Russian attack on the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv shows the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites
The Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, as it appeared before the June 15 attack by Russia. “Ukrainian people and the members of the international communities who care about these sites, collections, and cultural symbols are more determined than ever to protect, document, study, and restore them,” says Alice Sullivan. Photo: Shutterstock
The Dormition Cathedral in Ukraine, a landmark that had been rebuilt after being razed in World War II, was severely damaged by Russian drone strikes in mid-June, another casualty in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.
The cathedral, part of a large monastery complex, has deep cultural value for Ukraine’s history and people. Its destruction is an example of military forces targeting important sites that could damage symbols of national pride and resilience.
Why was this particular cathedral so important for Ukraine, and what does its destruction auger for cultural monuments in Ukraine? Tufts Now spoke with Alice Isabella Sullivan, associate professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, to learn more.
Sullivan codirects Mapping Eastern Europe, an open-access interactive website promoting study, research, and teaching about the history, art, and culture of Eastern Europe between the 13th and 17th centuries. She is also a senior researcher on the medieval history and cultural heritage of Ukraine on the EU-sponsored project on heritage diplomacy. She is currently developing a Tufts course on art, heritage diplomacy, and global conflicts, which will cover the case of Ukraine and its endangered and damaged cultural heritage sites.
Why is the Dormition Cathedral such a valuable cultural site to Ukraine? Why is its damage particularly devastating?
The Dormition Cathedral is part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kyivan Caves Monastery, which is deeply significant to the development of Christian culture and monasticism in the region, being connected to Byzantine and Athonite, or Greek Orthodox, religious traditions.
Dating to the mid-11th century, the monastery was founded as a retreat near Kyiv, overlooking the Dnieper River. Strategically positioned and spiritually significant, it grew in size and import over time, and a labyrinth of underground passages developed at the site as places of refuge, burial sites, and now pilgrimage destinations.
The church has been damaged and restored many times over the course of its long history. Between the 13th and 19th centuries, for example, the monument was affected by natural disasters, like the earthquake of 1230, as well as attacks from invaders. The cathedral was destroyed in November 1941 during World War II, rebuilt beginning in 1995, and consecrated in 2000.
It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990 and added to the list of World Heritage in Danger in 2023 out of concern for its vulnerability in the current conflict.
Like the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv and other local monuments and collections, scholars have long feared damage and destruction to the Lavra and its important monuments during the current war. It is difficult to reconcile how the Russian state—the so-called protectors of Christian values—would target such an important and old Christian landmark in Kyiv, which is central to their historical narratives for what constitutes “early Russia.”
In fact, the Lavra and the Cathedral of St. Sophia are not monuments of “early Russia,” which emerged on the scene in the late 13th century, but are sites especially critical to the history of Rus'—the medieval kingdom that extended over large parts of modern Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia—and Ukraine, as well as to the impact of Christianity across Eastern Europe.
Are there other specific valuable cultural sites being targeted? Are there other sites that have been collateral damage from the greater war?
Monuments, collections, and archives have been damaged during the current war, in some cases not deliberately, but as part of collateral damage. This is devastating for the historical record. Current and future generations of students and scholars will have less to work with to study local art, culture, and historical developments.
As of July 1, 540 cultural sites have been damaged (155 religious sites, 281 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, 43 museums, 33 monuments, 22 libraries, 5 archaeological sites, 1 archive), according to UNESCO.
The cathedral was rebuilt after it was demolished during World War II. Do you see a similar project happening in the future?
Yes, I expect that resources will be redirected toward rebuilding the cathedral and the surrounding damaged areas of the monastery, given that it is such an important landmark in the city of Kyiv, in Ukraine, and among the Christians of Eastern Europe.
Do you think attacks are on national cultural symbols like the cathedral might instill more resolve on the part of the Ukrainians vs. demoralize them?
The attacks on cultural heritage sites, institutions, and collections may be intended to demoralize the local population, but I think they end up having the opposite effect. The Ukrainian people and the members of the international communities who care about these sites, collections, and cultural symbols are more determined than ever to protect, document, study, and restore them, as well as make them more widely known and accessible.
What work are art historians doing in Ukraine—and abroad—to protect crucial art and architecture? Are they able to track which cultural artifacts and monuments have been destroyed?
Historians and art historians have long been involved in the study and preservation of the cultural heritage of Ukraine. There have been numerous international research collaborations—lecture series, symposia, conferences, edited volumes, exhibitions—as well as efforts to document and digitize the monuments and cultural artifacts, especially since 2022. One example is the exhibition I organized at Tufts in 2023, about modern efforts to preserve, study, and research the cultural heritage of Ukraine.
