#ArtvsWar: EU launches campaign to raise awareness of destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine

On 18 April, World Heritage Day, the European External Action Service launched the #ArtvsWar campaign, aiming to raise awareness of the level of destruction of cultural heritage and art objects, and the suspension of cultural life and initiatives in Ukraine due to the war.

As part of the campaign, the EU calls to share evidence of Russian war crimes related to the destruction of cultural heritage in Ukraine, as well as stories about the protection of Ukrainian culture. The campaign starts by covering the history of the Slovo building in Kharkiv. This building has a distinct C-shape because the cyrillic C is the first letter of the word “Cлово” (Slovo/Word).

“During the 1920s, Slovo was a communal residential building for Ukrainian writers. During the 1930s, in the course of the Great Purge, it became a symbol of the Executed Renaissance. In 2018, a Kharkiv Literature Residence was launched in the Slovo building. The place immediately became an inspiring destination for contemporary writers from all over the world,” says the story by the EEAS.

However, on 8 March 2022, the facade of Slovo was damaged by Russian shelling, as Kharkiv remains the target of non-stop brutal Russian artillery fire.