An art museum in Kharkiv has been restored following a Russian attack
Emergency repairs have been completed at the art museum in Kharkiv, which was damaged during the Russian attack on June 14. Over the course of more than two weeks, specialists reinforced the building, covered the damaged roof, and did everything possible to prevent further damage. The next step will be to develop a plan for the museum’s full restoration.
Emergency repair and conservation work has been completed at the Kharkiv Art Museum following the Russian strike that hit the building on June 14. The work lasted more than two weeks, according to Oleg Synyegubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration.
According to the regional head, the main task was to stabilize the building as quickly as possible and prevent it from deteriorating further. “Emergency restoration work at the Kharkiv Art Museum has been completed. For nearly two weeks, specialists worked to stabilize the building following the Russian strike and prevent further damage,” Synyegubov said.
During the work, rescue workers cleared approximately 1,700 square meters of the roof and second floor of debris and damaged structural elements. They installed 551 rafters, 722 joists and supports, sealed 64 damaged window openings, and covered the building with more than 2,200 square meters of tarpaulin to protect it from rain and inclement weather.
Artem Astakhov, head of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region, said that rescuers cleared away the rubble and construction debris, dismantled dangerous structures, installed a new rafter system, and set up a temporary roof. “This isn’t part of our core mission, but if it’s necessary, we do it,” Astakhov said.
According to Oleg Synyegubov, the work had to be carried out under the constant threat of new Russian strikes. “The difficulty was that the work was being done during air raid alerts. Rescuers risked their lives to do their jobs,” he noted. The head of the Regional State Administration also reported that the conservation efforts drew on the expertise of specialists who had previously worked on sites at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Thanks to this, the technical condition of the historic building was stabilized.
In addition, work is already underway in the Kharkiv region on a project for a special shelter for museum collections and other historical treasures. According to preliminary estimates, its construction will cost over 200 million hryvnias. “There is currently no specialized shelter for the preservation of historical and artistic treasures in Ukraine,” Sinyegubov emphasized. At the same time, work is continuing to preserve the museum’s collection. Before the full-scale war began, the Kharkiv Art Museum’s collection numbered 26,591 exhibits. Nearly 10,000 of the most valuable items have already been evacuated outside the region, and more than 16,600 have been moved to safer locations within the region.
Museum Director Valentina Mizgina reported that the museum continues to operate. At the same time, the museum needs additional materials for packing exhibits so that they can be quickly evacuated if necessary. Once all additional inspections are complete, specialists will prepare scientific and design documentation for the building’s restoration. Plans are in place to fully restore the Kharkiv Art Museum after the war ends, according to Oleg Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
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