Introduction

In the Russian military's campaign to destroy Ukrainian culture, history, and heritage, libraries have become a focal point for attacks. When Russian soldiers invade cities, the first thing they do is remove their collections of books and replace them with Russian literature. In these cases, there are no Ukrainian language books left in the libraries (BBC). This is especially happening in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Sumy Oblasts (UN News). As German poet Heinrich Heine said, “Where they burn books, they will also, in the end, burn human beings” (Almansor: A Tragedy, 1823). This is manifesting in Ukraine, where war crimes are being paired with a campaign of systemic cultural destruction in an attempt to eradicate an independent Ukraine (CBS). In the face of this threat, libraries across Ukraine– East to West, from villages and major cities, children’s libraries and all-ages libraries – are mobilizing to protect civilians and protect Ukrainian culture.

This exhibit serves to highlight how libraries have been impacted by the war, and also how they have perservered and even expanded their services. It was created by sending a survey to the Ukrainian Library Association. 19 librarians from 17 libraries from across Ukraine responded, sharing their photographs and experiences. 

The exhibit was originally a collaboration between the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service at Syracuse University and Dr. Tetiana Hranchak, Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. The exhibit was hosted between March 26 and April 23 by the Soule Branch Library of Onondaga County Public Libraries in Syracuse, New York. It was written and designed by Iona Volynets '24, a Leadership Intern on the Service-Learning team at the Mary Ann Shaw Center. 

Citations:

CBS Interactive. (2023, November). Ukrainian investigators preserve heritage as Russia targets its cultural legacy. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-protecting-cultural-heritage-art-from-russia-60-minutes/

The Center for Preventative Action. (2024, May 20). War in Ukraine | global conflict tracker. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine

D’Silva, B. (2023, August 22). The battle for Ukraine’s cultural gems. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230821-the-fight-to-save-ukraines-cultural-spaces-and-heritage

Ekrich, A. R. (2023, July 12). Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian culture are a hallmark of modern war - The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2023/07/12/cultural-sites-warfare/

Salam, Y., & De Luce, D. (2023, April 6). Russians are stealing art from Ukraine on World War II scale, experts say. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-stealing-art-ukraine-nazi-level-world-war-2-rcna77879

United Nations. (2023, February 22). Ukraine: Deliberate destruction of culture must stop, say rights experts | UN news. United Nations. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133762

United Nations. (2024, June 12). Damaged cultural sites in Ukraine verified by UNESCO. UNESCO.org. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/damaged-cultural-sites-ukraine-verified-unesco

Whitaker, B. (2024, June 30). Ukraine accuses Russia of looting museums, destroying churches as part of Heritage War. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-accuses-russia-museum-looting-church-destruction-60-minutes-transcript/

Xanthaki, A., Shaheed, F., & Ghanea, N. (2023, February 22). Targeted destruction of Ukraine’s culture must stop: UN experts | ohchr. OHCHR. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/02/targeted-destruction-ukraines-culture-must-stop-un-experts