China News Service, Nur-Sultan, May 15 (Xinhua) Affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, cultural heritage and cultural relics collections in many places in Ukraine are on the verge of damage, and a protection operation is being carried out with the efforts of many parties.

Historic ruins in ruins

　　Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine, is the "hardest hit area" of the conflict. While focusing on the local situation, the outside world is also paying great attention to the fate of the cultural heritage of the second largest city in Donetsk.

　　"The cultural and historical relics of Mariupol practically no longer exist, and only a few of the 60,000 collections have survived." The Russian newspaper reported that the Mariupol Local History Museum was founded in 1916. After a hundred years of vicissitudes, the walls are now broken and the ground is devastated. A stone sculpture from the Scythian era lies crooked in the ruins at the entrance of the pavilion.

　　According to the "Business Consulting Daily" (Ukraine) report, the Kuinzhi Art Museum in Mariupol was damaged by an air strike, and many paintings in the museum were damaged.

According to Konstantin Cherniavsky, chairman of the Ukrainian National Artists Union, the museum houses three works by the well-known realist painter Arkhip Kuinz, as well as letters, photographs, etc. reference.

　　Another local museum, the Memorial Museum of World War II, was also almost completely burned down.

According to the person in charge of the museum, the Azov Battalion set up its position in the museum, and almost all the collections in the museum, including oil paintings and historical relics, were all burned.

　　"The halls of the museum are now littered with plaster, bricks and shards of glass, and the smell of gunfire wafts in the air," said Natalia, director of the Mariupol Museum of Legends. Molotov cocktails and set fire to buildings, the fire destroyed everything."

Cultural relic rescue campaign is underway

　　In the face of fierce conflict, cultural heritage often appears vulnerable.

Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko recently posted on social media that as of the beginning of May, more than 100 religious buildings in at least 13 regions in Ukraine had been damaged.

Not only that, the department has verified more than 250 destroyed cultural institutions and historic buildings.

According to Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmila Denisova, in addition to religious buildings, it also includes urban monuments, museum buildings and cultural centers, theaters, libraries, etc.

　　In order to avoid the destruction of war, a cultural heritage protection operation is underway.

　　The city of Lviv is known by outsiders as the cultural capital of Ukraine due to its rich historical art collection.

The local museum has been closed since the conflict.

In order to reduce the loss of cultural relics, museum staff urgently dismantled the exhibition while putting the packaged artworks in cardboard boxes for preservation.

Iho Kozan, director of the Lviv National Museum, said, "The cultural relics need to be properly housed, because this is Ukraine's national heritage."

　　At the same time, the "Historical Center" of the Old City of Lviv has also launched a campaign to mark cultural heritage sites and monuments, in order to highlight its special status protected by international law.

World heritage-listed cultural properties are a priority, including the Hagia Sophia in Kyiv and the Pecher Cave Monastery.

　　In addition, in Lviv's main square, many landmark statues have been guarded by staff and wrapped in flame-retardant fabrics to protect them from falling masonry and artillery fire.

Onichenko, director of the Lviv City Council's heritage protection office, said, "Although it was a little chaotic at first, now everything is orderly. We have to do this, and if we lose our culture, we lose our identity."

It is to protect history, but also to heal society

　　Ukraine became a member of the World Heritage Committee on October 12, 1988.

According to the official website of UNESCO, as of 2021, Ukraine has a total of 7 world heritage sites, including 6 cultural heritage and 1 natural heritage.

For the protection of local cultural relics, UNESCO has expressed deep concern and called for preventing the destruction of cultural heritage.

In addition, the International Blue Shield Committee, an agency under the International Council on Monuments and Sites, also issued a statement saying that it is ready to assist in the protection of Ukraine's cultural heritage.

　　UNESCO is concerned about the war-torn Ukraine, maintaining long-term contacts with relevant institutions and Ukrainian cultural professionals to assess the situation and strengthen the protection of cultural heritage.

"Ukrainian cultural heritage is both a witness to history and a catalyst for future peace and cohesion. The international community should take responsibility for this," said Unesco Director-General Azoulay.

　　According to the Independent Ukrainian News Agency, at a meeting on the digitization of Ukrainian cultural heritage held on the 12th of this month, Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, put forward a proposal on the national digitization of cultural heritage. Policy Vision.

Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko also said at the meeting, "The implementation of digitalization will help to better protect Ukraine's cultural heritage and play a positive role in post-war recovery and promotion."

　　Today, with the efforts of all parties, major cultural institutions in Uzbekistan are gradually opening up.

According to the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Kozycki announced on social media in April that local cultural institutions are returning to work in an orderly manner.

"Since the outbreak of the conflict, most of Ukraine's cultural institutions have become refuges for fleeing people, and staff have temporarily changed their identities," Kozytsky said. "But the cultural sphere is a 'mirror' that reflects social life. In addition to sensing social changes, you must also perform your own responsibilities, complete your work, and 'heal' society." (End)