Artworks rescued from Ukrainian War on display in Berlin
The exhibition ‘From Odesa to Berlin’ at Berlin’s Gemaldegalerie Museum presents 12 paintings rescued from the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in Odesa in the run-up to the second anniversary of the Russian occupation
When war broke out in Ukraine following Russia’s large-scale offensive on Feb. 24, 2022, museums across the country were faced with the challenge of saving priceless artworks from possible collateral damage, whereupon 12 paintings rescued from the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art were removed from the bunker in Berlin and are temporarily on display for a new exhibition at the Gemaldegalerie Museum in Berlin to mark the second anniversary of the Ukrainian War.
Many cultural institutions have smuggled artworks out of the country and stored them in containers or bunkers to protect them from Russian bombs.
“Cultural assets are being actively attacked and destroyed because of this terrible war,” said Dagmar Hirschfelder, Director of the Gemaldegalerie Museum. “It is very important for us to contribute here.”
Last September, 74 critical works from the Odesa Museum’s painting collection were brought to Berlin. Art historians and conservation experts are currently examining them, and they will later be framed for the exhibition.
The exhibition “From Odesa to Berlin” is a joint project between the Gemaldegalerie Museum and the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art, funded by the German Commissioner for Culture and Media.
It is a preview of a larger exhibition opening in January 2025, bringing around 60 paintings from Odesa into dialogue with works from the Berlin Old Masters collections.
The Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art opened in 1923 and houses important works by Italian, Dutch, German and French masters.
The museum building was damaged in a Russian attack last July.
The exhibition “From Odesa to Berlin: 16th to 19th Century European Painting” at the Gemaldegalerie will continue until April 28.
Source: Newsroom & AP
