<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/01/cultural-catastrophe-ukrainians-fear-for-art-and-monuments-amid-onslaught>
"Millions of artworks and monuments are at risk from Russia’s military
onslaught in Ukraine, with one museum already burned to the ground, the global
arts organisation Getty has said.
Ukrainian scholars are warning of an “unfolding cultural catastrophe”, Getty
said in a statement from James Cuno, the president and chief executive officer
of the J Paul Getty Trust.
Fedir Androshchuk, the director of the National Museum of the History of
Ukraine in Kyiv, said he was attempting to safeguard the museum from attack or
looting alongside two colleagues.
“The museum is located in the middle of a rich cultural heritage area near
three fine churches, but also close to some possible targets (the Ukrainian
security service and border forces),” he wrote in an email to a Swedish
academic.
Getty said Russian forces had begun destroying Ukraine’s cultural heritage,
including the Ivankiv museum, about 50 miles north of Kyiv, which housed
“precious Ukrainian folk art”.
Monuments at risk represent “centuries of history from the Byzantine to the
baroque periods” and Unesco world heritage sites.
Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs tweeted on Monday that 25 works by the
folk artist Maria Prymachenko held by the museum had been lost. “She created
world-famous masterpieces. Her special gift and talent captivated Pablo
Picasso,” said the ministry."
Via Glyn Moody, who wrote "Putin is not just a mass murderer, but a barbarian
too…"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
