During conflict, art and heritage is often the target of aggression or simply collateral damage. As discussed in our post from last Friday, art and cultural heritage in Ukraine continues to be at risk during Russia’s invasion.

Sadly, the destruction of art has been confirmed. According to a tweet from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, one of the casualties from the attack on the Kyiv region was a collection of 25 paintings by notable Ukrainian artist, Maria Prymachenko. These works were stored in the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum which is located around 50 miles from Kyiv. While the destruction of the works has not been independently confirmed, several sources reported that the town in which the museum is located has been under fire. Further, satellite images show that the museum itself had been destroyed. 

Ukrainian stamp featuring Maria Prymachenko’s art

Maria Prymachenko, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 88, was a self-taught artist best known for her colorful folk art. After seeing an exhibition of her work in Paris, Pablo Picasso stated, “I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian.” The year 2009 was declared the Year of Maria Prymachenko by UNESCO. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ tweet highlighted Prymachenko for her “world-famous masterpieces” and “special gift and talent”. Her works have been honored by her home country, when they were featured on Ukrainian postage stamps. Ms. Prymachenko was also honored internationally, when UNESCO declared 2009 as the “Year of Maria Prymachenko.” Russia’s invasion has already caused significant destruction to several Ukrainian cities and one such casualty has been the museum and Prymachenko’s notable and priceless works.  

Although not confirmed, social media reports that potentially looted Crimean artifacts have already appeared on the black market in the United Kingdom.