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Sandbags cover the Monument to Duc de Richelieu, a neoclassical statue in Odesa, Ukraine, that has been the target of Russian shelling. 

Sandbags cover the Monument to Duc de Richelieu, a neoclassical statue in Odesa, Ukraine, that has been the target of Russian shelling. 

Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg
CityLab
Culture

The Rescue Mission to Save Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

Museum curators and volunteers in Ukraine are trying to relocate or protect artworks, cultural artifacts and public monuments as the Russian invasion grinds on.

Taras Kaidan, Mariana Matveichuk and Feargus O'Sullivan

International observers, policy experts and people around the world expressed shock when Russian President Vladimir Putin followed through on his threats to invade neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24. But to the curators of Ukraine’s museums, war came as no surprise. 

“Every Ukrainian museum has a so-called red list for its collections,” says Kyrylo Lipatov, deputy director for research and exhibitions at Odesa’s National Art Museum. On this inventory: works to be evacuated in case of an invasion.