The World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe the Historic Center of the Port City Odesa, Ukraine, on the World Heritage List. The decision symbolizes the recognition of the outstanding value of the site and the commitment of the 194 States Party of the Convention not to undertake any deliberate step that may damage it and to help protect it. The site has also been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, which gives it access to international financial or technical assistance to ensure its protection and, if necessary, assist in its rehabilitation, according to UNESCO.
An accelerated procedure was initiated in the summer of 2022 by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a response to the threats the city faced since the beginning of the war. The international organization also added that emergency measures have already begun to be implemented on the ground. Repairs were made to the damages inflicted on the Odesa Museum of Fine Arts and the Odesa Museum of Modern Art.
As of 23 January 2023, UNESCO has verified damage to 236 sites across Ukraine, including religious sites, museums, libraries, buildings of historical or artistic interest, and monuments. To regularly update this database, the organization conducts preliminary damage assessments for cultural properties by cross-checking reported incidents with multiple credible sources.
As part of other protection initiatives in Ukraine, in November 2022, the J. Paul Getty Trust advanced a $1 million grant to the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH). The purpose of the grant is to ensure the protection of valuable cultural sites in Ukraine. ALIPH’s Ukrainian Action Plan funds project to protect museums, libraries, and historic sites. The organization is also supporting initiatives such as the employment of 3D scans to document in detail the cultural heritage of Ukraine.
Odesa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature, and the arts, is thus placed under the reinforced protection of the international community. While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction. - Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
Along with this statement, UNESCO has also announced two other additions to its list of World Heritage in Danger: The Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Yemen) and The Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli (Lebanon). Six other sites in Ukraine are already inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the historic center of Lviv. To date, none of these sites appear to have been damaged, according to the information provided by UNESCO.
