Up to 70% of museum exhibits evacuated from war-torn Bakhmut

Some 60-70% of the museum collections were successfully evacuated from Bakhmut, Donetsk region, before the Russian invaders came in and fierce battles unfolded.

That’s according to Viktoria Tochena, chief of the regional administration’s culture and tourism department, an Ukrinform correspondent reported from a briefing.

"We evacuated 60-70% of Bakhmut collections. The special focus was on evacuating the archive, which was stored in the local history museum, so that in the future, historians could study the history of Donetsk region in general and Bakhmut in particular," said Tochena.

She recalled that exhibits from 17 museums across Donetsk region were evacuated.

The department chief explained that exhibit collections are protected not only by museums but also by the government.

"But I'll be honest, there are no safe places in Ukraine where you could exhibit collections today. We don't even reveal places where we keep our collections," Tochena emphasized.

As of today, ban is in place in Ukraine on hosting exhibitions.

"As soon as permission comes, of course, we will do it, we have plenty to show... We had astonishing collections in museums in Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, and Bakhmut.... I hope, no, I am sure that everything will return to Donetsk region," assured Tochena.

As reported, Donetsk region is constantly under enemy fire as the Russians keep shelling residential areas,killing and maiming civilians, and targering civil infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, kindergartens, factories, and museums.

According to Bakhmut Mayor Oleksiy Reva, today Bakhmut lies in ruins and ashes as the invaders have simply wiped it off the face of the earth. After many months of hostilities, all the infrastructure in Bakhmut was completely destroyed, not a single building survived.