Skovoroda Museum destroyed in fire caused by Russia’s missile strike

On the night of May 7, 2022, Russia’s missile strike directly hit the National Literary and Memorial Museum of Hryhorii Skovoroda, which is situated in the village of Skovorodynivka, Kharkiv Region.

The relevant statement was made by Suspilne Kharkiv on Telegram, referring to Zolochiv Community Head Viktor Kovalenko, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Russian missile hit the museum’s roof, causing a large fire, which spread across all premises.

“A 35-year-old son of the museum director, who stayed to guard the premises last night, had been injured in shelling. The man was rescued from under the rubble, diagnosed with a leg injury and taken to hospital,” the report states.

According to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, the fire emerged at 11:10 p.m. within the area of 280 square meters. It was localized at 00:00 (midnight) and fully extinguished at 08:05 a.m.

Ukrainian Culture and Information Policy Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko noted that the collection of Skovoroda Museum had remained undamaged.

“Fortunately, the collection has remained undamaged. It was relocated earlier to prevent the cultural heritage from being damaged due to Russia’s hostile actions,” Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.

A reminder that the National Literary and Memorial Museum of Hryhorii Skovoroda was an 18th century mansion, where the famous Ukrainian poet and philosopher, Hryhorii Skovoroda, worked in the last years of his life, and not far from which he was buried.