Kherson Museum of Local Lore is damaged as a result of Russian attack

Russian troops shelled the Kherson Museum of Local Lore again, damaging the building with valuable exhibits. Museum employees reported new damage after the recent attacks in November.

This was reported by the press service of the Kherson Regional Museum of Local Lore.

At night, Russian artillery struck the Kherson Regional Museum of Local Lore again, damaging the lapidarium and the amphora hall, where large exhibits were stored. This was reported by the museum's press service, noting that the shelling caused new damage after the recent attacks in November.

The museum emphasized that in just three weeks in November, the main building of the museum had already suffered serious damage as a result of massive shelling. According to the museum staff, the occupiers continue to deliberately destroy Kherson, its historical monuments and cultural heritage, jeopardizing the safety of exhibits and the safety of staff.

The museum calls on the international community to pay attention to the destruction of cultural sites and support measures to protect them.

In October, the occupiers also shelled the Kherson Regional Museum of Local Lore, causing significant damage to the building and endangering exhibits. Over the past three weeks, the museum has been subjected to systematic targeted attacks: a third of the building has been destroyed, the roof has been punctured, the walls have been damaged, and a significant part of the collections is at risk of destruction.

The institution, which is a unique center of history and culture in the South of Ukraine, has already suffered significant losses during the temporary occupation, when thousands of exhibits, priceless witnesses of the Ukrainian past, were stolen.

The museum's experts and administration emphasize that the destruction of the building was not accidental and is part of a deliberate policy of cultural terror.

The exhibition halls have been smashed, collections stolen, and the frames and walls where unique and valuable exhibits were once displayed are empty. The main cultural and historical centers of the region - the Kherson Regional Museum of Local Lore and the Shovkunenko Art Museum - have found themselves in this state after the enemy's attacks. Despite this, they remain alive and active thanks to those who continue to work for their restoration and development.

Анна Бальчінос