UNESCO added Odessa to the list of World Heritage in Danger

UNESCO has placed the historic center of the Ukrainian city of Odessa on the List of World Heritage in Danger, recognizing “the outstanding universal value of this site and the duty of all humanity to protect it”. The decision was taken during an extraordinary session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay welcomed the decision, saying “the legendary port that has marked cinema, literature and the arts has been placed under enhanced protection by the international community”. “As the war continues, this status embodies our collective determination to do everything to save this city from further destruction,” Azoulay added. Russian troops have repeatedly carried out numerous artillery and airstrikes on Odessa since invading Ukraine 11 months ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in October asked UNESCO to inscribe Odessa on the World Heritage List, signifying recognition of the sites’ “outstanding universal value”. The World Heritage Committee accepted this proposal and also placed the historic center of the city on the list of endangered sites. Russia proposed changes to the text, which delayed a vote in the 21-member committee. As a result, six delegates voted in favour, one voted against and 14 abstained. Russian representative Tatyana Dovgalenko condemned the decision, saying local residents had destroyed some of Odessa’s monuments, which were mentioned in the justification for the decision to include in the list of endangered sites. “Today we witnessed the funeral of the World Heritage Convention,” she said, noting that the pressure had prevailed in the discussion and that scientific objectivity had been “shamefully” violated. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko hailed the results of the vote, saying it would protect Odessa’s multi-ethnic history. “It’s a great historic day,” he told reporters. “Undoubtedly, Odessa is threatened due to a large-scale Russian invasion… I really hope that the UNESCO umbrella can protect at least the skies of Odessa and Odessa itself from barbaric Russian attacks .” Ukraine is not a member of the UNESCO committee. Before Wednesday’s vote, there were seven World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including Saint Sophia Cathedral and a complex of monastic buildings in Kiev. To date, none of them have been affected by the war, although UNESCO has found damage to more than 230 cultural sites in Ukraine. On its website, UNESCO describes Odessa as the only city that has completely preserved the urban structure of a southern multinational city typical of the late 18th and 19th centuries.