Ukraine: Global - Сondition of Ukrainian cultural monuments on the de-occupied territories

Сondition of Ukrainian cultural monuments on the de-occupied territories

04/16/23 • 16 min

This edition of Ukraine Global is about the condition of Ukrainian cultural monuments on the de-occupied territories. How seriously were they damaged by the Russian invaders, and how are international organizations helping to restore them?

Due to Russian aggression, a multitude of cultural heritage sites in most regions of Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. As a result of shelling, buildings have such damage that Ukrainians have not seen since World War II. Ukraine has recorded at least 407 verified cases of Russian war crimes against our heritage, but the actual number is certainly higher. After all, it is difficult to get information from temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. The Culture Ministry continues to work on recording the destruction of cultural heritage sites in order to have evidence for international proceedings. Culture has always played an important role in times of war. And international support for Ukraine grew after the full-scale invasion. Sometimes, it’s not only about the money. People wanted to help Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, ProEnglish Theatre director, visited Ukrainian territories close to the war zone and saw with his eyes how Ukrainian cultural monuments were damaged there. RU’s Viktoria Kriukova talked with Alex.

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Prospects for the development of the feminist domestic and foreign policy development in Ukraine

This edition of Ukraine Global is about prospects for the development of the feminist domestic and foreign policy development in Ukraine. Are we progressing according to the world standards?

Ukraine needs more women in power organs. Only in 2017, for the first time in the history of Ukraine, the government identified gender equality as one of its priorities, entrusting the implementation of state policy in this area to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. And in February 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed an experienced human rights defender, Kateryna Levchenko, as Government Commissioner for Gender Policy. Being a prisoner of war leaves a lifetime mark. First of all, psychologically. The example of Tayra shows that the captivity didn't break her but made her even stronger. She is an extraordinary person who continues to help people and Ukraine as a state after being released from captivity. Ukrainian researchers Hanna Shelest and Yevheniya Gaber who work at The Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” have recently presented a special report on this Ukraine-related topic.

The understanding of the concept of a feminist foreign policy remains quite limited in Ukraine today. It is mostly narrowed down to gender equality in the diplomatic service. Meanwhile, an increasing number of European countries approve their own versions of feminist foreign policy.

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the reaction of Ukrainian and international artists and performers to the tragedy of Russia’s war against Ukraine

On February 24th, 2022, all Ukrainians were woken up by the news of Russia’s brutal attack on their land. Artists and performers did not stay aloof: they donated to the Ukrainian army, bought equipment, clothing and other essentials for soldiers, or raised funds in this country and abroad, encouraging nations to support Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, director of ProEnglish Theater, told RU’s Viktoriya Kriukova about his personal experience of writing songs and stage performances. “This war is a painful reality, and we need to realize the new circumstances we all live in. Culture can't stay aloof,” says Alex. Ukrainian and world artists have shown that we have more in common than just military and financial cooperation, which is crucial for driving the enemy out. We have the same values and we believe that such horrors can't happen in the 21st century, and we must stop it.