‘Russia has directly attacked Ukraine’s culture’: Ukrainian Ambassador

Ukrainian Ambassador Olecasandra Polishchuk replied to his Russian counterpart’s letter (‘Ukraine has suppressed the people who have been suppressed’, 10 July). The letter of the Russian ambassador was in response to a story in the eight-part series of TOI at the cost of war and the fight for peace. Part:Russia, the Russian Ambassador to echo the Kremlin’s playbook, spreads the wrong information. Custoning aggressive as the victim is a classic product of Russia’s promotional machine. And this is the reason why we compete with these statements with facts.In 2022, Russia began his full -scale invasion of Ukraine – and with it, a direct attack on Ukrainian culture. By June 2025, Ukraine’s Culture and Information Policy Ministry reports that more than 1,400 cultural heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed by Russian forces. UNESCO has so far verified 501 of these sites, including museums, churches, libraries and monuments.In its 46th session held in New Delhi in July 2024, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee officially recognized Russia’s invasion as a direct threat to Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The committee called Russia to avoid any work that could damage the Ukrainian World Heritage Sites – including St. Sophia Cathedral and Kiev -Pacresk Lavara, and historical centers of Laviv, which are now listed as a world heritage in danger.Additionally, museums have been looted. Schools and churches bombed. The children were deported and forced to erase their Ukrainian identity.Since the illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, indigenous Crimean Tatar has been targeted with over 110 cultural artifacts and historical sites have been damaged.The Russian Orthodox Church has become a weapon in this cultural war. This sends the pastor to bless the aggression, justify violence and to preach to propagate under the guise of faith.But Daman does not eradicate Ukrainian identity. It only strengthens our resolve to protect it.