The targeted destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage is a war crime, MEPs say
The European Parliament called on Thursday on the EU to urgently support Ukraine in documenting attacks against its cultural heritage and to help with reconstruction.
In a resolution adopted by show of hands, MEPs stress that Russia’s attempt to eradicate the Ukrainian identity and culture, also through targeted acts of destruction on cultural heritage sites, is a war crime under the Hague Convention.
“Russia has waged war against Ukraine also on the cultural front - attempting to delete all heritage of Ukraine's history and tradition", said Culture and Education committee chair Sabine Verheyen (EPP,DE) in a debate ahead of the vote. She called all sectors, from public to private, as well as the civil society, to work together in order to find new instruments to help rebuild the country. "We have to help Ukrainians rebuild their cultural heritage. We have to provide them our support - that is the task of an European Union that is built on values", she concluded
In the discussion, many MEPs drew attention to the ongoing looting of art works, the murders of cultural workers who refuse to cooperate with occupiers, as well as the ongoing deliberate attacks on memorials, monuments and other cultural spaces. You can re-watch the debate here.
The text urges the EU to support Ukraine in documenting attacks against its cultural heritage and to use EU funding to restore cultural sites . The emergency needs of the culture and cultural heritage sectors should be included in the EU’s humanitarian support to Ukraine, MEPs say. They also ask for this support within the planned Ukraine Trust Fund for rebuilding the war-damaged country's infrastructure.
Parliament commends the Ukrainian artists and creators who have resisted the Russian invasion by practising their art and express their “sincere solidarity” with all artists and cultural workers, “as art and culture will have a fundamental role to play in the healing and rebuilding of Ukraine”.
They also call on the Commission to explore the possibility of a European emergency response and recovery mechanism dedicated specifically to the cultural, cultural heritage and creative ecosystems.
Background
Since the start of the Russian attack on 24 February, UNESCO has verified damage to 192 sites in Ukraine – 81 religious sites, 13 museums, 37 historic buildings, 35 buildings dedicated to cultural activities, 17 monuments, and 10 libraries-.
Contacts:
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Agnese KRIVADE
Press Officer