50 km from the front line is now the clearly defined zone of mandatory evacuation for museum items. This decision aims to protect cultural heritage amid the ful

This was reported on her page by Ukraine’s Minister of Culture, Tetiana Berezhna.

“This is a unique global precedent. In developing it, we analyzed the experience of previous years, identified weak points in the procedures, held public consultations, and formed a new model: clear and less bureaucratic”, — Tetiana Berezhna wrote.

Evacuation is now mandatory:

  • for territories within 50 km of the line of combat engagement;

  • for territories included in the List of Combat Zones;

  • by decision of the Regional Military Administration, in coordination with military command.

At the same time, evacuated valuables may be placed only in territories located at least 75 km from the line of combat engagement.

To enable this, procedures have been significantly simplified. The Ministry of Culture makes decisions concerning state institutions. Regional military administrations make decisions regarding municipal institutions. And the head of an institution is granted the authority to act independently in case of threat, without waiting for approvals. A system of three evacuation stages is introduced, depending on the value of the items.

As Tetiana Berezhna stated, another important rule is that the decision to return evacuated valuables must be made within 12 months after the end of martial law.

If return is impossible, a new safe storage location will be determined. The institution retains the right to monitor the condition of its items.

“Culture is an element of national security; Russia systematically attacks our heritage, so we must protect it for future generations”, — she concluded.