Cultural heritage and new international order
The International Scientific and Practical Conference, titled "World Cultural Heritage in the Context of the New International Order," took place in the media center of the State Enterprise “Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions” under the auspices of the Ukraine’s National Commission for UNESCO and the National Academy of Music of Ukraine, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Peace Council (UPC). The event was attended by representatives from UNESCO, educators, scientists, and diplomats.
During the plenary session, the participants pointed out the considerable intensification of Ukrainian Peace Council's activities since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion. Mykhailo Zgurovsky, UPC Head and Rector of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, delivered a stirring speech, expressing his thoughts on the matter.
"The chosen topic for discussion is highly relevant, given the developments we are witnessing today. I support the theses expressed by speakers that the international order, established by the Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations in 1945, is currently facing a formidable challenge.
"Firstly, let us recall 2007 when putin made his first attack on the international order, delivering a speech at the Munich Conference on Security Policy that was termed the declaration of the Second Cold War, then 2008 when russia's aggression against Georgia took place, then 2014 when the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas [the heartland of Ukrainian industry and natural resources] took place. The full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in 2022.
"And then this chain has begun to spread to the Middle East, South America. At present, we observe over 20 such hotspots globally. All of this constitutes an attack on the international order, which established the fundamental rules of the inviolability of sovereignty and borders. Therefore, it is very important to comprehend what is happening in the world, and it seems to me that the role of UNESCO chairs, including the 13 in Ukraine, could be pivotal. These intellectual centers, cooperating in a unified expert environment, can analyze what is happening in the world, where we are going, what are the trends in world geopolitics, and what may happen next.
"Considering the impact of culture on the course of world events, it seems to have no power tools, it is soft power, but its influence is quite powerful. Above all, culture and arts play an important role in reconciliation, conflict mitigation, the prevention of wars and crises, as culture serves as a universal, unifying factor for people worldwide.
"Culture helps create global empathy, it can break down hostility and prejudice, which is a key factor in ending conflicts. Art is the vehicle for spreading the ideas of peace, tolerance, and cooperation, and it can inspire reflection on the value of peace and the negative consequences of war.
"Cultural exchanges, concerts, festivals, and other events promote mutual understanding and the exchange of ideas among diverse cultures, creating a platform for open dialogue and cooperation. The message of peace and understanding is integrated into various forms of art, particularly theater, music, and painting. Art projects can draw attention to peacemaking initiatives as well as highlight the importance of resolving conflicts through diplomacy and reconciliation.
"Given its international nature, art influences the public opinion, shaping people's perceptions of war and peace, sparking discussion, and raising awareness about the root causes of conflicts.
"The inclusion of arts in educational programs promotes the development of critical thinking, empathy and an understanding of cultural diversity among students, which, in turn, can help end ethnic conflicts. After the end of hostilities and crises, art becomes a vital tool for rebuilding and support, as well as for social rehabilitation. Rebuilding projects encompass the creation of museums, theaters, and other cultural centers. Thus, culture and art can act as powerful tools of the search for peace, changes in social consciousness, inspiring people to establish a more tolerant society and maintain the international order.
“They will facilitate the development of a common vision to bring Ukraine and the democratic world closer to the victory in this civilizational conflict.”
Dmytro SHULIKIN
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Speech by Volodymyr Novokhatskii,
UPC Deputy Head and Director
"Modern Challenges and Threats
Related to the Protection of Ukraine's Cultural Heritage
in the Course of Ukrainian People's Fight against Russian Aggression"
Welcome to distinguished participants in the conference. I address the pressing issues in the current context of russia's ambition to destroy our country, our statehood, everything Ukrainian – millennial history, culture, language, people – the nation. Its ambition to bury the memories of us, to blot out the existence of a freedom-loving nation from humanity's memory by rewriting our history and killing our people.
Putin alleged denazification and demilitarization of our country as the main goal of the invasion of Ukraine by russian troops.
Let us revisit the definition of the term "denazification": a system of measures to free the economy, politics, culture, media and jurisprudence of the former Third Reich (Germany and Austria) from the influence and consequences of National Socialism after World War II.
Putin decided to manipulate this notion to fuel his animosity towards the Ukrainian people.
Russia denies the right of the Ukrainian nation to exist. This is what the Russian Empire used to do when it was obliterating Ukrainian statehood, banning the Ukrainian language and the right to be called a Ukrainian, what Stalin's russia did when it starved millions of Ukrainians to death; and what modern russia is doing when it attacked Ukraine, committing genocide against the Ukrainian nation. This fight for the right to life of Ukrainians has been raging for centuries.
