Russian invaders confiscate Ukrainian books from libraries to destroy them – adviser to the mayor of Mariupol

Diana Krechetova, journalist UP.Life - 25 May 2022

Russians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine have begun to withdraw Ukrainian books with "extremist content" from libraries, schools and other book collections.

This was stated by the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko.

According to Andriushchenko, an "inventory" of such books was carried out by employees of the Krupska Library in Donetsk as well as in Manhush and Nikolske. At the beginning of Ukraine’s independence [proclaimed in 1991 -ed.], the Krupska Library served as a centre for the cultural development of young people and the fight against the heritage of the Soviet Union, the official said.

He also released a photo with several dozen young people against the backdrop of the Donbas Arena, who unfurled a poster with the words "The Donetsk People's Republic youth against extremism and terrorism".

All this is done by employees of the Krupska Library in Donetsk. The evaluation of libraries and school literature in Manhush and Nikolske has now been completed. All books containing ‘extremist content’ have been removed", - says the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol."It turns out that "the youth of Donbas is against extremism."

The invaders recorded as "extremist" all textbooks on the history of Ukraine and Ukrainian literature. All these books will be destroyed, Andriushchenko says.

"Not to mention the UPA [Ukrainian Insurgent Army, during World War II -ed.] and Stepan Andriiovych (Bandera – ed.). The same goes for literature textbooks. Because [Vasyl -ed.] Stus is also an "extremist". As a result, all Ukrainian-language books were confiscated and destined for destruction. Mariupol is next. There is no longer any difference between denazification and Nazism" said the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.

Liudmyla Denisova, the Ombudsman and Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian Parliament] Commissioner for Human Rights, also reported on the seizure of Ukrainian books in the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson oblasts.

"The so-called ‘military police’ is confiscating Ukrainian fiction and historical literature from libraries in Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson oblasts," the Ombudsman said.

According to her, the Russians have damaged or destroyed almost 60 Ukrainian libraries since the beginning of the war. Almost 4,000 libraries ended up in the temporarily occupied territory, and the state of 20 libraries in Mariupol is unknown, the Ombudsman said.

The greatest destruction caused by the shelling of the Russian Federation:

• Chernihiv library for young people,
• Donetsk library for children,
• Makariv Public Library, 
• Korolenko Library in Kharkiv.

"Such actions of the aggressor violate Articles 4 and 5 of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Case of Armed Conflict. According to Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, this is a war crime.

I appeal to the UN Commission to investigate human rights violations committed during Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in order to record these war crimes and human rights violations by the Russian Federation in Ukraine", Denisova emphasised.