In 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine and started a war that resulted in several casualties and caused numerous citizens to lose their homes and jobs. Missiles were sent to attack and destroy armed positions as well as cities so Russian troops and invade more easily. As countless buildings and important areas get destroyed, many historical sites are bound to also get damaged or even erased along with the history they carry.
If one were to walk around Kyiv or Lviv, many historical statues are covered in flame retardant blankets and stained glass, and mosaics are protected with wood and boards. Sadly, for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, there is no such thing as Ukraine, since he believes that Ukraine and Russia are one and that Ukraine is just a part of Russia that broke off. This also means that he believes Ukrainian culture does not exist as well. So, losing the war may also lead to a loss of culture.
“You see how many historical fake justifications there are in the Russian motivation for this war,” the philosopher Anton Drobovych, one of Ukraine’s brightest young scholars.
Many Ukrainians fight to stop Russian forces from destroying and erasing their cultural works and pieces from history. Sadly, many works of culture are already destroyed. For example, on May 6, a missile strike hit the Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum and destroyed almost all pieces of art and culture inside it.
“This was intentional. It was a prepared plan. They knew that this legacy was here,” Nataliia Micay, a Ukrainian citizen, said. “This was done so Russia can say that there is no Ukrainian culture, that Ukrainian identity does not exist.”
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/arts/design/ukraine-war-culture-art-history.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukrainian-culture-erased-russia-hits-beloved-sites-rcna29972
If one were to walk around Kyiv or Lviv, many historical statues are covered in flame retardant blankets and stained glass, and mosaics are protected with wood and boards. Sadly, for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, there is no such thing as Ukraine, since he believes that Ukraine and Russia are one and that Ukraine is just a part of Russia that broke off. This also means that he believes Ukrainian culture does not exist as well. So, losing the war may also lead to a loss of culture.
“You see how many historical fake justifications there are in the Russian motivation for this war,” the philosopher Anton Drobovych, one of Ukraine’s brightest young scholars.
Many Ukrainians fight to stop Russian forces from destroying and erasing their cultural works and pieces from history. Sadly, many works of culture are already destroyed. For example, on May 6, a missile strike hit the Hryhorii Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum and destroyed almost all pieces of art and culture inside it.
“This was intentional. It was a prepared plan. They knew that this legacy was here,” Nataliia Micay, a Ukrainian citizen, said. “This was done so Russia can say that there is no Ukrainian culture, that Ukrainian identity does not exist.”
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/arts/design/ukraine-war-culture-art-history.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukrainian-culture-erased-russia-hits-beloved-sites-rcna29972
