Theaters, museums, libraries among 1,987 cultural sites damaged by Russian aggression in Ukraine

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine says the ongoing Russian military aggression has resulted in the damage or destruction of 1,987 cultural sites across Ukraine. This includes a wide array of cultural institutions, from theaters and museums to libraries and community centers.

According to the ministry’s press service, 324 of these sites have been completely destroyed as of 25 April 2024, representing 16.3% of the affected facilities. The damage extends across both state-owned and municipally-owned cultural facilities, with 30 state-owned institutions and 1,957 municipally-owned sites impacted.

The report highlighted that community centers, usually referred to in Ukraine as “clubs,” constituted the largest group of cultural entities affected, with 958 club facilities damaged or destroyed, or 48.2% of the damaged facilities.

Additionally, the ongoing all-out war has severely affected 708 libraries, 153 art education facilities, 114 museums and galleries, and several other cultural venues including 36 theaters, cinemas, and philharmonic halls, 15 parks, zoos, and nature reserves, as well as three circuses, the report says.

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