Okhtyrka Local History Museum: Image courtesy of Cultural Emergency Response
Cultural heritage is the living memory of a people - the art, monuments, and traditions that connect past and future, writes Charlotte Heath-Bullock.
In Ukraine, this memory has come under direct attack. According to a recent article in The Times, since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, more than 6,000 artefacts from over 30 Ukrainian museums have been reported as stolen, missing or destroyed. Among the losses is a 2,300-year-old Scythian gold helmet looted from the Melitopol museum, as well as masterpieces such as Sir Peter Lely’s Lady with a Dog and Ivan Aivazovsky’s Moonlit Night. Beyond theft, entire institutions have been razed, most notably the Ivankiv Historical Museum, obliterating centuries of artistic heritage in one fell swoop.
These assaults on culture are not collateral damage; they are strategic efforts to erase identity. Ukrainian leaders rightly decry these acts as violations of international law and an attempt to undermine the very fabric of Ukrainian society. When museums, churches, libraries or monuments fall, the communities they anchor are left adrift. This is why preserving cultural heritage, especially in conflict zones, cannot be an afterthought. It must be a frontline concern.
Champions of Cultural Rescue
Organisations such as UNESCO , Cultural Emergency Response (CER) and the World Monuments Fund play indispensable roles in mitigating these threats, and in many cases, reversing damage already done. In March 2024, the inaugural TEFAF Summit in Maastricht brought these and other stakeholders together under the banner “Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in a Changing World”. Hosted in association with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO and supported by AXA XL , the Summit convened experts from government, academia, non-profits and the private sector to chart a collaborative path forward.
During the opening panel, representatives from the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO underscored the unifying power of culture in fostering peace. As UNESCO’s founding principle states, “Since war begins in the minds of people, it is in the minds of people that the defences of peace must be constructed.” By highlighting how art and heritage are essential to communal well-being, they reminded those present that safeguarding cultural sites is not merely about bricks and mortar, it’s about nurturing resilience and restoring hope in the aftermath of trauma.
CER showcased the concept of “cultural ambulance” work - rapid-response interventions that prioritise intangible heritage and community-centred approaches. In conflict or natural disaster, CER teams collaborate with local experts to assess immediate needs, document at-risk collections and train first responders in basic conservation techniques. Its emphasis on people as carriers of culture differs from more top-down approaches; CER’s fieldwork in Ukraine has included supporting community archives, safe-guarding vernacular traditions and developing protocols to track looted items. This model ensures that, even amid chaos, local custodians remain empowered to preserve their own heritage.
By drawing attention to the invisible threads that bind communities - language, oral histories, and customs - CER helps prevent the erasure of identity at its roots. Its work complements the efforts of art historians and conservators by recognising that a painting’s true value lies, as much in its embedment within a living tradition, as in its aesthetic or monetary worth.
Equally vital is the role of the World Monuments Fund. WMF’s philosophy spotlights the idea that no single entity - public institution, private collector or local community - can safeguard heritage alone. Successful preservation requires pooling expertise: donors provide funding, NGOs offer technical training, and governments help enforce protective legislation. This collaborative framework underpins WMF’s projects in Ukraine and elsewhere, where site assessments, condition reports and restoration planning must align with local capacity and international best practices.
In regions recently retaken by Ukrainian forces, WMF has coordinated with UNESCO World Heritage experts and Ukrainian conservators to stabilise embattled monuments. Their teams often include architects, archaeologists, and engineers who work alongside local craftsmen, bridging the gap between modern technology and traditional building methods. This synergy not only expedites physical repairs but also invests local stakeholders in long-term stewardship.
While The Times article shone a spotlight on Ukraine, preserving cultural heritage transcends any single crisis. Climate change, urban development and illicit trafficking all pose existential threats to historic fabric. In each case, lessons learned from wartime rescue including rapid documentation, digital archiving and community engagement, can be adapted to peacetime challenges. Heritage preservation is not a niche concern for academics or curators; it is a vital component of sustainable development, social cohesion, and even economic recovery, as revitalised cultural sites often become engines of tourism and local pride.
As professionals - whether in arts, heritage management, philanthropy or government - our networks wield influence.
Sharing insights about the proactive work of organisations like UNESCO, CER and WMF encourages broader support and accountability. It invites consideration of how corporate social responsibility might include funding salvage missions, sponsoring conservation fellowships or advocating for stronger heritage-protection policies in their own regions.
The assault on Ukraine’s cultural heritage is emblematic of a broader struggle: when identity and history are weaponised, the entire international community suffers. Yet there is hope in how swiftly institutions and individuals mobilise when the stakes become clear. The challenge is urgent, but with collaborative action, we can transform collective outrage into enduring resilience ensuring that irreplaceable treasures remain vibrant beacons for future generations.
Read the article in full here.
