Council of Europe Demands Reparations from Russia for Cultural Heritage Damage in Ukraine

Council of Europe Calls for Reparations from Russia for Cultural Heritage Damage in Ukraine

Council of Europe Calls for Reparations from Russia for Cultural Heritage Damage in Ukraine

The Council of Europe, the continent’s oldest intergovernmental organization dedicated to upholding the rule of law, has issued a significant declaration demanding that the Russian Federation pay reparations to Ukraine. This follows a statement released on Wednesday, in which the Council expressed its strong disapproval of the Russian attacks on cultural heritage sites across Ukraine since the onset of war in February 2022.

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In its statement, the Council noted that over a thousand cultural sites have suffered damage or destruction since the war began. The Congress emphasized that the systematic targeting and looting of these cultural sites seem to reflect a deliberate policy aimed at erasing Ukraine’s historical and cultural identity, which aligns with a genocidal intent. This marks yet another instance where the Russo-Ukrainian war has been classified as genocide by international authorities; several European national parliaments have already reached this conclusion. In 2023, the Council of Europe categorized Russia’s forced transfer of Ukrainian children as an act of genocide.

This new declaration contextualizes the genocidal intent behind Vladimir Putin’s war within the framework of Russia’s systematic destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The Council asserts that reparations are necessary to compensate for the damage inflicted upon Ukraine’s historical, cultural, and religious heritage. Consequently, the Council will prioritize the recovery of Ukrainian cultural heritage on the political agenda, particularly at the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled to take place in Rome.

Ukrainian serviceman Gennadiy Yudin was seen surveying the devastation inside an Orthodox church severely damaged by a Russian bombing in Novoekonomichne, Ukraine, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. It was announced earlier this month that Italy will be hosting the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in July next year, with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni reaffirming her country’s solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine.

Council of Europe Demands Reparations from Russia for Cultural Heritage Damage in Ukraine

Moreover, the Council urged European member states to ratify two key conventions aimed at preserving cultural heritage: the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (also known as the Faro Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Offences to Cultural Property (Nicosia Convention). The Council also called for heightened awareness regarding the damage inflicted on Ukraine’s cultural identity.

Solidarity Stance

G7 Culture Meeting

G7 Culture Meeting

At the recent G7 meeting of culture ministers held last month, the extensive damage to Ukraine’s cultural heritage was a prominent topic of discussion. The ministers issued a firm condemnation of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine and the widespread destruction of historic sites and cultural institutions. They highlighted the adverse impact on “museums, theatres, libraries, archives, churches, and other places of worship,” all of which are vital to preserving Ukrainian cultural identity.

In response to this destruction, the ministers pledged to remain united in their efforts to defend and promote the resilience and regeneration of both tangible and intangible aspects of Ukrainian culture and heritage. Over the past year, Russia has altered its museum regulations to assert that their collections are inseparable, effectively prohibiting the return of any cultural artifacts to Ukraine. This move, coupled with the mass registration of occupied Ukrainian museums, effectively legalizes wartime looting and obstructs Ukraine’s efforts to reclaim its stolen cultural heritage, as stated by a spokesperson for the Ukrainian PR Army.

Furthermore, Russian authorities have reported the ‘transfer’ of approximately 40,000 items from Ukrainian museums to Russian institutions, which exacerbates the Russifying impact of education and ‘patriotic instruction’ in accordance with Russian standards, thereby aiming to erase Ukrainian distinctiveness.

As of October 2, UNESCO has verified damage inflicted on 451 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine since the war commenced. This includes 142 religious sites, 227 buildings of historical or artistic significance, 32 museums, 32 monuments, 17 libraries, and an archive. The president of PEN Ukraine, Volodymyr Yermolenko, was quoted in a Human Rights Watch publication discussing the impact of conflicts on cultural heritage this year. He stated, “Heritage is something that ensures a connection between the dead, the alive, and the not yet born.”

The report elaborated on the extensive use of explosive weapons by both Russian and Ukrainian forces, with detailed documentation of the effects of Russian operations on various types of cultural heritage in Ukraine. It reiterated that culture is central to Ukrainian identity and has become a focal point of Russia’s stated war objectives.

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