Today at 00:07
Tetiana Berezhna stated that Russia’s latest attacks caused the most extensive destruction of cultural institutions in Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, with at least 14 cultural sites and landmarks reported damaged so far.
According to UATV English, Berezhna made the statement during a television broadcast.
“We can definitely confirm that this is the most extensive series of damage to Kyiv’s cultural institutions since the start of the full-scale war,” she said, adding that assessments are still ongoing and the final scale of the destruction continues to be verified.
Among the most severely affected sites was the National Art Museum of Ukraine, whose building sustained major damage, although its collection and staff remained unharmed.
Berezhna also reported that the National Museum Chornobyl suffered significant destruction, with nearly 40% of its exhibits destroyed.
Other damaged institutions include the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater, the National Music Academy of Ukraine, the National Philharmonic of Ukraine, the Kyiv Small Opera, the Yaroslav the Wise National Library of Ukraine, the Kyiv Opera, the Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, as well as historic sites including the Kontraktova House, the Central Post Office, and the Zhitny Market.
Berezhna said the attacks demonstrate that Russia is deliberately targeting Ukrainian culture, historical memory, and national identity.
“They understand that culture is what helps us fight, helps us feel Ukrainian, and nurture our identity,” she stressed.
The minister highlighted the importance of digitizing museum collections and archival materials to preserve cultural heritage, recover stolen artifacts, and assist future investigations through organizations such as Interpol.
According to Berezhna, Ukraine has already evacuated more than 700,000 museum objects from frontline regions under wartime evacuation procedures approved by the government.
She also said the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund has raised nearly €5 million from international partners to support restoration projects and create modern storage facilities for evacuated collections.
Berezhna added that Russia’s recent strikes prove that cultural institutions remain among the primary targets of Russian attacks alongside energy and critical infrastructure facilities.
