Russian drone debris damages artwork of famous contemporary artist at museum in northwestern Ukraine
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Debris from a Russian drone damaged artwork by one of Ukraine's most prolific contemporary artists at the Korsak Art Museum in Lutsk, a northwestern Ukrainian city, the museum staff reported on Oct. 14.
Petro Antyp's polyptych "Cosmogony," a Ukrainian interpretation of the world's origin, spans thousands of square meters. The museum's founder, Viktor Korsak, described the damage inflicted upon the panel "The Future" as a "symbolic and at the same time terrifying coincidence."
The museum was damaged in a fire caused by a Russian drone attack against Lutsk on Oct. 13, the staff said.
"Now the war itself has intervened in a work about the future. And I wonder: perhaps we should not fully restore the damaged section? Perhaps these traces of war should remain as a historical artifact and a warning to future generations? But the most important thing is that we continue to create!" Korsak wrote.
Established in 2018, the Korsak Museum is the country's largest museum of contemporary Ukrainian art. The museum has received international recognition for its curatorial work, including a Special Commendation at the 2025 European Museum of the Year Awards.
Although the Oct. 13 attack damaged part of the collection, Roman Korsak, Viktor's son and the museum's owner, told the Kyiv Independent that the museum continues to operate.
"We know the collection remains at risk. But we believe the greater loss would be to hide art away from people and close our doors at such a difficult time," Korsak said.
Ukraine's cultural heritage has long been a target of Russian aggression. The Culture Ministry reported that, as of September 2026, Russia has damaged or destroyed at least 2,161 cultural heritage sites and 2,665 cultural institutions since the start of the full-scale war.
Tens of thousands of artworks are also estimated to have been looted by Russia from Ukraine's museums in the occupied territories and active combat zones.
Russia attacked Ukraine's northwest again on Oct. 14, exacting a deadly toll: at least six people were killed and 20 injured in Volyn Oblast, including Lutsk, and in neighboring Rivne Oblast.
