The Ukrainian government will be using the proceeds of sales from an online nonfungible token, or NFT, museum to restore artwork in the real world.<\/p>\n
According to a Friday announcement and information shared with Cointelegraph, Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy said\u00a0the government’s\u00a0Meta History Museum of War platform, aimed at preserving the timeline of major events in Russia\u2019s war with Ukraine, raised 803.28 Ether (ETH) \u2014 roughly $1.3 million at the time \u2014 through NFT sales. The ministry said proceeds from the sales will go toward \u201cthe restoration of Ukrainian cultural institutions,\u201d many of which have been damaged or destroyed by missile attacks from Russia.<\/p>\n
“During the six months of the war in Ukraine, the Russians destroyed hundreds of our museums, theaters and cultural institutions,\u201d said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukraine\u2019s Minister of Culture and Information Policy. \u201cUkrainian culture and national heritage have been damaged by almost 6 billion euros, and judging by the actions and intentions of the Russian Federation, this figure will only increase.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexander Borniakov, deputy minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for Information Technology Development, added:<\/p>\n
\u201cNFT[s] will not stop Russian missiles, but blockchain technology will contribute to the economic recovery and development of Ukraine as an innovation-friendly country.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Ukrainian government launched the Meta History project in March, one month after the first missiles struck Ukrainian targets in the ongoing conflict. While the $1.3 million will go toward Aid For Ukraine \u2014 a platform launched by the government that accepts crypto donations \u201cto support people in their fight for freedom\u201d \u2014 the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has said the funds will be used for restoration rather than supplies for the nation\u2019s military.<\/p>\n
UNESCO, the agency behind many of the world\u2019s heritage sites based on their significance to history, nature and art, reported that as of Monday, 164 cultural sites in Ukraine had been partially damaged or destroyed as a result of the war with Russia. These include\u00a072 religious sites, 12 museums, 32 historic buildings, 24 buildings for cultural activities, 17 monuments and seven libraries. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese repeated attacks on Ukrainian cultural sites must stop,\u201d said UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay in June. \u201cCultural heritage, in all its forms, should not be targeted under any circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n