“The explosion destroyed thirty windows. Several other windows were shattered as a result of vibration”

Ukrainian cultural heritage. It has become one of the targets Russians tried to destroy during the full-scale invasion. Yurii Tkach, director of the Chernihiv Oblast Museum of Fine Arts, tells how a bomb was dropped right in front of the museum building on the first days of the war. Although the building was severely damaged, it did not collapse. The explosion destroyed over 30 windows. Exhibits were damaged as well. It is a miracle that people who were at the museum during the explosion were not injured. This is a firsthand account. 

The Museum of Civilian Voices is grateful to our partners – Committee for Ukrainian Museums (Komitet Pomocy Muzeom Ukrainy) and the Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego) for their help with arranging the interviews.