Ukrainian cultural heritage under threat


The incessant bombardments of the Russian army on many cities in Ukraine raise fears of the worst for the rich heritage of this country, while historic buildings have already been destroyed.

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“What is clear is that there are military actions that have destroyed elements of Ukrainian culture and heritage identity,” said Christophe Rivet of ICOMOS Canada.

This division of the international NPO which oversees the conservation of cultural heritage is concerned about the impact of this war on Ukrainian heritage, as cities have been decimated by Russian bombing.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture has begun collecting evidence of what it calls a “crime against cultural heritage”.

This list yesterday included 23 places of historical significance, including churches and museums, which have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the war three weeks ago.

Ukraine also has seven sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The most emblematic of these includes the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the country’s capital surrounded by the Russian army.

A thousand years old, it is a highly symbolic place for Ukrainians and the Orthodox world.

“It is one of the greatest monuments of Byzantine architecture,” argues Canadian architect of Ukrainian origin Radoslav Zuk, worried about the fate of many buildings.

This week, conservation specialists in Lviv mobilized to try to protect monuments in the historic center (also on the UNESCO list), according to Ukrainian television which filmed some of them covering a statue .

UNESCO said last week that it would mark the country’s main monuments with the “blue shield” sign to prevent them from being targeted. The institution also analyzes World Heritage sites by satellite in order to assess the damage.

Such places run a “real risk” of suffering significant damage, according to Mathieu Dormaels, associate professor in the Department of Urban and Tourism Studies at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).

“There have been conflicts in recent years where we have seen the destruction of heritage being used to create visibility, and have a psychological impact,” he explains.

But if Russia did so deliberately, it would face consequences, he continued, since in 2016 the International Criminal Court recognized that attacking such sites constituted a crime against humanity.

“What is worrying is that Russia seems to be settling [dans] a siege war. This is where accidents can happen and buildings can be bombarded indiscriminately, which are not necessarily direct targets”, specifies Mr. Dormaels.

BEFORE


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Photo courtesy Wikipedia, Mayorov AS

AFTER


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Photo courtesy, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

This wooden church in the village of Vyazivka, built in 1862, was partially destroyed.

BEFORE


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Photo courtesy Google Maps, Sergey UA

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Photo courtesy, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

This former museum of the city of Chernihiv, which today serves as a library, was partially destroyed.

BEFORE


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Photo courtesy Google Maps, Larysa Sokolova

AFTER


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Photo courtesy, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

This Orthodox church located in Malyn, nearly 130 kilometers from Kyiv, suffered damage during the bombardments of the Russian army.

BEFORE


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Photo courtesy, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

AFTER



Photo courtesy, Ministry of Culture of Ukraine

This museum dedicated to local traditions of the city of Okhtyrka was damaged.

Ukraine has seven sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Six are in the category of cultural sites and one is in the category of natural sites. If no damage has so far been reported on them, specialists are worried about the fate that the bombardments of the Russian army could have in store for them. Ukraine has also submitted 17 other sites to UNESCO, which it wants to see added to the World Heritage List


Beautiful Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev after a brief rain show



Photo Adobe Stock

The best known site is in Kyiv. It includes the Saint Sophia Cathedral and all the monastic buildings and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.


UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT





Photo: AFP

The site of the historic center of the city of Lviv, where they try to protect the statues by all means, includes a castle, a cathedral and the city center.


Aerial view of the Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropo



Photo Adobe Stock

The Residence of the Metropolitans of Bucovina and Dalmatia, in the west of the country, now a university, is an example of historic architecture from the 19thand century.



Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca

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