Ukrainian intelligence reveals looted artworks from occupied city of Kherson
Ukrainian intelligence reveals cultural valuables looted by Russian forces in the occupied city of Kherson (photo: Getty Images)
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR) has published information on the War&Sanctions portal about more than a thousand cultural valuables stolen by Russian forces from the Oleksiy Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum, according to the HUR reports.
"During the temporary occupation of the city, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, under the supervision of Russian museum workers, systematically removed exhibits from the art museum, including paintings, graphics, sculptures, and icons," the HUR report states.
It is noted that part of these items was illegally transported to the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea.
On the War&Sanctions portal, data on 1,233 stolen paintings have been published — only part of the overall list of cultural valuables illegally taken from the museum.
Among them are works by Ukrainian and European artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Peter Lely, Maria Prymachenko, Mykola Pymonenko, Ivan Aivazovsky, Serhii Vasylkivsky, and others.
"By stealing and appropriating Ukrainian cultural heritage, Russia seeks to eradicate Ukrainian national identity, justify aggression and occupation. Documenting these crimes is an important step toward restoring justice and holding the perpetrators accountable," the HUR added.
Russia has been looting Ukraine's cultural heritage in the occupied territories. In particular, evidence was found of the theft of over 170 cultural valuables, including from the Kamiana Mohyla museum.
This includes more than 140 artifacts recovered during illegal archaeological excavations in Crimea, at the sites of the Southern Suburb of Chersonesus Taurica and the Byzantine architectural monument, Church of St. John the Baptist.
In addition, Russian forces removed 37 exhibits from the National Historical and Archaeological Museum Kamiana Mohyla to the Chersonesus Taurica museum, under the pretext of a temporary exhibition in 2023.
