Ministry of Culture: Russians have destroyed or damaged 770 libraries since start of full-scale invasion

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 770 libraries have been destroyed or damaged, according to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.

"Today, as Ukraine courageously fights for its freedom and independence against the Russian aggressor, libraries have become not only guardians of the cultural heritage of generations and centers of knowledge, but also true centers of resilience, unity, and community support," reads the ministry's congratulatory message for All-Ukrainian Library Day, celebrated on September 30.

The ministry noted that the full-scale invasion put thousands of Ukrainian cultural heritage sites at risk, including unique library collections and archives.

"The enemy is deliberately and purposefully destroying them, stealing priceless evidence of our ancient history, attempting to erase the identity of the Ukrainian people. Since the beginning of the war, Russians have destroyed or damaged 770 libraries. And this is not only a loss of books but also a threat to national memory, cultural continuity, and citizens' access to knowledge," the message reads.

The Ministry of Culture added that, in order to counter the enemy, from the first days of the war, libraries also became spaces for volunteer work, psycho-emotional support for community residents and internally displaced persons, cultural resistance, the preservation of Ukrainian identity, and the dissemination of the truth about Ukraine to the world.

"Despite daily dangers and enemy attacks, library professionals succeed in honorably fulfilling their noble historical mission, as every library project is a step into the future: the creation of dynamic, multifunctional spaces that combine education, culture, science, and technology; the expansion of services to meet the needs of modern users; access to resources for learning, self-development, creativity, and collaboration, etc.," the ministry added.