$4.2 billion in direct losses: how much does the war cost Ukrainian culture?
24 February 19:58
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 1,685 cultural heritage sites and 2,483 cultural infrastructure facilities have been destroyed or damaged. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Of the total number of objects, 507 have been completely destroyed.
These include museums, theaters, libraries, historic buildings, and architectural monuments throughout the country.
The human cost of war
The ministry also highlighted the human losses. The war claimed the lives of 346 artists and 132 Ukrainian and foreign media workers.
“Each loss is a lost voice of our cultural memory,” the ministry said.
Billions in losses
According to the ministry’s estimates, direct losses to the cultural sector amount to about $4.2 billion.
Total losses, including lost revenue, exceed $31 billion. This takes into account losses in tourism, cultural institutions, and related industries.
Stolen and endangered exhibits
Museum collections remain a separate problem. According to the Ministry of Culture, Russia has stolen 35,482 museum items.
In addition, more than 1.7 million exhibits remain in temporarily occupied territories, at risk of destruction or illegal export.
Four years since the start of the invasion
On February 24, 2022, at around 3:40 a.m., the first column of Russian tanks entered the territory of the Luhansk region. That same morning, Ukrainian cities suffered their first missile strikes.
Four years of full-scale war have destroyed not only infrastructure and the economy, but also cultural heritage — part of the national identity.
