Main points
- Poland is developing a plan to evacuate cultural property in the event of a Russian invasion, involving international partners.
- The plan calls for the evacuation of exhibits from 160 institutions, including paintings, sculptures and rare books, with coordination by Maciej Matysiak.
The Polish government is working on a large-scale strategy to evacuate national cultural treasures outside the country in case of a potential Russian invasion. The Polish government is negotiating with international partners.
Exhibits from about 160 institutions are being prepared for evacuation, 24 Kanal reports, citing an interview with Polish Culture Minister Hanna Wroblewska for the Financial Times.
Poland prepares to evacuate artworks
The project involves creating a mechanism for transporting valuable exhibits from around 160 state institutions. Among the objects that could be evacuated are paintings, sculptures, unique musical instruments and rare books. Polish authorities are currently negotiating with international partners on the temporary storage of these objects abroad.
Warsaw plans to complete the plan by the end of the year. Its coordinator is Maciej Matysiak, a former army colonel and former deputy head of military counterintelligence.
The project is part of a broader security push launched by Donald Tusk's cabinet, which also includes strengthening borders and increasing the size of the armed forces to 500,000.
According to Vrublevska, the current plan is based on the experience gained while helping Ukraine evacuate its cultural heritage after the Russian invasion in 2022. Some of Ukraine's cultural heritage is still in Poland. She also noted that the Baltic states are moving in a similar direction, although their smaller scale allows for simpler logistics.
