Canadian ambassador: War has taken lives of at least 98 Ukrainian cultural figures

The Russian-Ukrainian war has taken the lives of at least 98 Ukrainian cultural figures and damaged or destroyed almost 2,000 objects of cultural infrastructure, but Russia will not be able to destroy Ukrainian identity thanks to the wealth of Ukraine's cultural talent and legacy.

Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc said this at the 7th Annual International Forum "Creative Ukraine," according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Over the past 23 months, the war has taken the lives of at least 98 Ukrainian artists, writers, musicians, directors, and dancers," Cmoc said.

She said that just yesterday she was visiting the Superhumans center in Lviv, where she met a dancer – a man who volunteered to fight and lost his leg there. According to her, despite such a great loss for him as a dancer, he tried to move even with a prosthesis, "so hope is there."

The ambassador also said that Russian shelling had damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 museums, monuments, libraries and other objects of cultural infrastructure in Ukraine.

"The Russians are trying to steal and suppress Ukrainian identity, but they won't succeed, because Ukraine possesses an undeniable wealth of cultural talent and legacy and because your work in rethinking culture at the time of war is masterful, innovating and challenging the norms," the diplomat said.

She stressed that the international community recognizes that it is crucial to join forces in supporting Ukraine's cultural resistance and resilience and added that Canada would help preserve and develop cultural organizations and communities most affected by the war.