EU supports research on reclassification of Ukrainian cultural objects by Russia
After occupying parts of Ukraine, Russia has reclassified more than 650,000 Ukrainian cultural heritage objects, including artefacts, archives, books, icons and works of art, adding them to the online catalogue of the Russian Museum Fund.
This data was presented last week in Kyiv and Lviv by Curia Lab researchers Professor Dr. Fiona Greenland and Dr. Katherine Harrell, who carried out research with EU support documenting the large-scale and ongoing reclassification of cultural objects from occupied territories of Ukraine. The European Union Advisory Mission to Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) helped to organise a lecture and discussion on the reclassification of Ukrainian cultural heritage objects by the Russian occupation authorities.
According to experts, Russian authorities are currently working to include at least 122 Ukrainian museums located in occupied territory on the list of cultural heritage sites. Some of the objects reclassified by being added to the Russian Museum Fund catalogue now have a different description that does not mention their Ukrainian origin. Curia Lab analysts have documented the digital cataloguing of cultural heritage objects, including attempts to legitimise them as part of ‘Russian cultural heritage’.
“Ukrainian officials say the practice is more than a bureaucratic exercise. It is seen as an attempt to change the Ukrainian cultural narrative, prepare and legitimise the (future) removal of Ukrainian cultural heritage objects within the occupied territory and, ultimately, their relocation abroad, meaning outside the legitimate borders of Ukraine,” says a press release by EUAM Ukraine.
“The disappearance of Ukrainian books from public libraries in territories under occupation and their replacement with Russian books indicates a systematic approach,” said Matthias Neuner, EUAM’s Senior Adviser on the Prosecution of International Crimes.
He added that EUAM Ukraine is awaiting the completion of the fact-finding phase by the Curia laboratory in order to examine all the evidence. EUAM Ukraine will then formulate a legal opinion on the legality or illegality of the current actions of the Russian authorities, including whether the reclassification of Ukrainian cultural heritage is simply prohibited by international humanitarian law in relation to occupation, or whether it can also be considered an international crime.
On 16 September 2025, EUAM will organise a roundtable in Kyiv on domestic approaches to respond to crimes affecting cultural heritage.
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