Ukrainian art academy hit by Russian air strike faces devastation
One of Ukraine’s leading academies of art and design suffered serious damage from a Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Monday, amidst Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The central part of the building at the Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design named after Mykhailo Boichuk was destroyed, with the departments and the auditorium also sustaining significant damage.
Students, teachers, and graduates of the academy shared images of toppled and destroyed artworks on social media. The head of the academy, Helen Osadcha, described the strike, highlighting how a teacher narrowly escaped harm thanks to an air-raid siren. Works in an exhibition-competition were destroyed, reflecting the devastating impact of the attack on cultural heritage.
The destruction was condemned by alumni and artists, with many emphasizing the importance of preserving cultural institutions in times of conflict. The academy is named after Boichuk, a prominent figure in Ukrainian Modernism who was executed during Stalin’s Great Terror. Boichuk’s works have gained increased attention in Europe and the US since the invasion.
Unesco updated a list of damaged cultural sites in Ukraine, underscoring the widespread destruction of heritage sites since the start of the invasion. The attack on the academy underscores the broader assault on Ukraine’s cultural identity and heritage.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.