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

Abstract

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.