Ukraine, the monuments packaged against the invasion

Images by Igor Chekachkov show the efforts being made by the Ukrainians to save historic and architectural monuments in Lviv.

More than 2,500 historical and architectural monuments have been preserved in the Western city of Ukraine – Lviv. Thanks to the funds raised by a group of Polish restorers, it was possible to purchase the materials needed to protect historical monuments from possible bombings and explosions, says Anastasia Leonova, founder of IST Publishing, a Ukrainian publishing house specializing in contemporary art and culture, and curator of the independent publishing festival Book Champions Weekend.

Lviv, Ucraina. Foto Igor Chekachkov
Lviv, Ukraine. Photo Igor Chekachkov

“And now, at this terrible and uncertain moment of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Department for the Protection of the Historical Environment of the Lviv City Council, the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, restorers and volunteers are trying to protect them from possible destruction. These monuments represent a universal world value and are under the protection of UNESCO.”

Lviv, Ucraina. Foto Igor Chekachkov
Lviv, Ukraine. Photo Igor Chekachkov

“Special coatings have been produced for the works,” Leonova explains, “which are wrapped with fireproof protective materials, glass wool, special foils and bags. While some have been completely reassembled. The famous figures on the Rynok Square (Neptune, Amphitrite, Diana and Adonis by Hartmann Witwer) and around the Latin Cathedral have already been packed in this way. It is difficult to dismantle them – they are in fact too complex. But part of the unique sacred monument of the XIV century – the wooden altar of Golgotha – has been disassembled and three figures will be placed in the vault.”

Lviv, Ucraina. Foto Igor Chekachkov
Lviv, Ukraine. Photo Igor Chekachkov

This is primarily a gesture of concern “for the space around us and for our heritage”, Leonova comments. “The statues of Lviv have survived many centuries and events, and it would be a pity to lose them today. Many cities in Ukraine are now destroyed and we will never recognize them. But, having protected our cultural heritage, we will be able to restore the familiar face of the city. I think this is the mission of the cultural community in Ukraine today: to protect and preserve our cultural heritage and art collections of museums.”

Igor Chekachkov is a photographer. Born in 1989, he lives and works in Kharkiv, a city along the western border of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian bombings, he moved, for security reasons, to the east, to the city of Lviv, where he took these photos.

Opneing image: Lviv, Ukraine. Photo Igor Chekachkov

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