Endangered cultural heritage in the Russia–Ukraine war: comparing and critiquing interventions by international cultural heritage organizations

ABSTRACT

Cultural heritage in Ukraine is presently endangered. As Russia’s war against the country continues, Ukrainian cultural heritage has been damaged, destroyed, and remains at risk. Interventions into the war initiated by the international cultural heritage community commenced with the issuance of formal public statements regarding the war and its implications. This article reviews the statements by some of the world’s leading cultural heritage organizations, specifically the International Council on Archives (ICA), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Twin objectives are offered: first, establishing an overview of the international cultural heritage community’s early communications regarding the war; and second, comparing and critiquing these public pronouncements and implications for Ukrainian cultural heritage. Ultimately, a joint contemporary and historical snapshot situating the international cultural heritage community within the war’s early stages is presented.

KEYWORDS:

• cultural heritage
• heritage
• conflict
• war
• invasion
• Ukraine

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Marc R. H. Kosciejew

Dr. Marc Kosciejew is a Senior Lecturer and previous Head of Department of Library, Information, and Archive Sciences at the University of Malta. The author of over eighty academic articles, book reviews, and newspaper articles, he currently serves as the Associate Editor, Book Reviews for the Journal of the Association of Information Science and Technology. He was appointed by Malta’s Minister for Education and Employment as Chairperson of the Malta Libraries Council to help provide advice on libraries, learning, and literacy to senior political and cultural leaders, including the National Librarian of Malta.