More than just lives are destroyed by war. Additionally, it tears the very foundation of culture.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which is approaching its third year, has not been regarded as an unintended consequence of the unprecedented devastation of Ukrainian history and patrimony since 2022. Instead, the Russian military has intentionally targeted museums, churches, and libraries that are significant to the Ukrainian populace.
The mission of accurately capturing the extent of the devastation in the active military zones situated in eastern and southern Ukraine is unattainable. Despite this, we were determined to reach our full potential as archaeologists and filmmakers. This necessitated visits to churches, museums, and liberated villages in northern and eastern Ukraine that were in close proximity to regions where combat was still ongoing.
Ultimately, we embarked on two nine-day excursions in 2023: March and October, through close collaboration with Ukrainian counterparts.
The following are a few of the discoveries:
Exploring the remnants
The remains of the departed were transported and interred in regional cemeteries in the majority of liberated regions of Ukraine a long time ago. In contrast, upon entering any town or city that was previously occupied, it will be immediately apparent that the scars of the battles that took place between March 2022 and July 2022 are still readily apparent.
While traveling through Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine, we observed numerous structures that were destroyed by fire and bullets, as well as those that were shattered by shrapnel.
We were astounded by the ferocity and capriciousness of contemporary military firepower as we traversed small agricultural villages. A single section of a village could be completely obliterated, while the houses a block down the road remained unharmed.
In mid-October 2023, we traversed small, tree-lined roadways to observe the ruins of the Church of the Ascension in Lukashivka, a tiny village located approximately eight miles from Chernihiv, on a rainy day.
Lukashivka, a settlement with a previous population of 300, was subsequently reclaimed by the Ukrainian military after the Russians had occupied it in March 2022.
The large white-brick church, which was constructed in 1913 and features a two-tiered belfry that can be observed from a distance, is now a mere shell of its former self. The wood flooring has been scorched and the brick roof has been blasted open. On certain portions of the wall, there are faint traces of the original plaster and frescoes.
The resonant sounds of shattered bottles, spent cartridges, rocket cases, and mounds of burned cans were audible as we traversed the war’s detritus within the place of worship.
The precise number of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during the conflict over Lukashivka and the church will never be determined.
Nevertheless, it is widely recognized that cultural heritage is a source of few allies during periods of conflict.
The partially preserved church in Lukashivka is among the hundreds of religious and cultural structures that have been destroyed or damaged in the past two years. The Korolenko Kharkiv State Scientific Library, one of the largest libraries in Europe, the Mariupol Drama Theater, and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odesa are all included in this.
Much more than initially appears
One lesson that our journey through Ukraine has imparted to us is that trench excavation has the capacity to erase historical records.
Trench excavations uncover a wholly unseen world beneath the earth, which contains incalculable quantities of artifacts, bones, and buried structures, despite the profound sense of sorrow evoked by the destruction of churches, libraries, and museums.
It is more likely that the devastation of archaeological and historical artifacts that are concealed beneath the earth’s surface than those that are visible is the outcome of this conflict.
In the initial months of the conflict, the Ukrainian military constructed bunkers and deep trenches along rivers and high ground, as did armies during World conflict I.. The front lines are delineated by these defensive trench systems, which are a central component of the ground conflict two years later.
Trenches were frequently excavated through the remains of buried archaeological sites, the majority of which were previously undiscovered and undisturbed.
For example, in March 2023, we conducted site investigations in the vicinity of Iripin and Bucha, two villages located on the northern outskirts of Kyiv. Our goal was to document instances in which subterranean sites from the Middle Ages and Bronze Ages were either destroyed by trenches or, in other cases, fortified with minefields to obstruct Russian military operations.
Additionally, we visited the 11th-century archaeology site of Oster. Oster was of considerable regional significance during the Middle Ages, as it was located on a diminutive elevation to the southeast of Chernihiv. A brick-and-stone church and a substantial settlement were situated in close proximity. In March 2022, Ukrainian forces constructed extensive trenches and shelters around Oster’s perimeter as part of the siege of Chernihiv, as a result of Oster’s proximity to rivers and crossing points.
Upon our arrival in Oster one year following the invasion, we observed that the trench system surrounding the church had been excavated into a substantial 11th-century settlement and burial ground. On the dirt piles that delineated the trenches, skeletal remains of medieval humans were discovered. The trench and fortification system that encircles an area of approximately 650 feet (198 meters) was the site of a proliferation of human remains as we conducted our investigation.
In order to document the desolation of these burial grounds through photographs, archaeologists have reassembled. Nevertheless, the ongoing conflict renders it impossible to conduct a thorough recording of the devastation, let alone to replenish the fortifications, which soldiers may still require.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of comparable sites have been demolished or damaged in central and northeastern Ukraine, including the previously unknown burial ground at Oster.
The fabric of conflict and culture
The widespread use of environmental contaminants and mines will result in the inaccessibility of significant areas of Ukraine for years, even after the conflict has concluded.
The significance of surviving collections and museum exhibits, both within and outside of Ukraine, has increased. They may be the primary evidence of ancient cultures that originated from these damaged territories.
Europe has not experienced devastation of this magnitude, much less at such an accelerated pace, since World War II.
The bombardment of residences, churches, and libraries has caused significant damage to the primary regions of Ukraine. In the initial months following the invasion, the Russian army plundered museums, stole art, and destroyed churches with missiles and tank shells, similar to the Nazis’ theft of paintings, bronze sculptures, and art in the final years of World War II.
There is no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a military operation designed to eradicate the nation’s history, culture, and heritage.
President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials appear to be firmly rooted in the geopolitical framework of the 1950s, disputing the status of Ukraine as a sovereign nation. The cathedrals, libraries, and museums of Ukraine, which serve as the material and symbolic foundations of Ukrainian resistance and identity, pose a threat to Russia.
Consequently, this conflict is equally concerned with territory and culture.
