UNESCO Backs Ukraine’s Bid To Make City Of Odesa A World Heritage Site

In a show of support for Ukraine, UNESCO has announced it is backing the country’s bid for the city of Odesa to be added to the World Heritage List of protected sites.

The historic port, situated along the Black Sea, is home to cultural landmarks such as the Odesa Fine Art Museum, a 19th-century palace that housed over 12,000 artworks before the invasion. 

Most of the museum’s storied collection has since been moved to safer storage, though the building itself has unfortunately suffered damage from Russian attack.

According to ARTnews, if Odesa is successfully instated onto the World Heritage List, it would be legally protected under the Geneva Convention, which could act as a deterrent for invading forces from incurring damage to it.

Additionally, the nation is pushing for the Saint-Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the historic center of Lyiv, which are already considered UNESCO sites, to be added to the list of endangered monuments. 

Previously, the organization had confirmed damage to at least 53 cultural sites in Ukraine, though the number has risen to an estimated 175 locations as of late, including museums, landmarks, libraries, and places of worship.

With Odesa lying just seven miles from the frontline of the invasion, and the glass roof of the Museum of Fine Arts already destroyed, one can only hope the city making it onto the World Heritage list will spare it from further damage.

As per Reuters, UNESCO will be funding repairs to the museum’s damages, and will hire additional staff to protect its precious collections. The artworks will also be digitized to ensure it never gets lost. 

[via ARTnews and Reuters, cover image via Andrii Zhezhera | Dreamstime.com]