In light of the ongoing bombardment of the Ukrainian capital, the Kyiv city administration has moved to protect monuments in central areas that haven’t yet been targeted. Public monuments, such as the iconic statue of St. Vladimir on Vladimir hill, have been covered in improvised blast shielding. Other memorials and public sculptures — the monument… Continue reading March 26th — Dante’s Kyiv; Chernihiv in the Crosshairs
Author: Konstantin Akinsha
March 24 — A Farewell to Kuindzhi
On March 11th, we rang alarm bells about the danger to the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art Museum in Mariupol. Unfortunately, on March 23rd, our dire prediction came true: the museum was destroyed. This charming building in the Secession style no longer exists. According to press reports, three paintings by Arkhip Kuindzhi, including “Red Sunset on the… Continue reading March 24 — A Farewell to Kuindzhi
March 20 — To Be a Curator of Lost Art
It should be perfectly clear by now that every museum and architectural monument in Ukraine is in peril. But what about the art that exists everywhere else in the country? Efforts to evacuate and safely store the collections of public institutions are ongoing, but private galleries and the studios of contemporary artists are in a… Continue reading March 20 — To Be a Curator of Lost Art
March 19 — Kharkiv: A Farewell to the Belle Époque
On March 14th, a Russian missile destroyed a house on Svoboda Street in Kharkiv. Two occupants of the building were killed, and others were wounded. The house was erected in 1911. It was designed by Moisei Meletinsky, a prolific local architect who supervised the construction of many prominent buildings in the city during the first… Continue reading March 19 — Kharkiv: A Farewell to the Belle Époque
March 16 — The Kherson Art Museum: opening soon under new management?
The City of Kherson is now under Russian occupation. Despite a prohibition against demonstrations, its citizens are bravely protesting the rule of the uninvited “liberators.” According to an analysis by Ukrainian intelligence, Russia’s plans for the city are relatively straightfoward: Moscow has dusted off the playbook from 2014 and decided to establish the next “People’s… Continue reading March 16 — The Kherson Art Museum: opening soon under new management?
March 14 — From shooting to pillaging: Russian troops loot the Popov Manor House.
On March 13th, Russian soldiers looted the History and Architecture Museum and Reserve in Vasylivka, also known as the Popov Manor House. It wasn’t the first time the museum had drawn the invaders’ attention. On March 7th, the manor house was shelled, and the stables were severely damaged. The Popov Estate is located near the… Continue reading March 14 — From shooting to pillaging: Russian troops loot the Popov Manor House.
March 13 — A lost museum in Okhtyrka, and an unholy attack on the Holy Mountains
On March 9th, during the attack on Okhtyrka, a small town in the Sumy region, shelling destroyed the local history museum. Housed in a building erected in the first half of the 19th Century, the Okhtyrka City Museum was a typical small museum exhibiting local flora and fauna, family heirlooms, folk art, and documents relating… Continue reading March 13 — A lost museum in Okhtyrka, and an unholy attack on the Holy Mountains
March 12 – The destruction of the Museum of Vasil’ Tarnovsky
On March 11, Russian forces severely damaged an important historical building in Chernihiv. Destructive fire rained down on the Youth Library in the 19th century Gothic Revival building on the city’s outskirts. This architectural treasure, originally built as the trade school of the local orphanage, was redesigned at the turn of the last century. Starting… Continue reading March 12 – The destruction of the Museum of Vasil’ Tarnovsky
March 11 — Mariupol. Will the Kuindzhi Museum survive?
1. The only comparisons we can make these days are borrowed from the Second World War. Kharkiv has already been given the nickname “the Ukrainian Stalingrad.” The stark barbarity of the Russian bombardment of the city of Mariupol has made international headlines. Two days ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken compared the siege of… Continue reading March 11 — Mariupol. Will the Kuindzhi Museum survive?
March 10th — Odessa braces for assault
Today we turn our attention to the iconic statue of Armand-Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac. The monument to this legendary governor of Odessa, who was appointed in 1803 by Aleksandr I, has long been one of the most important symbols of the city. Odessans refer to the… Continue reading March 10th — Odessa braces for assault