Ukraine Calls on Europe to Assist in Evacuating Cultural Artefacts

Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, called on European partners for help in evacuating cultural artifacts and training specialists in evacuation, restoration, and recovery. 

He made this appeal during the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Culture in Warsaw, The Gaze reports, citing UkrInform.

Tochytskyi highlighted the Polish Presidency of the EU’s proposal to develop a platform launched in Uzhhorod, a city in Western Ukraine, to protect cultural heritage endangered by conflict. 

He shared that more than half a million artifacts have already been evacuated from 59 cultural sites in frontline areas to 21 museums across Ukraine.

The minister also discussed the digitization of cultural heritage, which is crucial to proving ownership in case artifacts are stolen or sold on the black market. 

While 10-15% of Ukraine’s museum collection is digitized, he emphasized the need for more experts and funding. In partnership with Google, Ukraine has already digitized over 8,000 objects through the “Ukraine is Here” project.

Tochytskyi also praised the Ukrainian Armed Forces for creating a unit to record war crimes and assist in evacuations and artefact research. 

European partners are expected to help create storage facilities for artefacts, which could serve dual purposes during and after the war.

Read more on The Gaze: Ukrainian Art & Culture at Risk: Frontline Evacuations and Preservation Efforts