The Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko called on UNESCO to relocate its 45th session from Kazan, Russia, to Lviv, Ukraine, and to remove Russia from the organization.
“A country that waged a war and uses its culture as a propaganda tool cannot be a member of UNESCO and influence the organization’s decisions. The Russian Federation, which cynically destroys everything in its path with its own hands, cannot be the organizer of the session and a participant in the organization,” Tkachenko stated.
According to the Ukrainian minister, today, culture in Russia has become a political tool extensively used by the Kremlin. Actors, directors, musicians act as the mouthpieces for the Kremlin’s propaganda. He pointed out that due to the actions of the Russian Federation Chersonesos Tavriya Reserve, Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai, “which is the sole example of Crimean Tatar palace architecture in the world are already at risk.” In addition, many theaters and buildings are being destroyed en masse.