Kherson Art Museum marked with International Blue Shield Protective Emblem
Established under the 1954 Hague Convention, the blue-and-white Blue Shield emblem marks cultural sites of exceptional historical, scientific, or artistic value to protect them from wartime destruction.
The emblem officially designates the building as a protected cultural site under international law, making it easier to recognize from a distance and establishing that its damage or destruction constitutes a war crime.
The museum acknowledged that while Russia has repeatedly demonstrated indifference to international law, the emblem makes the building easier to recognize while multiplying the legal risks and liabilities for the aggressor.
“For us, the Blue Shield is both a cry for help and a tool for documenting crimes. The museum building, a gem of early 20th-century architecture, has already suffered serious damage from Russian shelling,” the museum administration noted.
“Let's be honest: we have no illusions. We understand perfectly well that a terrorist country cares nothing for international law, the Hague Conventions, or humanist values.”
“Russia has never been deterred by any laws, and this blue-and-white sign on the façade is unlikely to deter another enemy missile or shell. However, the world needs this sign,” the museum’s statement read.
“Every new attack on a building marked with the Blue Shield emblem is an egregious crime for which they will have to answer in international tribunals.”
Main Image: © Kherson Art Museum