The aggressor country can’t be a member of UNESCO

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine calls on UNESCO to move the 45th session from Kazan, Russia, to Lviv, Ukraine, and to exclude the russian federation from the organization. After all, russia has been systematically violating international humanitarian law and international conventions since 2014.

Every day, since February 24, russia has chaotically dropped bombs on

Ukrainian cities, killed Ukrainians, and destroyed the homes of civilians. The aggressor country does not pay attention to architectural monuments and methodically destroys Ukrainian cultural values. Historic sites are constantly under threat of artillery fire.

"A country that started a war and uses its culture as a tool of propaganda cannot be a member of UNESCO and influence the decisions of the organization. After all, her actions show that she not only does not share the statutory goals of UNESCO, but also completely opposes them. russian cultural figures today are becoming mouthpieces of destructive kremlin propaganda and use hate speech in their rhetoric. Such a state cannot be given the floor to protect culture, "said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko.

The russian army has already begun destroying the Tavrian Chersonese and damaging the Bakhchisaray Palace of the Crimean Khans, the only example of Crimean Tatar palace architecture in the world. Other destructions and destruction of cultural and historical monuments in Ukraine are also known.

It should be recalled that earlier UNESCO already called on russians to stop destruction of cultural values in Ukraine. Such a declaration was adopted on March 18 at the second extraordinary meeting of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. russia was also called upon to abide by its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention and to ratify the Second Protocol. It did yield results.