Over 1,500 Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Sites Destroyed Amid Russian Aggression
In Ukraine, as of July 21, Russian aggression has resulted in the destruction and damage of 1,528 cultural heritage sites and 2,359 cultural infrastructure facilities.
The Gaze reports on this, referring to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
Among the damaged cultural heritage sites, 147 have national significance, 1,267 are of local significance, and 114 have just been discovered.
In total, destruction has been recorded in 18 regions. The most affected sites are in the Kharkiv region (336), Kherson region (289), Odesa region (179), Donetsk region (173), and the Kyiv region and Kyiv (111).
In addition, it is reported that constant shelling and hostilities have damaged 2,359 cultural infrastructure sites, 471 of which have been completely destroyed.
The greatest losses were suffered by cultural infrastructure sites in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Sumy regions.
The Gaze previously reported, citing the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, that since 2014, Russia has stolen at least 110 cultural artifacts from occupied Crimea during illegal archaeological excavations.
Among the stolen items are valuables from the ancient settlement of Artesian, the Genoese fortress of Cembalo, and the suburbs of Chersonesos Taurica. The campaign was aimed at destroying Ukrainian history and identity on the peninsula.
Read more on The Gaze: Ukrainian Art & Culture at Risk: Frontline Evacuations and Preservation Efforts