The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Poland, Hanna Wróblewska, admitted in an interview with the British daily “Financial Times” that the ministry is preparing an evacuation plan for the most important Polish works of art in the event of a Russian invasion. Our museums can no longer operate within the theoretical concept of security – she added.
The minister explained that she is holding talks with the authorities of other countries that could accept evacuated works of art from around 160 institutions run by the Polish state. In addition to paintings and sculptures, the plans also include rare books and musical instruments. Private museums and galleries are expected to follow the government's example, the FT wrote on Saturday.
The plan, which is to be finalized by the end of the year, is part of a broader security program of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government, which includes strengthening border protection and doubling the size of the Polish armed forces to 500,000 soldiers, the daily recalled.
Maciej Matysiak, a former army colonel who was deputy head of Polish military counterintelligence, is overseeing the Ministry of Culture project. He currently heads the Department of Security and Crisis Management, which was established within the Ministry of Culture.
“We needed someone who had worked in the military but was also familiar with crisis management,” Wróblewska said.
The plan is based in part on experience gained in helping Ukraine relocate its works of art after Russia began its invasion in 2022. Minister Wróblewska added that the ministry’s activities also include updating documentation, which is necessary for the subsequent repatriation of the exported works.
Wróblewska admitted that similar actions are being taken by the authorities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. She noted that one of the biggest challenges is determining which works of art should qualify for the category of “priority evacuation”. “It is impossible to evacuate everything,” she concluded.
The FT also recalled that Poland is still trying to recover works stolen during World War II. “Around 20 works are returned to Poland from Germany, the US and other countries every year, but many still need to be recovered,” the Polish minister said. (PAP)
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