A French civil society organisation launched a petition demanding Russia’s exclusion from the International Council of Museums (ICOM) over alleged looting of Ukrainian cultural property.

The petition, created by “Pour l’Ukraine, pour leur liberté et la nôtre!” (For Ukraine, for their freedom and ours!), calls for the immediate expulsion of Russia and Russian museum staff involved in the plundering of Ukrainian collections in occupied territories.

“The goal for Moscow is not only destruction. It is also appropriation—an effort to “Russify” Ukrainian heritage wherever possible,” the petition said.

The French organisation reported that Ukraine has been working to exclude Russia from ICOM since 2022, providing evidence of wrongful actions by Russian museum workers who are ICOM members.

According to the petition, Russia’s systematic appropriation of Ukrainian cultural heritage began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, when thousands of artworks were transferred from Crimean museums to Russian institutions.

In 2016, the Tretyakov Gallery hosted a major exhibition of 19th-century marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. Of the 120 works presented at the exhibition, 38 were taken from Crimean collections, according to the petition reports.

The looting intensified after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In Kherson, over 13,000 objects were reportedly stolen from the Oleksiy Shovkunenko Museum and the Local History Museum. In Mariupol, Russian forces allegedly seized important works by Arkhip Kuindzhi and Ivan Aivazovsky.

According to the petition, the “Scythian gold” collection from the Melitopol Museum of Local History simply disappeared.

In July 2024, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Chersonesos was reportedly dismantled and looted. The site now houses the “Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya,” which the organisation claims justifies Russian aggression through propaganda.

The petition emphasised that collections from 77 Ukrainian museums in occupied territories have been included in the State Catalogue of the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation.

These actions remain violations of international law, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which Russia has signed, the French organisation said.

“The application of international law may one day bring justice and the restitution of stolen cultural assets—but legal proceedings could take decades. Meanwhile, Russian art dealers are already reestablishing links with collectors at major international fairs, including in Maastricht,” the petition warns.

As of February 2025, UNESCO has documented the destruction or damage of 485 cultural sites since Russia’s full-scale invasion, including 149 religious buildings, 249 historic structures, 33 monuments, 18 libraries, 32 museums, and 2 archaeological sites.

The International Council of Museums is a worldwide organisation of museums and museum professionals committed to the preservation, protection, and promotion of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. Founded in 1946 in Paris, ICOM unites museums from more than 80 countries through national committees.

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