23.03.2023
UNESCO organizes training courses in Poland on how to save works of art looted by Russia.
A special UNESCO training devoted to combating illegal trade of Ukrainian cultural goods was held in Warsaw. The three-day training was aimed at sensitizing and preparing customs services and prosecutors for attempts to smuggle looted works of art and monuments from Ukraine. The workshop was attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies from the countries bordering Ukraine to the west and south: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova. Ukrainian specialists – art historians and historians, archaeologists, as well as representatives of the National Heritage Institute, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Police, the Border Guard, and the National Revenue Administration took part as speakers during the workshops. Moreover, representatives of Interpol, UNESCO, World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
According to UNESCO data, the Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporozhian regions suffered the greatest cultural losses. For example, almost the entire collection of the Kherson Regional Art Museum was looted by Russian troops, and a hoard of Scythian gold dating back to the 4th century BC was stolen from the local museum in Melitopol.
UNESCO estimates that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 236 cultural objects have been destroyed or seriously damaged, and more than 15,000 items have been stolen. works of art and exhibits. Tracking and documenting this damage and alerting the public to potential attempts to trade looted works, are among the top priorities of UNESCO.
The organization also assists law enforcement in collecting evidence and compiling lists of missing items from Ukrainian museums, religious buildings, and archaeological sites.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the More Than Poland Foundation has been involved in rescuing historical monuments from war damage. The project “We save Polish monuments in Ukraine” is financed by the ORLEN for Pomerania Foundation. Its main goal is to combat the devastation of Polish cultural goods and to protect works of art located in Ukraine.
We cordially invite you to cooperate – every amount, even the smallest one, is important.
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