Museums, War, and the Law: Legal Perspectives on Protection and Accountability

We are pleased to invite you to the online workshop!
Meet and listen to the legal scholars and practitioners with direct experience of collaborating with the Ukrainian cultural sector and examining the role of art and cultural heritage in war.

Focusing on the Russian-Ukrainian war, legal scholars and practitioners with direct experience collaborating with the Ukrainian cultural sector will examine the role of art and cultural heritage in war.

The talks will address international and domestic aspects of the legal protection of cultural heritage, with a particular focus on movable cultural objects and museum collections. Speakers will also discuss international mechanisms for holding actors accountable for the destruction of cultural heritage, as well as other policies and legal frameworks that engage with art and culture as instruments of war.

Programme and speakers

• 15.00 - 15.30 - Vitaly Tytych (Raphael Lemkin Society, Kyiv; Head of the Legal Section ICOM Ukraine):
  The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Ukraine: How to Hold Russia Accountable. Evidence collection amid war and developments in legal approaches in Ukraine today, firsthand work with affected museums.
• 15.30 - 16.00 - Evelien Campfens (University of Amsterdam):
  Countering looting of cultural objects: the legal framework and its pitfalls.
• 16.00 - 16.30 - Anusha Madhusudhan (Independent Law Practice, Malta; 2023-2024 Judicial Fellow, International Court of Justice):
  International legal frameworks and justice mechanisms for promoting accountability for the destruction of cultural heritage.
• 16.30 - 17.00 - Irina Tarsis, Esq. (Center for Art Law, New York and Zurich):
  Anti-Money Laundering Regulations and the Art Market: Finding Paths to Accountability for/through Art and Cultural Heritage.
  

This event is part of the 2024–2025 seminar series "Curating in Times of Crisis: A Transregional Research Network Connecting the Baltic, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia". It is led by Irina Sandomirskaja (Professor at CBEES), in collaboration with Johanna Mannergren (Professor and Research Coordinator at CBEES) and Maria Silina (CBEES affiliated researcher).

Supported by the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies (Sweden).