PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AS A COMPONENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

In the current conditions of Russian aggression, which is a global threat to our state and the Ukrainian people, state policy in the field of cultural heritage is one of the important elements of ensuring Ukraine's national security. After all, the material objects of cultural heritage, as well as the spiritual values of the Ukrainian people, are the key foundations of the further process of unification and consolidation of modern Ukrainian society and contribute to the formation of a common national historical memory, which is especially important and relevant in the conditions of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Since the Russian invasion, there have been numerous violations of international law regarding the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, as the Russian Federation massively destroys and illegally exports cultural assets from Ukraine. The presented article analyzes the priorities of the national policy for the protection of cultural heritage in the conditions of war and taking into account the European integration progress of Ukraine, the legal basis of the formation of the Ukrainian state policy of cultural heritage as a component of national security is considered. The concept of cultural heritage is quite broad and, in addition to objects of material culture, it also includes the issue of preserving historical memory and forming national identity. Therefore, the protection of language, traditions, values, religion, identity, creativity, cultural and historical foundations of community cohesion are important elements of cultural heritage. And if the obvious destruction of material objects of cultural heritage is documented as separate war crimes, then the spiritual sphere is no less vulnerable to Russian hybrid aggression, but the zone and depth of damage are much less noticeable at first glance. That is why it is so important to understand and comprehensively oppose all forms and methods of destruction of cultural heritage, because such destruction is a direct threat to national security.