"The water stopped 230 metres away." Kherson art museum narrowly escapes flooding
The Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Oblast Art Museum, which was looted by the Russian occupiers in the autumn of last year, has not suffered from flooding due to the Russian military's blowing up of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP).
The museum announced this on its official Facebook page.
"To everyone who was concerned about the fate of the museum, we’d like to let you know that the water stopped halfway and came as far as Bohorodytska (Chervonoflotska) Street. The Kherson Art Museum was not affected by the flooding," museum officials reported, adding several photos of the streets near the museum itself.
They noted that although the occupiers have removed more than 11,000 exhibits from the collection, which consisted of almost 14,000 artefacts, the museum building itself is also an architectural monument.
The Oleksii Shovkunenko Museum also shared several videos of flooded streets. "The water stopped about 230 metres away from the museum," they explained.
In addition, Kherson museum workers made a video showing the aftermath of the flooding of the city from the highest point of their building.
Херсон. Огляд місць підтоплення з найвищої точки художеього музею.
— ArtMuseumKherson (@ArtMuseumKs) June 7, 2023
Kherson. Overview of the flooding sites from the highest point of the Kherson art museum. pic.twitter.com/FPwbGDkZlD
The Kherson Art Museum also shared some paintings of the Kakhovka HPP just destroyed by the Russians, namely "Pouring sheet piling on the construction of the Kakhovka HPP" and "Construction of the sluice of the Kakhovka HPP" by Ivan Botko and "At the construction site of the Kakhovka HPP" by Borys Lavrynenko. These were among the works stolen by the occupiers and taken to Russian-annexed Crimea in November 2022.
"[This is] evidence of the double crime committed by the Russians. The museum collection has been stolen and the Kakhovka HPP has been blown up," museum officials emphasised.
Earlier, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy published a list of museums and cultural heritage sites in Kherson Oblast that have already been flooded or are at risk of being flooded as a result of the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP. According to the MCIP, as of the end of the day on 6 June, the affected sites include facilities of the Kakhovka HPP, built in 1951-1958, buildings on the Central Square in the city of Nova Kakhovka, the historical centre in the same city, etc.
The house museum of artist Polina Raiko in Oleshky is also threatened by the incoming water.
Archaeologist Svitlana Biliaeva, who led research into the Tiahynka fortress, a unique 14-15th-century architectural monument in the village of Tiahynka, Beryslav district of Kherson Oblast, said that the fortress is currently flooded.
The State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine has published a map of attractions and natural recreational resources that are under threat due to the actions of the Russians.
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