This week marks six months since Russia launched its war and invaded cities in Ukraine, causing detrimental destruction on a local and global scale. Since the beginning of the war, millions of Ukrainians have been internally displaced, losing their homes, businesses, and families. UNESCO has verified damage to 139 sites, including 62 religious sites, 12 museums, 26 historic buildings, 17 buildings dedicated to cultural activities, 15 museums, and seven libraries across Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Sumy.
To help mitigate the devastating repercussions of the war on Ukrainians and the country's heritage, several humanitarian, preservation, and economic initiatives have been put in place by NGO's and governments from across the world.
The World Monuments Fund announced it will be launching four emergency preservation projects. The first is the restoration of the Holy Trinity Church in Zhovkva, which was hit by Russian missiles while it was being restored in February 2022. Although workers quickly covered the church in plastic sheeting, it was not enough as parts of the roof had been removed and several interior rooms were exposed. To protect both the interior and exterior of the church, WMF will be installing waterproof coverings, further protecting the structure from brutal weather conditions.
The the initial phase of the emergency preservation project will also include sending 440 water-mist fire extinguishers to protect wooden churches constructed in the 16th–19th centuries, handed out to the Center to Rescue Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage, the Heritage Emergency Response Initiative (HERI), and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Ukraine. A Renaissance building titled Black House in Lviv’s Market Square will receive temporary structures and scaffolding to protect its facade from explosions, and supplies will be distributed to the 11th century St. Sophia of Kyiv Cathedral to monitor the damage-prone site and surroundings.
In terms of shelter projects, Kyiv-based practice Balbek Bureau developed a modular temporary housing system designed to adapt to different types of terrain and settlement density while being deployed in a short time frame. Drozdov&Partners, together with Replus Bureau and Ponomarenko Bureau, have begun refurbishing shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Lviv and its region, using school campuses and other large-scale facilities as temporary housing.
Following the devastating grain and fuel crisis due to the ongoing battles, countries are now being alarmed of a potential nuclear accident. Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, notably at Zaporizhia in south-eastern Ukraine, are now a also main concern as fights continue to take place near them. Along with their proximity to battles, soldiers are taking shelter inside them, raising the chances of another humanitarian catastrophe - not on the scale of Chernobyl, but the certainty of radioactive emissions. Serhii Plokhy, a Harvard historian, has warned that if governments don't agree to protect these plants in wars, the consequences will be globally catastrophic.
One of many culturally significant buildings that have been damaged by shelling during Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the iconic Railway Workers Palace of Culture. Ukrainian Twitter users have recently shared footage of the structure severely-damaged after a missile hit started a fire in its area of over 4.5 thousand square meters. The Railway Workers Palace of Culture, also known as Palats Zaliznychnykiv, was designed by Russian architect Aleksandr Dmitriev in 1932, and was considered as one of his most significant buildings. The structure was a iconic example of constructivism, a modernist style that emerged in the early 20th century.
As the European continent prepares for what seems to be a very harsh winter this year, officials are raising concerns for the Ukrainian natives, as they enter the season with lack of permanent housing, limited access to energy to heat homes, indefensible temporary shelters, and proximity to hazardous materials.
Check the list of organizations and aid groups you can contribute to and help alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
