Invading Russian forces on Sunday destroyed a museum in Ivankiv, a town northwest of the capital Kiev, which housed dozens of works by popular Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko.
The Ivankiv Museum of History and Local History, located northwest of the capital Kiev, was set on fire, along with 25 works by Prymachenko, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Vlada Litovchenko, director of the Vyshhorod historical and cultural reserve, confirmed the “irreparable loss”.
“Many historical and architectural monuments and archaeological sites are threatened by artillery fire and uncontrolled movements of heavy military trucks,” Litovchenko wrote in a Facebook statement that has been translated into English.
“Another of the irreparable losses of the historical and cultural authority of Ukraine is the destruction of the Ivankiv Historical and Cultural Museum by the aggressor in these hellish days for our country,” she wrote, adding that the museum housed not only the works of Prymachenko, but also other artists and exhibits.
The self-taught artist was born in 1909 in the area and was buried there when she died in 1997. Her colorful folk art paintings were widely exhibited around the country and appeared on the country’s stamps in the 1970s. received the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine in 1966. UNESCO declared 2009 the year of Maria Prymachenko.
Since Russian forces destroyed the museum during the ongoing war, Ukraine has called on UNESCO to strip Russia of its membership in the organization.
“The idea of creating an international movement to protect historical monuments in the event of armed conflict has been enshrined in the basic principles of UNESCO’s activities,” said Litovchenko.n “Since 2014, the Russian Federation has been systematically violating international humanitarian law and international conventions for the protection of cultural heritage, in particular on the Crimean peninsula.
Ukrainian Culture and Information Policy Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko has already asked UNESCO to revoke Russia’s membership, according to Litovchenko.
“[Russia’s] actions have already caused damage to the ancient city of Tavriian Khersones, included in the world heritage list, as well as to the Bakhchisaray palace of the Crimean khans”, among other objects of cultural heritage, Tkachenko reportedly wrote on the system of Telegram encrypted messaging.
Tweets condemning Russia’s destruction of the museum and images of Prymachenko’s works flooded Twitter.
“A sign of Putin’s barbarism to destroy a museum in #Ukraine. Especially one that celebrates the joyful art of Maria Prymachenko,” the Irish artist wrote. robert bohan.
“@UNESCO must intervene with Putin.”
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