Russia is not only destroying Ukrainian infrastructure, but also stealing cultural values. Artifacts stolen from Ukrainian museums and archaeological sites have already begun to appear on the international black market.
This was stated by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin in an interview with the Voice of America.
Russian Federation Crimes against Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
The Prosecutor General's Office has a special unit that investigates cases of destruction of cultural heritage due to shelling and identifies the names of people involved in the looting of Ukrainian museums.
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At the same time, an important aspect of the work of this unit is cooperation with international organizations regarding cases of illegal sale of Ukrainian artifacts for abroad.
— We already have enough evidence to open new criminal proceedings for these crimes, — Kostin said.
Cultural Losses
According to UNESCO, due to Russian aggression, Ukrainian culture suffered losses of $3.5 billion in the first half of 2024 alone, but in reality this amount may be even greater.
One of the biggest losses was the looted Mariupol Museum of Local History and the Art Museum. The occupiers took away more than 2,000 exhibits from these institutions, including original paintings by Arkhip Kuindzhi and Ivan Aivazovsky, unique icons and sculptures.
A similar fate befell the museums of the Kherson region. In 2022, the Russians took away more than 20,000 exhibits from the local history and art museums. A significant part of the painting collection was destroyed, and rare archaeological finds, weapons and coins were stolen.
