Ukraine's cultural heritage devastated after four years of war

As Ukraine marks the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion, it reports that 1,685 cultural sites have suffered damage, alongside 2,483 cultural infrastructures, with more than 500 completely destroyed. The Ministry of Culture indicates that 346 artists have lost their lives, and the cultural sector has faced direct losses amounting to $4.2 billion, escalating to over $31 billion when factoring in lost revenue. Cities such as Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, Donetsk, and Kyiv have been particularly affected. Russia has also plundered over 35,000 museum artifacts, with 1.7 million valuable items located in occupied areas. Ukraine has enacted a resolution to safeguard over 3 million cultural assets. The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Fund, spearheaded by Pierre Heilbronn and Olena Kovalska, convened its inaugural meeting in Brussels, securing initial funding of €3.5 million for urgent needs.