Potential Damage to Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Sites. Report Coverage: 24 February 2022 to 31 July 2023

Executive Summary: This report describes the potential damage to cultural heritage sites in Ukraine that occurred between 24 February 2022 and 31 July 2023.1 In total, potential damage to 1,812 out of 28,667 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine has been identified.2 This number reflects a change of 123 sites from the prior report that analyzed potential damage through 30 April 2023. Of these, 98 occurred in the period 01 May 2023 to 31 July 2023 while the remainder reflects the identification of potential damage to sites that occurred before that period. Overall, damage has occurred primarily in the raions of Mariupolskyi, Kharkivskyi, Sievierodonetskyi, Kramatorskyi, and Buchanskyi. The cultural heritage site types most likely to be damaged during the conflict so far include Memorial/Monument and Place of Worship & Burial.

Background: Cultural heritage in conflict is primarily protected by international law under the 1954 Hague Convention, which was adopted in response to the cultural destruction that occurred during World War II. The Convention, to which Russia and Ukraine are member states, obligates State Parties to “respect” and “safeguard” cultural property in the event of armed conflict. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the international community rapidly responded to the urgent threat to Ukraine’s cultural landscape. Since the invasion, the Virginia Museum of Natural History’s Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) and the Smithsonian Institution’s Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) have been monitoring 28,667 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine.3 Damage and looting to Ukrainian cultural heritage sites may represent criminal acts, violate the 1954 Hague Convention, and be potential war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Findings: A total of 1,812 potentially damaged cultural heritage sites were identified across Ukraine between 24 February 2022 and 31 July 2023, which represents approximately 6.3% of the sites monitored by CHML, SCRI, and the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM). Based on analysis, the highest number of sites with potential damage (35.6% total) were in the raions of Mariupolskyi, Kharkivskyi, Sievierodonetskyi, Kramatorskyi, and Buchanskyi (see map). Memorial/Monument (43.9%) and Place of Worship & Burial (31.2%) were the most common types of sites sustaining potential damage across the country (see table).

Methodology: This analysis identifies potential damage to cultural heritage sites in Ukraine based on their proximity to non-agricultural fires visible on satellite data and social media posts. To identify the cultural heritage sites that are potentially damaged, we use remote sensing technologies and a list of 28,667 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. For this report, the term “cultural heritage site” includes archaeological sites, archives, libraries, memorials, monuments, museums, performance centers, and places of worship and burial. Conflict-related damage to cultural heritage sites ranges from complete destruction to partial damage from events such as fire, looting, and observable or unobservable structural degradation. This monitoring effort uses cultural heritage inventory data developed by CHML, SCRI, and CIDCM under the Cultural Heritage Site List data standards established by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC) at the University of Pennsylvania Museum.

Potential damage to cultural heritage sites is identified using multi-spectral satellite data and credible social media sources. A “potentially damaged” site is one that has a moderate to high probability of having sustained conflict-related damage based on social media reporting or proximity to non-agricultural fires. A site is categorized as potentially damaged when it is proximate to an infrared signature identified through NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) data that does not overlap with burned agricultural land. Infrared signatures detected by satellite that do not overlap with locations where agricultural burning may be present are likely indicative of conflict activity (e.g., artillery barrages, airstrikes, or sustained direct fire). Proximity between cultural heritage sites and infrared signatures recorded in FIRMS data is based on the resolution of the sensor: 1,000 m for MODIS and 375 m for VIIRS. Agricultural lands are identified based on MODIS Terra and Aqua Land Cover Type data. Heat signatures detected in agricultural areas are excluded from the analysis of conflict-related potential damage to cultural heritage sites. Sites are considered potentially damaged until damage is confirmed or a ground assessment indicates that a property has not sustained damage. CHML, SCRI, and CIDCM teams continue to use high-resolution satellite imagery and open-source research to monitor and confirm ongoing damage to Ukrainian cultural heritage sites. As of 31 July 2023, analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery and open-source research has confirmed damage to 400 of the 1,812 cultural heritage sites with potential damage.

Cite this report: Bassett, H. F., Aronson, J., Cil, D., Gunter-Bassett, M., Hanson, K., Narimanova, N., Averyt, K., Carroll, C., Fitzgerald, K., Maher, A., Mints, E., Welsh, W., Wegener, C., and Daniels, B. I. (2023) ‘Potential Damage to Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Sites, 24 February 2022 to 31 July 2023’, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab; University of Maryland, Center for International Development and Conflict Management; and Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative. 10.25573/data.24638742