Large-scale Russian strike on Kyiv damages cultural institutions, architectural landmarks and book repositories – photos, video
On the night of 23-24 May, Russia launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on Kyiv. Multiple residential buildings were hit. Cultural institutions and architectural landmarks were also damaged, including the Hinaus gallery, the Zhytnii Market, the Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the National Chornobyl Museum, the Ukrainian House and the Kyiv Small Opera.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life)
Details: Hinaus, a multidisciplinary cultural space, was damaged in the Russian attack. Windows in the building were shattered. Curator and art director Olha Nosko said nobody was injured.
Only two days earlier, Hinaus had presented the Fountain of Fulfilment, a series of mosaics inspired by the Ukrainian philosopher and poet Hryhorii Skovoroda. Nosko said the artwork survived the attack.
The Zhytnii Market building was also damaged. Last year, it was added to the register of cultural heritage sites and the list of newly identified cultural heritage sites of Kyiv.
The Russian strike shattered windows in the building.
The Zhytnii Market celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2025. Over the years, there have been repeated proposals to demolish or redevelop the building.
The blast wave damaged windows on the façade and entrance area of the Ukrainian House building. The current exhibition will remain temporarily closed. Representatives of the Ukrainian House said the centre would reopen by Tuesday.
The premises of the Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature, which is marking its centenary this year, sustained damage.
The Institute said that the Russian strikes damaged its library, book repositories and most of its departments: "The already difficult financial situation of the country's oldest literary studies institution has become even more complicated. For obvious reasons, the catalogues of the Manuscript Centre are temporarily unavailable to readers."
The National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) was damaged by a blast wave. The building is a nationally significant landmark in terms of architecture, history and monumental art. Neither the museum's collection nor its staff were harmed.
Museum employees and relevant services are currently inspecting the building and documenting the damage. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited the museum.
The museum preserves and presents Ukrainian art from the times of Kyivan Rus to the present day. NAMU's collection contains tens of thousands of works of Ukrainian art, ranging from icons and classical paintings to contemporary art.
The Ancient Kyiv State Historical and Architectural Preserve reported extensive damage to the National Chornobyl Museum.
The museum had reopened only a few days before the attack following extensive renovation work. The museum building has now been almost completely destroyed. In addition to the museum itself, the blast wave and debris damaged a number of architectural landmarks in Kyiv's Podilskyi district.
Emergency services and expert commissions are working at the impact sites, documenting the consequences of the strikes and assessing the scale of the losses.
The Kyiv Small Opera also sustained damage. It is housed in the Lukianivka People's House, a historical and architectural landmark built in the early 20th century. The opera's staff have asked people to join in efforts to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
The Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (Kyiv Opera) in the Lukianivskyi district was also damaged, forcing it to cancel a performance of the ballet Thumbelina that should have taken place tonight.
Background:
- On the night of 23-24 May, Russian forces carried out a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine, launching 90 missiles, including an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and 600 drones of various types.
- Kyiv was the primary target of the attack. At least two people were killed and 78 injured. Multiple residential buildings across the city were hit.
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