To enter the Potocki Palace, one of the architectural stones of western Ukraine, you have to show your credentials, pass between armed soldiers and sneak under the scaffolding. All of these are just to find image tracks.

In Lviv, although life has almost returned to normal since Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv region and concentrated their offensive in the south and east of the country, museums are seldom present, believing the enemy is ready to plunder Ukrainian cultural heritage. .

Vasil Mitesko, deputy director of the National Gallery of LV, the largest fine art museum in Ukraine with 65,000 works and its 21 sites, explains. . “How can we be sure that the Russians have not regained their strength before launching their rockets?” ⁇

On Feb. 24, the war took gallery staff by surprise, saying they “did not expect the strikes to go this far” and threatened their city, says Vasil Mitsko. At first “shocked”, the curators worked quickly and carefully compiled the paintings and sculptures. These works, worth millions, were kept safe in secret places and are still found today.