The occupiers have removed more than 33,000 artifacts from museums in the Kherson region

As of May 2026, at least 11 museums in the Kherson region have been damaged or destroyed as a result of Russian aggression. At the same time, due to the temporary occupation of part of the region’s territory, it is currently impossible to determine the full extent of the destruction and damage.

This was reported by the Kherson Regional Military Administration in response to a request from the publication Vgoru.

Among the damaged sites are the main building of the Kherson Regional Museum of Local History, its natural history section, and its literary section. Also affected were the Oleksiy Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum, the Dmytro Bagalii Bilozerskyi Museum, the Velyka Oleksandrivka People’s Museum of History and Local Lore, the Local History Museum of the Novovorontsov Center for Culture and Leisure, and the Vysokopil Local History Museum.

Museums in Nova Kakhovka also sustained significant damage. The building of the City History Museum was damaged by shelling and subsequently flooded following the explosion at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The Albin Gavdzinsky Art Gallery and the Anatoly Bakhuta Literary and Memorial Museum were also affected.

The theft of museum artifacts remains a separate problem. According to regional authorities, Russian occupiers have removed more than 33,000 exhibits from the museum collections of the Kherson region. A total of 23,217 items were stolen from the Kherson Regional Museum of Local History, and 10,223 exhibits were taken from the Oleksiy Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum.

At the same time, the Regional State Administration emphasizes that these figures are not final. Due to the occupation of part of the region, it is impossible to conduct a full inventory of museum collections and assess the extent of the losses.

The status of at least nine museums and five cultural institutions without legal entity status, located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, remains unknown at this time.

Earlier, the museum’s page reported that of the 156 works by KhersonartistOleksiy Shovkunenko, which were housed in the museum of the same name, the Russians stole 147 paintings in the fall of 2022. Only nine works survived, of which one is currently held by the museum.

Андрій Колісніченко