Ukrainian Art & Culture at Risk: Frontline Evacuations and Preservation Efforts
Ukraine is a country with a millennium-long history and a rich cultural heritage. Its artistic and cultural landmarks span various historical periods, from the treasures of Scythian gold to the masterpieces of Ukrainian avant-garde art. However, Ukrainian museums are significantly smaller, unlike the Louvre, the Prado Museum, the British Museum, or the Uffizi Gallery. This is mainly because Ukraine's cultural heritage has been systematically destroyed and appropriated for centuries by the Russian Empire, the Soviet regime, and modern Russia.
But despite these challenges, Ukraine continues to fight for its cultural identity—so what’s being done to protect it now?
Centuries of Cultural Looting
Throughout history, Russia has looted the cultural riches of the nations it sought to subjugate and erase from the map—especially during wars and occupations. This pattern is not unique to Ukraine. Other nations, including Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Poland, and the Czech Republic, have faced similar cultural theft and destruction. Russia has repeated these actions for centuries, and it continues today—destroying museums, stealing artifacts, and erasing traces of Ukrainian culture in occupied territories.
Despite calls for peace and concessions to halt the fighting, Russia continues its offensive, leaving behind devastated cities and desolate landscapes. Frontline regions suffer increasing destruction, particularly those at the center of the conflict. Once-vibrant cities are being reduced to lifeless ruins.
Why Culture Matters in War
While protecting human lives is the top priority, culture is essential to preserving a nation and a state. Culture defines what we fight for and who we remain after the war. Some argue that while art can be restored, human lives cannot, and thus, efforts should focus solely on saving people rather than preserving paintings or artifacts. However, culture is more than material objects—it is history, memory, and identity. When culture is destroyed, a nation’s very existence is threatened.
Russian patterns in destroying the culture
In Crimea, Donbas, and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Russians follow a similar pattern—stealing the most valuable artifacts and transporting them to Russia while torturing those who remain loyal to Ukraine and attempting to protect cultural heritage. Due to the rapid Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory in 2022 (much of it Kyiv regained), tens of thousands of cultural objects remain in temporarily occupied areas. The exact number of stolen and relocated items is still difficult to assess.
The Challenge of Evacuating Cultural Assets
During combat operations, Russia violates international conventions by deliberately destroying cultural assets. Missile strikes and widespread city destruction have made the evacuation of cultural valuables from frontline areas critically important. Unfortunately, legal frameworks lack clear procedures for such evacuations, and local personnel were largely unprepared and uninstructed on how to proceed. At the onset of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian museum workers took it upon themselves to protect collections. In many cases, they packed valuables into boxes and hid them in museum basements or storage facilities—measures that did not always ensure adequate security.
No Ukrainian museum operating during the full-scale invasion is insured against the destruction of its buildings and collections. For example, the Odesa National Fine Art Museum suffered damage from Russian missile strikes targeting the city's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The blast wave damaged the 19th-century Potocki-Naryshkin Palace, which houses the museum and displays several paintings.
Photo: Odesa National Fine Arts Museum
Evacuating all cultural assets is unrealistic, but this issue is critical near the front line. Despite efforts by the state and local authorities since 2022, many artifacts and museum collections remain at risk.
It's clear that Ukraine would like to arrange the immediate evacuation of state museum collections from endangered regions. However, it's hard to do so in a blink of an eye and given the fact Russia considers these territories like their own. According to the organization, less than 10% of the state museum fund has been evacuated. At the same time, over 3 million objects remain threatened by destruction or looting, at risk of suffering the same fate as museums affected by combat and occupation.
Destruction and Looting of Museum Collections: Key Incidents
Ivankiv Museum
On February 25, 2022, Russian shelling destroyed the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum, located 80 km from Kyiv. The museum housed over 400 exhibits, including works by folk artist Maria Prymachenko and textile pieces by Hanna Veres and her daughter Valentyna. When a shell hit, a fire broke out, and it seemed that all exhibits had been lost for a time. However, local residents risked their lives to save several paintings. According to Maria Prymachenko’s great-granddaughter, one resident carried out about 10 paintings during the fire.
Mariupol Museums
On February 25, 2022, the Kuindzhi Art Museum in Mariupol prepared to open two new exhibitions when the full-scale invasion began. The collections could not be evacuated as the city was immediately shelled. By April 2022, Mariupol’s city council reported that over 2,000 exhibits had been stolen from local museums. Most artifacts in the Museum of Local Lore burned along with the building, while Russian occupation forces took those that survived. The stolen pieces were original paintings by Ivan Aivazovskyi, Arkhyp Kuindzhi, and Mykola Dubovskyi. The most valuable artworks were transported to Russia.
Melitopol Museum
In May 2022, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces had stolen the Scythian gold collection from the Melitopol Museum of Local Lore. Some artifacts had already been transferred to the Hermitage during Soviet times. However, according to another account, the genuine Scythian gold had been evacuated to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Local History Museum before the occupation, meaning the looted items were only replicas.
