Ukraine announced on Tuesday its decision to apply for inscription on the World Heritage List of the historic center of Odessa, known for its architecture, but which has already been “affected by bombing” and is “located only” a few tens of kilometers of the front line” with the Russian army, according to a UNESCO press release.
The Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information, Oleksandre Tkachenko, was received on Tuesday by the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, and announced that Ukraine will request the registration of the historic center of Odessa “recognized and nationally ranked.
The Black Sea port city, famous in particular for its monumental staircases, is a strategic point in the conflict and has been bombed several times by Russian forces.
“On July 24, 2022, part of the large stained glass window and windows of the Museum of Fine Arts, inaugurated in 1899, was destroyed,” reported the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
Other World Heritage Sites in Danger
“Unesco has already mobilized international experts providing technical support to Ukraine so that this candidacy is urgently examined by the Member States of the World Heritage Committee, with a view to its inscription on the World Heritage List and on the World Heritage List in Danger, added the UN organization.
“The World Heritage Committee will also be recommended to include the World Heritage sites located in Kyiv and Lviv, which are also threatened, on the List of World Heritage in Danger.”
Audrey Azoulay announced that UNESCO will strengthen its support system for the city of Odessa, in particular the “financing of the repair of the damage inflicted since the beginning of the war on the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Modern Art” of the city . , “support for the digitization of at least 1,000 works of art present in Odessa as well as the documentary collection of the Odessa state archives”, and the delivery of new equipment for the in situ protection of cultural property.
7 million dollars mobilized in Ukraine
These “protective panels, sandbags, fire extinguishers, fireproof fabrics or gas masks will be delivered to the department of culture, religion and protection of architectural heritage,” UNESCO added.
“They will allow to continue with the recovery of the monuments and sculptures present in the public space compromised since the beginning of the war.”
As part of its mandate, UNESCO deployed emergency measures in Ukraine and mobilized “almost 7 million dollars, provided in-kind assistance and made its experts available to advise professionals in the field,” according to the press release.
Source: BFM TV
