Ukraine's culture ministry must do more to protect works of art, activists say

Ukrainian museum workers and cultural activists have urged the culture ministry to evacuate museum collections from border areas and frontline regions amidst intensifying tensions. A letter signed by 150 individuals highlights specific regions at risk, citing the potential loss of cultural heritage amid the ongoing Russian offensive. The ministry's previous failure to implement protective measures since the 2014 Crimea crisis draws criticism, alongside a shift in U.S. policy under President Trump, raising concerns over the future support for Ukraine and cultural preservation efforts.

The letter, which has 150 signatories so far, highlights the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions as being especially at risk due to 'the enemy's offensive, massive bombardment, and the prospect of a cessation of hostilities with the definition of a demarcation zone that is currently unclear', and 'could lead to the loss of Ukraine's cultural heritage'.

Olha Sahaidak, the head of the Coalition of Cultural Actors, told The Art Newspaper in an email that 'the ministry does not have the capacity and resources to organise evacuation centrally', which is 'why the coalition insists on the ministry'.

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