Kherson Museums
Before retreating from Kherson in November 2022, Russian troops looted the city's two main museums—the Kherson Local History Museum and the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum. Around 10,000 artworks were stolen and transported to Crimea. The perpetrators documented the theft, and thanks to propaganda reports on Russian television, museum workers were able to identify over 100 stolen works.
The Fight for Preservation Continues
The theft and destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage highlight the urgent need for immediate action. In the context of Russian aggression, protecting Ukraine’s cultural legacy is not just about safeguarding artifacts—it is a battle for national identity, history, and memory.
International organizations, including UNESCO, have proven ineffective in preventing cultural destruction and have little real influence over Russia. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian cultural institutions and contemporary artists—supported by the state—continue to bring Ukrainian art and culture to the world through exhibitions across Europe and beyond.
Mariupol Museums: On February 25, 2022, the Art Museum of Kuindzhi in Mariupol was set to open two new exhibitions, but the full-scale invasion began. The museum’s collections could not be evacuated as the city was immediately shelled. By April 2022, Mariupol’s city council reported the theft of over 2,000 exhibits from local museums. Most of the exhibits from the Museum of Local Lore burned along with the building, while Russian occupation forces took those that survived. Among the stolen pieces were original paintings by Ivan Aivazovskyi, Arkhyp Kuindzhi, two works by Mykola Dubovskyi, and other artworks. The stolen exhibits were transported to Crimea and Donetsk, and the most valuable items were sent to Russia.
Melitopol Museum: In May 2022, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces had stolen the Scythian gold collection from the Melitopol Museum of Local Lore. This was not the first time gold artifacts had been transferred to Russia – some had already been taken to the Hermitage during Soviet times. However, according to another version, the genuine Scythian gold was evacuated to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Local History Museum, meaning the occupiers only seized copies.
Kherson Museums: Before retreating from Kherson in November 2022, Russian troops looted the city's two main museums—the Kherson Local History Museum and the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum. Around 10,000 artworks were stolen and transported to Crimea. The perpetrators documented this looting. Thanks to propaganda reports on Russian television, museum workers were able to identify over 100 stolen works.
The Fight for Preservation Continues
The theft and destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage highlight the urgent need for immediate action to protect it. In the context of Russian aggression, safeguarding Ukraine’s cultural heritage is not just about preserving artifacts – it is a battle for national identity, history, and memory.
International organizations, including UNESCO, have proven ineffective in protecting cultural and artistic assets and have little real influence over Russia. Despite these challenges, with state support, Ukrainian cultural institutions and contemporary artists continue introducing the world to Ukrainian art and culture by organizing exhibitions across Europe and beyond.
"In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine 1900-1930s."
This exhibition became one of the most significant international events dedicated to Ukrainian modernist art. It showcased the work of Ukrainian artists from the first third of the 20th century, who operated within the avant-garde and modernist movements, often balancing between Ukrainian national traditions and global artistic trends. The exhibition presented Ukrainian art not as part of Soviet or Russian cultural space but as a unique phenomenon within the European modernist tradition.
It featured works by over 60 Ukrainian artists, including Kazimir Malevich, the founder of Suprematism, who, despite being associated with Soviet avant-garde, identified himself as Ukrainian. Other participants included Alexandra Exter, a Cubo-Futurist and theater costume designer; Mykhailo Boichuk and the "Boichukists," founders of Ukrainian Neo-Byzantinism who were repressed by Soviet authorities in the 1930s.
Exhibition view "In the Eye of the Storm. Modernism in Ukraine"
Photo: Johannes Stoll / Belvedere, Vienna
"Kaleidoscope of History(s). Ukrainian Art 1912–2023"
The first comprehensive exhibition exploring the development of Ukrainian 20th-century art and its connection to contemporary works. The unique exposition includes works by Alla Horska, Mykyta Kadan, Zhanna Kadyrova, Alevtina Kakhidze, Borys Mykhailov, Serhii Parajanov, Maria Prymachenko, Tetiana Yablonska, Vasyl Yermylov, and other prominent artists. Some works have left Ukraine for the first time, revealing to the world the history of Ukrainian art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The transdisciplinary programme accompanying the exhibition “Kaleidoscope of History(s). Ukrainian Art 1912 – 2023” at the Albertinum in Dresden.
"Art on the Battlefront"
Vogue Ukraine art project project that merged art, media, and digital platforms to support Ukrainians and inform the world about the war. The first part involved 12 international artists, including Fred Thomaselli, Marina Abramovich, Erwin Wurm, Jonathan Meese and Marcel Zama, who, in their works, reinterpreted Ukrainian culture and reflected on Russian aggression.
The second part of the project involved 30 Ukrainian artists, including Volodymyr Manzhos (a.k.a. WaOne Interesni Kazki), Maria Kulikovska, Petro Bevza, Stepan Ryabchenko, Masha Reva. Each artist created exclusive works, which were presented in Vienna. Anyone who wanted could buy the artwork, and the proceeds were directed to rehabilitating female soldiers.
Anastasiia Stepanenko, Expert at Kyiv-based United Ukraine Think Tank