Russian Strikes Damage Museums and Cultural Institutions Across Kyiv

Several major cultural institutions and heritage sites in Kyiv were damaged during a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on the night of 23–24 May 2026, one of the heaviest bombardments of the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

According to Reuters, at least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured in the strikes, which targeted Kyiv and surrounding areas. The attacks also caused significant damage to museums, libraries, theatres, galleries, and historic buildings across the city.

Among the affected institutions was the National Art Museum of Ukraine, one of the country’s oldest and most important museums. While the museum’s collection and staff were unharmed, the historic building sustained structural damage from the blast wave. NAMU announced its temporary closure following the attack.

As reported by Ukrainska Pravda, additional sites damaged include the Hinaus gallery, the Zhytnii Market, the Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, the Ukrainian House cultural centre, and the Kyiv Small Opera. The Institute of Literature stated that its library, book repositories, and several departments were affected.

The National Chornobyl Museum suffered some of the most severe losses. According to CBC News, citing Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, more than 40% of the museum’s collection was “irrevocably lost.” The museum had only recently reopened following renovations marking the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for humanitarian policy and minister of culture, Tetyana Berezhna, described the strikes as the “largest wave of damage” to Kyiv’s cultural institutions since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

“This is a war against our culture, memory and identity,” Kyrylo Budanov, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told CBC News. “For centuries, Moscow has tried to destroy everything that makes us Ukrainian.”

UNESCO has verified damage to more than 500 cultural sites across Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Recent figures published by Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture state that over 1,700 cultural heritage sites and 2,500 cultural infrastructure facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the war.