The enemy is targeting symbols of Ukrainian national identity

In its statement, the Secretariat of the National Writers` Union of Ukraine have strongly condemned Russia's attempts to destroy the symbols of the national identity of Ukrainians.

     We publish the text of this statement.

     As you know, on October 10, 2022, Russia launched massive missile strikes on peaceful cities of Ukraine.

     Not only facilities of critical infrastructure were damaged, but also cultural, scientific and educational landmarks, and some of them are the national symbols Ukrainine.

In particular, on October 10, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, as well as the Maksymovych Scientific Library, the Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Philharmonic, the Central Council House, which houses the Pedagogical Museum of Ukraine and the Museum of Ukrainian Revolution 1917-1921, were damaged. One of the missiles fell near the monument to M. Hrushevskyi on Volodymyrska Street, another - on playground a few tens of meters from the monument to Taras Shevchenko, another one - not far from the monument to St. Volodymyr, near the bridge over the Volodymyrskyi Descent.

     It is quite obvious that the enemy is purposefully targeting the symbols of our culture, our history, and our Ukrainian national identity.      In top of that, as Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko noted, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military have stolen unique artifacts from almost 40 museums of Ukraine, and losses due to looting and destruction of cultural landmarks are estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

     The National Writers` Union of Ukraine strongly condemns the barbaric actions of the Russian Federation on the territory of independent Ukraine! The enemy is not only purposefully trying to bring Ukraine to its knees and destroy our state, the Ukrainian nation, but also trying to erase the iconic symbols of Ukraine's national identity, our culture and our history from the face of the earth and people's memory!

     We, cultural figures, call on the international community, which professes democracy and respect for the territorial integrity and culture of other nations, to support us, Ukrainians, in this extremely difficult and bloody battle against the invasion of the wild horde of fascist barbarians!

     Together, we will win!

     Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

     Glory to Ukraine!

     Source: Ukrainian literary newspaper

     Photo by Dmytro Iurchenko, 2022