Ukraine, historic center of Odessa enters World Heritage Site

The historic center of Odessa, as of Wednesday, January 25, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is thus the eighth heritage site forUkraine, adding to the seven others already in the country: St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the historic center of Lviv, the geodesic arch of Struve, the ancient primordial beech forests of the Carpathians, the Residence of the Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans, the ancient city of Cherson in Crimea (not to be confused with modern Kherson), and the Carpathian wooden Tserkvas. UNESCO’s decision to inscribe the historic center of Odessa on the World Heritage List recognizes, says the UN cultural organization, “the outstanding universal value of the site and the duty of all humanity to protect it.”

“Odessa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has made its mark in film, literature and the arts, is thus placed under the enhanced protection of the international community,” says Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO. “As the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always weathered global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction.”

Under the terms of the World Heritage Convention, the 194 States Parties to the Convention pledge not to take any deliberate action that would directly or indirectly harm the World Heritage site and to contribute to its protection. The Historic Center of Odessa was also concurrently inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, which gives it access to increased international technical and financial assistance that Ukraine can apply for to ensure the protection of the property and, if necessary, assist in its rehabilitation.

The inscription procedure for Odessa has been accelerated due to the war in Ukrainian-in fact, the World Heritage Committee used an emergency procedure provided for in the Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention. As early as the summer of 2022, UNESCO put international experts in touch with Ukrainian experts to prepare the nomination, with support from Italy and Greece. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj made the submission official in October 2022, in an online address to UNESCO. Evaluation bodies reviewed the nomination in the weeks that followed, allowing a review at this week’s Extraordinary World Heritage Committee in Paris. In addition, in recent months, in parallel with the process of inscribing the Historic Center of Odessa on the World Heritage List, UNESCO has implemented emergency measures on the ground to help protect the site. In particular, the organization has ensured the repair of damage inflicted on the Odessa Museum of Fine Arts and the Odessa Museum of Modern Art since the beginning of the war. The Organization also provided equipment to digitize nearly 1,000 works of art and the documentary collection of the Odessa State Archives. Equipment for the protection of outdoor buildings and artworks was also delivered. These measures are part of UNESCO’s comprehensive plan of action in Ukraine, which has already mobilized more than $18 million for education, science, culture and information.

Image: the historic center of Odessa. Photo: Alexey Acepovsky, Yuri Filonenko, Dmitry Moiseev, Copyright GN Consulting Agency

Ukraine, historic center of Odessa enters World Heritage Site

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