Гаряча лінія
Гаряча лінія
Since the beginning of the russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine, cultural heritage sites have suffered from vandalism by invaders and are under threat of destruction.
331 episodes of war crimes of russian invaders against the cultural heritage of Ukraine have already been documented. 20 monuments of national significance, 83 of local significance and 7 newly discovered ones were destroyed and damaged.
Cultural heritage sites suffered the most in Kharkiv Oblast - 90, in Donetsk Oblast - 70, in Kyiv Oblast - 62, in Chernihiv Oblast - 37, in Luhansk Oblast - 32, and in Sumy Oblast - 20.
The occupiers destroyed or damaged 114 religious buildings, including 42 - monuments of history, architecture and urban planning, 41 memorials in honor of historical figures and events of the XIX - early XXI century, 26 buildings and complexes of museums and reserves, 62 houses of culture, theaters, libraries and other objects of valuable historical buildings.
Only in recent days, enemy missiles destroyed the St. George's Monastery of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra in Donetsk region. The architectural monument of the beginning of the XIX century - Vorontsov Palace - was damaged in Odessa. A part of the tombstones of the 19th century in the Jewish cemetery in Hlukhiv was destroyed. The occupiers again hit the island of Khortytsia in Zaporizhia, which was restored as part of the "Great Restoration" program.
By destroying our cultural heritage, russia is trying to erase the national identity of the Ukrainian people. The aggressor's troops violate Articles 4 and 5 of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Such actions of the aggressor in accordance with Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are a war crime.
I appeal to the UN Commission for Investigation Human Rights Violations during Russia's military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine.