The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused widespread damage to Ukraine’s cultural heritage, with 1,333 cultural monuments and 2,185 cultural infrastructure facilities affected across the country, according to a press release by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
In January 2025 alone, an additional 78 sites were damaged in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions, further adding to the destruction.
Among the 1,333 cultural heritage sites affected, 131 are national landmarks, 1,126 hold local significance, and 76 are newly documented sites. The hardest-hit regions include:
Kharkiv – 324 sites damaged
Kherson – 255 sites damaged
Donetsk – 164 sites damaged
Odesa – 137 sites damaged
Beyond cultural landmarks, Ukraine’s cultural infrastructure has suffered extensive losses, with 409 facilities completely destroyed — nearly 19% of the total damage. The most affected regions include Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy.
The damage extends to vital cultural institutions, including:
1,056 community cultural centers
784 libraries
166 art education institutions
120 museums and galleries
39 theaters, cinemas, and philharmonic halls
7 nature reserves
9 parks and zoos
4 circuses
Long-Term Impact and Uncertain Future
Cultural institutions in 302 territorial communities — representing 20.6% of all communities in Ukraine — have been affected. The most heavily impacted regions by percentage of damaged communities include Donetsk (87%), Sumy (64.7%), and Kharkiv (59%).
The full extent of destruction in Russian-occupied areas, including Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson, remains unclear due to restricted access. Officials warn that the true scale of cultural loss can only be assessed after these territories are liberated.
Despite the destruction, efforts to protect and restore Ukraine’s cultural sites continue. The Kyiv Teacher’s House, a landmark damaged in a Russian missile attack in October 2022, has been added to the World Monuments Fund’s Watch 2025 program.
This inclusion will provide international funding for emergency restoration and plans to establish an educational center at the historic site.
