MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti) – The International Center of the Roerichs (ICR) has appealed to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, asking him to do everything possible to prevent the destruction of cultural sites in southeast Ukraine, in particular in the Horlivka museum, which houses paintings by famed artist Nicholas Roerich, the vice president of the center told RIA Novosti.
"We are particularly concerned by the catastrophic situation in Horlivka, Donetsk Region. As a result of the use of heavy weapons there has been significant destruction of urban infrastructure. If warfare in the region continues, the same fate may befall Horlivka Art Museum, which houses a valuable collection of paintings by famous artists such as Aivazovsky, Benois, Repin, Tropinin, Vrubel, Venetsianov, Somov, Malyavin and Serebriakova," the ICR said in a letter of posted on its website.
The letter has been sent to Ukraine’s presidential administration.
"We have made sure it reached them, but no answer has been received so far," vice president of the center Alexander Stetsenko said.
One of the most important pieces in the museum is a collection of paintings by Nicholas Roerich, the largest in Ukraine, numbering 28 paintings done in 1893-1916. Stetsenko recalled that in 2015, the international community will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Roerich Pact, the first ever international treaty on the protection of cultural heritage, which established that the protection of cultural property is more important than military defense.
The principles of the pact have influenced UNESCO’s activity and formed the basis of the 1954 Hague Convention. By acceding to the convention, Ukraine has committed itself to the principles of humanitarian law, the vice president said.
