Shards of glass set in metal ― pictures of these lapel pins went viral in mid-February, when a Ukrainian delegation presented these unique accessories at the conference ‘Ukraine out of Blackout’ in Paris. The glass comes from the windows of The Khanenko Museum, Kyiv, which were blown out by a blast when the Russians shelled the city centre with missiles last October.
The pins made by the museum became artworks themselves, and a symbol of the suffering Ukraine had to endure to capture the world’s attention.
One of these pins was presented to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. Faced with Russia’s attempt to erase Ukrainian heritage and culture, it is vital for the world to act preventatively to preserve Ukraine’s most precious assets. If the country overall is protected ― its culture is also protected.
The walls of the Khanenko Museum, usually home to the largest collection of world art in Ukraine, are now empty. Unlike hundreds of heavily looted and bombed institutions in other Ukrainian regions, the museum has evacuated its artworks to safe locations.