The Ukrainian nation has the millennial history, which has exercised considerable cultural and spiritual influence on the development of European states since the beginning of its formation. Let us recall Anna Yaroslavna, Queen of France, Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, who created the first model of a free, independent state in Europe by promulgating Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution, which ordained the notion of a "free people", the foundations of democracy and justice, anti-corruption and social principles. It made a weighty contribution to the world's treasury of science, culture and art, and nurtured a galaxy of world-famous artists, philosophers, painters, writers, and composers such as Mykola Leontovych, Solomiya Krushelnytska, Kazimir Malevich, Serge Lifar, Anatoliy Solovyanenko; scientists and engineers such as Igor Sikorsky, Sergei Korolev, Yevhen and Borys Paton, Ilya Mechnikov, Mykola Amosov, Oleksandr Bohomolets, and the list goes on and on.
Every nation, every state and every country contribute to the formation of world cultural heritage, it is a unique and inalienable asset of an advanced civilization.
As a result of the ongoing russia's invasion, Ukraine is currently faced with the willful destruction of not only civilians but also cultural heritage. The invaders are destroying entire cities and towns, architectural and historical monuments, churches, theaters, historical, cultural and natural reserves, and they are looting museums.
Invaders pillaged some masterpieces in the Kherson Art Museum and the Arkhip Kuindzhi Museum in the city of Mariupol.
Due to the invaders' blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in the Kherson region, churches, cultural monuments, museums, and archaeological sites of the Scythians, nomadic people known from as early as the 8th century B.C., were flooded. A Greek settlement dating back to 400 B.C. was also irreparably destroyed. The affected region in southern Ukraine was the center of Cossack culture in the 16th century. Ukrainian artists of different eras left their imprint of artistry there.
In addition to archaeological sites, the museum honoring writer and humorist Ostap Vyshnia, which was not restored until 2020, and the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Art Museum were flooded, according to official Ukrainian statements.
According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, 1,520 cultural infrastructure facilities and 664 cultural heritage sites have sustained damage since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These numbers continue to grow every day, with the greatest losses and damage to cultural infrastructure in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Unfortunately, Ukraine is unable to protect its historical and cultural heritage alone, and it is grateful to UNESCO for its assistance, especially for the inclusion of several Ukrainian historical sites in the UNESCO's World Heritage List that are in danger because of the war, such as St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and surrounding monastic buildings, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), the architectural complex of the historic center of Lviv, the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora. The historic center of Odesa was also added to the list in January amid russian attacks. UNESCO recognized the mark left by the city on cinema, literature, and art. This provides for a fast-track assessment of the damage, prioritization of measures, and assistance in repairing the affected sites.
We believe this list should also include monuments located in the temporarily occupied territories for the purpose of further organizing international monitoring.
In addition, UNESCO has worked out the emergency action plan, whose implementation is funded to the tune of $30 million. This is a security plan for museums, a plan on how to work with equipment in emergencies, how to preserve collections, how to respond to the risks of theft and illicit trafficking. The UNESCO desk supported projects in Kherson, Dnipro, Kyiv, and Lviv. UNESCO financed the purchase of equipment for four Ukrainian museums affected by the russian attack on the capital on October 10, 2022. These include the Khanenko Museum and the Taras Shevchenko Museum. The organization also launched a fundraising campaign for its activities in Ukraine and channeled funds from the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund to support Ukrainian artists. Specifically, endowed with $100,000 by UNESCO in June 2022, the Fund, together with the Ukrainian NGO Museum of Contemporary Art, began providing grants to Ukrainian artists.
Additionally, the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund allocated $1.5 million to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy in May 2023 to digitalize Ukraine's cultural heritage.
Damage assessment and monitoring are vitally important for the protection of heritage sites. UNESCO has provided assistance in building a platform for regular and daily updates to check for damage to heritage. This is achieved through the analysis of satellite imagery and accompanied by on-site verification when feasible.
Furthermore, even before the war, there were a number of problems about the preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine, including restoration work, restitution or return of cultural property, a search for illicitly exported cultural property, etc.
It is imperative to unite the efforts of international organizations and the international community at large to protect and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage, and prosecute russia for the destruction and damage that it has caused.
It was a fair decision to remove russia from the chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and exclude it from the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Thank you. I wish you all fruitful activity.
Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
May Victory be ours!