Today, on June 10, at dawn, during yet another Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital, the Russian Federation committed a heinous crime against global culture.
The blast wave damaged the plastered cornice of the central apse on the eastern façade of Saint Sophia Cathedral, an architectural monument of the 11th century and a remarkable jewel of Kyivan Rus and all Eastern European heritage.
The aggressor once again—and arguably most distinctly this time—has revealed its true nature: a natural enemy of culture, art, and progress.
The Kremlin dictator, who is willing to spend hours leading the global community through pseudo-historical excursions and tales of Polovtsians and Pechenegs, unhesitatingly unleashes hordes of missiles and drones upon the Cathedral that preserves the memory of Kyivan princes and the origins of Old Rus’ statehood. This is no longer merely an attempt to intimidate the Kyiv residents, nor simply a desire to destroy our capital—it is an assault on our memory, our roots, and our identity.
Saint Sophia Cathedral has witnessed legions of barbarians, invaders, and occupiers over the centuries. It has withstood and outlived them all—from Batu Khan to Hitler.
It will outlive Putin as well.
The attack on Saint Sophia Cathedral is all one needs to know about Russia’s self-proclaimed role as a Kulturträger. It is a clear message to UNESCO, the European capitals and those political leaders who still harbor illusions about the possibility of reaching agreements with criminals or that civilized rules apply.
Russia is steadily and deliberately placing itself outside the bounds of human civilization, where memory of the past is cherished, the treasures of material and spiritual culture are protected, and violations of the human coexistence norms are punished.
Babyn Yar, Orthodox cathedrals, cemeteries, synagogues, places of worship—over 600 religious sites—and now Saint Sophia Cathedral.
If the aggressor is not stopped, it will continue to destroy both our past and our future.
This is yet another tragic lesson for Ukrainians and for all humanity, for those who still fail to see the monstrous, militaristic-chauvinistic cult hiding behind the so-called ‘Holy Rus’ Pharisaic façade.