Europe's PACE Committee Recognizes Erasure of Ukrainian Culture As a Tool of Russia's War and Genocidal Policy

The PACE Committee on Culture has recognized the erasure of Ukrainian cultural identity as a tool of Russia's war against Ukraine and an element of a genocidal policy aimed at destroying the Ukrainian nation.

This was announced by a member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE Yevheniia Kravchuk.

Kravchuk noted that the PACE Committee on Culture in Copenhagen unanimously supported her resolution "Countering the Destruction of Cultural Identity in War and Peace."

PACE will consider adopting the resolution at its June session.

The resolution enshrines that Russia uses cultural "cleansings" as a tool of war to deny the existence of another cultural identity and erase historical roots, values, heritage, literature, traditions, and language.

“Such actions are war crimes and crimes against humanity and indicate a specific genocidal intent to destroy the Ukrainian nation or at least part of it, including through the destruction of Ukrainian identity and culture, Kravchuk noted. This is part of the campaign of genocide that Russia is waging against the Ukrainian people,” Kravchuk added.

Kravchuk illustrated her speech in the committee with a book by writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, published by the Vivat publishing house, whose printing house in Kharkiv was destroyed by a Russian missile strike. Volodymyr Vakulenko was killed by Russian troops in occupation, and writer Victoria Amelin, who found Vakulenko's diary in the occupation and wrote a preface to the book, died because of a Russian missile strike in Kramatorsk.

“This is a tragic story,” Kravchuk said. 'The New Shot Revival' is what my resolution is about. About how to preserve what Russia is trying to destroy, kill, and erase. It is about Ukrainian culture, our heritage, and identity," she commented.