Forensic Heritage: Documentation of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Destroyed by Russian Military

Implementation period: September - October 2022.Donors: Cultural Emergency Response, (CER), Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI)Budget: 5658 USDPerformer: Heritage Emergency Response Initiative (HERI)Administration: Tustan NGO
Participants of the Forensic Heritage expedition examined 37 cultural monuments in four western regions of Ukraine - Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia. During the expedition, a multi-expert team consisting of photographers, an architect-restorer and a museum specialist tested the methodology of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI), developed for documenting the loss and damage of cultural heritage.
Ukrainian specialists, in cooperation with foreign partners, recorded facts of damage to monuments and buildings of cultural importance. Based on the collected data, the formation of an information base on the state of cultural heritage in Ukraine and the preparation of materials for criminal and restoration cases have begun. The materials collected during the expedition will help assess the level of damage and bring the perpetrators to justice at the International Criminal Court.