Russia must be held to account for violating cultural rights of Ukrainians – ombudsman

The Russian Federation must be tried in courts for destroying Ukraine’s culture and violating cultural rights of Ukrainians.

That’s according to Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada representative for human rights, who made the statement via Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"Russian occupiers continue to destroy cultural heritage and violate cultural rights, which provide opportunities for the free spiritual development of an individual and society," ombudsman emphasized.

He noted that in the Greek Square in the temporarily captured Mariupol, the invaders dismantled the monument of artist Arkhip Kuindzhi. A year ago, they destroyed the museum of the famed painter, looting almost 2,000 exhibits. Among them are paintings by Tatiana Yablonska, Mykola Hlushchenko, and Kuindzhi himself.

Lubinets noted that "the aggressor power, which criminally appropriated not only the artist's works, but also his name, destroys everything that connects Kuindzhi with his hometown."

The ombudsman reported that, according to UNESCO, over the first year of the full-scale invasion, the damage has been confirmed to 240 objects in Ukraine – 10 places of worship, 18 museums, 86 buildings of historical or artistic value, 19 monuments, and 12 libraries.

"Russia defiantly violates the norms of international humanitarian law, which also protects cultural values. Destruction of objects of cultural heritage is a war crime in accordance with the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict," Lubinets emphasized.