Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage Is Desperate for Help

Former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman calls on the Biden administration to emphasize the protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, saying “Doing so will foil Putin’s grotesque mission to wipe Ukrainian heritage off the map. Failing to do so will advance Moscow’s monstrous goals, help rob the world of historic treasures, and undermine Washington’s leadership in cultural diplomacy—which helped win the 20th century’s Cold War and may do so again this century.” (Foreign Policy)

Culture in the Crossfire

Museum staff, heritage custodians, and volunteers are racing against time to safeguard Ukraine's cultural treasures, many of which, ironically, are connected to Russia. (The Art Newspaper) 

In The Face of War, Ukrainian Art and Artists Defy the Impossible

Bombs, however, have not been able to halt artistic voices: following the shutting of galleries, Facebook has transformed into an unlikely art gallery for many to exhibit new work. The immediacy of social media allows artists such as Vlada Ralko, Alevtina Kakhidze, and Gertruda Meyer to display their drawings of violence and atrocity to a wiser audience and to chronicle their observations through paper and paint. (Town & Country) 

Zelensky’s Speech is a New Precedent for a Modern Address to Congress from a Leader in a War Time

The Ukrainian President was not the first foreign leader to address a full session of the United States Congress, nor was he the first one to do so while their nation was at war. But Zelensky's speech, conducted over a live stream, was the most modern ever and likely a model for speeches in the future. (Boston Globe) 

Why Archiving Culture is an Act of Political Resistance

In times of crisis, the arts are amplified for their humanizing, and uplifting, powers. But, in wartime, the arts are also a prime target for enemy attacks. Digitizations of historical archives and precious cultural objects means artifacts can resist the threat of total annihilation wrought by militaristic campaigns. (Artwork Archive) 

The Ukrainian Artists Making Work as Acts of Resistance

As Russian bombs fall and people flee Ukraine, new art is expressing steely determination and the survival of the spirit. (Financial Times) 

Ukraine: Heritage Buildings, If Destroyed, Can Be Rebuilt but Never Replaced

Once lost, such buildings can be rebuilt. But a replica can never compensate for what has been lost. (The Conversation) 

Ukraine Puts Putin’s Playbook to the Test

From the outside, Russia's relentless bombardment of Ukraine looks indiscriminate and improvised. But the approach is part of an approach devised decades ago in Chechnya. The Times journalist Carlotta Gall, who covered the Chechen conflict, explains why wars fought by Russia some 30 years ago could inform what happens next in Ukraine. (NYT: The Daily podcast) 

A Lab in Rural Virginia Is Racing to Preserve Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

Housed in the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab is the museum world's version of a war room: a network of computers, satellite feeds, and phones that represents one of the newest tools being employed to protect national treasures threatened by natural disasters or geopolitical events. (The Washington Post)  

We Should Not Abandon Russian Citizens to a Culture of Brutality

As the west wages war on the tyranny of the present, it must not destroy the possibility of a peaceful future, says Ukrainian writer and film producer Alexander Rodnyansky. (Financial Times)