UNESCO places sites in Kyiv and Lviv on the World Heritage in Danger list

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added St. Sophia Cathedral, monastic buildings in Kyiv, and the historic center of Lviv (Western Ukraine) to the World Heritage in Danger list due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the organization announced on Friday.

UNESCO made this decision following a vote by the World Heritage Committee during its meetings in Riyadh, relying on recommendations from United Nations experts. The organization stated that "the sites in Kyiv and Lviv are now listed as World Heritage in Danger."

In early September, UNESCO had announced its intention to include these sites due to the threat of destruction.

The committee found that the "optimal conditions no longer exist" to ensure the protection of these sites due to the ongoing war.

Besides the direct threat of being targeted, these sites are also exposed to damage from explosions within the cities.

The inclusion of these sites allows them to receive additional financial and technical assistance to implement new emergency measures.

Kyiv and Lviv will join the list of World Heritage sites at risk, following the addition of the central part of Odesa, where many buildings were destroyed by "heavy Russian strikes" in late July, as condemned by UNESCO.

UNESCO has documented damage to 270 Ukrainian cultural sites since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

St. Sophia Cathedral, located in the historic center of Kyiv, is considered "one of the major landmarks representing architectural and monumental art from the early 11th century" in Ukraine, according to UNESCO. 

The cathedral has been on the World Heritage in Danger list since 1990, similar to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Orthodox Monastery. The historic center of Lviv, built in the Middle Ages, was added to the list in 1996.


AFP