During the so-called “restoration work” at the Khan’s Palace, Russian occupiers destroyed a historically valuable painting, mistaking it for old plaster. The fresco was discovered during the process, but since ordinary painters were assigned to the restoration instead of specialists, they were instructed to remove all old coatings. As a result, the delicate painting, barely holding onto the wall, was dismantled.
This incident once again confirms the barbaric treatment of Crimean Tatar cultural heritage by the Russian occupation administration. The full responsibility for the destruction of this artwork lies with the occupiers, as qualified restoration experts should have been conducting the work.
The destruction of this historic painting is yet another assault on the national memory of the Crimean Tatar people. Hansaray is a landmark of global historical and cultural significance, symbolizing the history, culture, and statehood of the Crimean Tatars. It is the only surviving example of Crimean Tatar palace architecture in the world.
The so-called “restoration” work, which in reality is systematic destruction, began in the fall of 2017—and for more than eight years, Hansaray has been deliberately and gradually dismantled by the Russian occupiers. Cultural and historical heritage forms the foundation of a people’s identity. Stripping away this foundation erases memory and condemns a nation to gradual oblivion.
According to the website of the Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies, modern global restoration practices focus on preserving the authentic material structure of cultural landmarks while maintaining their historical and cultural context. However, the actions of the occupiers in Bakhchysarai have instead led to the destruction and decontextualization of this historic site. The lack of legal status for Hansaray under Russian occupation allows the occupation administration to ignore the destruction of its ancient structures.
The archaeological work carried out by the occupation administration at Hansaray between 2016 and 2019 poses a serious threat to the palace complex. These excavations were conducted without proper archaeological research and without regard for historical topography, leading to the destruction of valuable archaeological layers. Such actions demonstrate both incompetence and the deliberate destruction of Crimea’s archaeological heritage.
In 2020, restoration work near the Dilyara-Bikech türbe (the mausoleum near the Southern Gate of the Khan’s Palace) led to the destruction of a significant cultural layer. That same year, archaeological strata were partially destroyed near the portal between the Persian Courtyard and the presumed Divan Hall of Sahib Geray. In 2021, the occupation administration completely destroyed the stone paving of the Churuk-Su Riverbed and damaged the ruins of the Muhammad IV Geray Hammam. These actions by the occupation administration constitute gross violations of international cultural heritage protection norms, resulting in irreversible losses of historical artifacts and sites.
The occupation administration is deliberately stripping Hansaray of its status as an archaeological heritage site, instead classifying it as an 18th-19th century architectural monument. This reclassification allows construction work to proceed without archaeological research, leading to the destruction of the site’s historical and archaeological components. These actions serve a dual purpose: to legitimize the erasure of Crimean Tatar heritage and to transform Hansaray from a symbol of Crimean Tatar statehood into a secondary “Russian” monument. This is part of Russia’s systematic policy aimed at destroying Crimea’s cultural identity.
The Mission calls on Russia to immediately halt all activities that are destroying this unique and authentic historical monument. It also emphasizes that Russia, as an occupying state, has violated international humanitarian law, specifically Article 5 of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Russia has never sought Ukraine’s authorization to carry out any work on this cultural heritage site, which is located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. These actions by the occupying state pose a direct threat to the historical and cultural integrity of the site and bear clear signs of a crime against cultural heritage.