Russian Missile Strike Destroys 80% of the Dovzhenko Film Studio’s Unique Costume Collection
On the night of June 14–15, Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Among the sites damaged was the National Preserve Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of the country's most important cultural and spiritual landmarks. The strike was yet another reminder that Russia’s attacks frequently target not only infrastructure and civilian areas, but also symbols of Ukraine’s historical memory and cultural identity.
Overshadowed by the damage to the Lavra was another profound loss: the destruction of the costume department building at the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio. Yet, as art historian Zoya Zvyniatskivska points out, the significance of the two attacks should be viewed through the same lens.
“Both of these barbaric attacks warrant the same assessment: they represent irreparable losses to culture,” she said.
According to Andrii Donchyk, Director General of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, the missile strike caused extensive damage throughout the studio complex, affecting multiple buildings and facilities across the site.
