On 15 October, the 47th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe took place in Strasbourg, dedicated to the protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in the face of Russian aggression. During this event, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 15 October 2024 adopted the Declaration on the destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine, presented by Martina Dishburg-Nickels and Gunn-Marit Helgesen. This was reported on the official page of the ‘Council of Europe’.
The Congress condemns the ongoing attacks by the Russian Federation on the cultural heritage of Ukraine, which are a violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954 Hague Convention) and its two protocols. Noting that more than 1,000 cultural heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war, the Congress emphasised that the targeted destruction and looting of cultural heritage is a systematic policy aimed at destroying the historical and cultural identity of Ukraine and amounts to genocidal intent.
The Declaration emphasises that the Russian Federation should pay compensation for damage to its historical, cultural and religious heritage. In this context, the local and regional authorities of Ukraine have an important role to play in facilitating the operation of the Register of Losses and submitting applications to the Register within their competence.
The Congress emphasised that the protection of cultural heritage helps to link the past to the future through a common identity and that European cultural heritage is inextricably linked to human rights. It is therefore time to put Ukraine’s cultural heritage and its restoration at the top of the political agenda, especially at the Ukraine 2025 Restoration Congress in Rome.
Akhtem Seitablaev, film director, actor, director of the State Enterprise ‘Crimean House’ and serviceman, took part in the opening session. He emphasised the importance of preserving and restoring the cultural heritage of Crimean Tatars, and presented the concept of the new project ‘Crimean Tatar Manor’, which is planned to be implemented on the territory of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. Seitablaev noted that it will be not only one house, which belonged to Bakhchysarai resident Aji Osman in the late 18th century, but a complex of small architectural forms, including workshops, a madrasa with a minaret, a fountain and a garden with Crimean endemics, reflecting the life and traditions of Crimean Tatars.
‘This project is our small and at the same time big dream that Crimea, as well as other temporarily occupied territories, return first in the consciousness of every Ukrainian citizen, and then de facto,’ the director said.
Akhtem Seitablaev also presented the documentary film ‘Culture vs. War’, created by the Association ‘Watch Ukrainian’.
On the same day in the National University Library of Strasbourg, the second most important scientific library in France, a bookshelf with new Ukrainian-language publications was opened. The ceremony was attended by the permanent representatives of four member states of the Council of Europe, in particular the permanent representative of Germany Heike Thiele, the permanent representative of Lithuania Andrius Krivas, the permanent representative of France Pap Ndiaye and the head of Ukraine’s representation in the Council of Europe Borys Tarasyuk.
‘This bookshelf is not just a collection of books, but a testament to the strength and resilience of Ukrainian culture. The Ukrainian Bookshelf project, founded by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, aims to bring the richness of Ukrainian literature to the world,’ Tarasyuk emphasised.
As part of the event, Akhtem Seitablaev presented the library with the book ‘Crimean Tatars: from Ethnogenesis to Statehood’ written by historian Gulnara Abdulaeva. About 70 new Ukrainian publications appeared on the new shelf in the library.