyed”.

In a statement, Tetyana Berezhna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for humanitarian policy and minister of culture, accused Russia of using the strikes to target civilians. She said: “A very difficult night for Ukraine…This was the largest wave of damage to Kyiv’s cultural institutions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.”

In an Instagram post dated 24 May, the Kyiv-based National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) announced its indefinite closure. Designed by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky, the space holds a 40,000-strong collection of Ukrainian painting, sculpture, and iconography dating from the 12th century to present day.

Further posts shared in the following days showed piles of rubble and broken glass, with windows and doors destroyed, but clarified that the museum’s artworks were not damaged.

A caption read: “Today, the entire NAMU team is working not in offices or museum halls, but cleaning up our second home. We have a goal, determination, and many hardworking hands.

“And we have that same anger, which is also giving us strength to keep moving forward right now. Step by step, we are dealing with the aftermath.”

Discussing damage to the museum, culture minister Berezhna said: “Russia systematically attacks civilian infrastructure and cultural institutions. Every such strike is an attempt to intimidate and destroy our identity.” 

Moscow has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The museum, which the ministry of culture has described as among Ukraine’s oldest and most important, has been inspected by staff and work to ascertain the full extent of the structural damage is ongoing.

Destruction of culture

On Sunday, president Zelensky visited the site of the National Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv, which reopened last month following a restoration project and redesign timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster. In a statement he said Russian missile strikes had “completely destroyed” the scientific and cultural institution, and accused Russia of targeting hospitals and schools.

According to social media posts shared by the museum, rescue teams and museum staff began evacuating its collection shortly after the strikes. However, up to 40% of its objects were destroyed.

“These are unique testimonies of history and monuments that, unfortunately, can no longer be restored,” a Facebook post shared by the museum said. “With today’s blow, Russia tried to destroy not only life, but also memory,” read another post.

Elsewhere in Kyiv, Ukraine’s historic national library remains closed and, according to a Facebook post by the institution, sustained damage to its roof and facade in the recent strikes.

The institution’s staff are still assessing damage, but have so far estimated the cost of repairs at five million UAH (around £84,000). At the time of writing, a fundraiser launched yesterday had secured 19,706 UAH (£330).

A social media post announcing the fundraiser said: “A library isn’t just walls. It’s a space of memory, culture, knowledge and support. We need help to restore damaged buildings as soon as possible.”

A video shared on Sunday by the Instagram account of the Kyiv Opera showed glass from shattered windows being cleaned from audience seats, backstage areas and music stands. “Today, we especially feel that Kyiv Opera is not just a building. It is people, a community, and a love for art that is stronger than any circumstances,” the caption read.

Windows were also broken at the Kyiv Philharmonic, though the building remained open and performances were not interrupted. In a statement, the space’s director general Mikhailo Shved said: “Windows can be inserted, glass can be removed. The main thing is that all our employees are alive and well, and the music continues to sound.”

The Ukrainian House cultural and exhibition space, also in Kyiv, closed for two days following damage to its facade and windows but has since reopened.

Putin retaliates

According to Ukraine’s air force, beginning at 6pm local time on Saturday, it detected 90 missiles and 600 drones throughout last weekend’s attack. It confirmed 16 direct missile and 51 drone hits in 54 locations. Residential buildings, shopping centres and emergency services buildings were reportedly struck.

The Russian attack followed a commitment from president Vladimir Putin to seek revenge after he accused Ukraine of striking a student dormitory in an occupied area of eastern Ukraine last Friday, killing as many as 21 people. Representatives of the United Nations have since condemned the attack, but Ukraine’s military has denied deliberately targeting the civilian building.

According to figures published this month by the Ukrainian ministry of culture, 1,783 cultural heritage sites and 2,540 cultural infrastructure facilities have been damaged across the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion, while a total of 46 cultural heritage monuments have been completely destroyed. 

The affected institutions include 191 arts education spaces; 141 museums and galleries; 52 theaters, cinemas, and philharmonic halls and a film studio.