Major historical sites in Kiev and Lviv are in danger of destruction due to the ongoing war with Russia, according to the United Nations’ heritage body Unesco. More specifically, these include the iconic Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the medieval buildings of the city’s Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery site, and the historic center in the western city of Lviv.
„Faced with the risk of direct attack, these sites are also vulnerable to the shockwaves caused by the bombing of the two cities”, says the World Heritage Committee.
They added that the sites’ inclusion on the list was a reminder to UN member states about their responsibility to contribute to the protection of the sites and would also „open the door” to further financial and technical aid.
There have been no strikes on the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, says the BBC. Russia has assured the UN that its armed forces are taking „necessary precautions” to prevent damage, though this is disputed by Ukraine.
Yet Odessa has been heavily bombarded in recent months following the collapse of a deal allowing Ukraine to export its grain to the world through the Black Sea. In July, Unesco condemned the bombing on a building just outside Lviv’s historic old town.
Lviv was founded in the Middle Ages and has maintained much of its architectural and cultural heritage as an administrative, religious and commercial centre from the 13th to the 20th centuries. It was added to the World Heritage List in 1998.
The Saint Sophia Cathedral, meanwhile, was built in the 11th century and was designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in modern-day Turkey, which was then part of Constantinople. It is one of the few surviving buildings from that age.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, otherwise known as Kiev’s Monastery of the Caves, was founded at around the same time as the cathedral.
It is the oldest monastic complex of the Rus people, who lived in eastern Europe during the Middle Ages, and became a prominent spiritual and cultural centre.
In January, the historic centre of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa was officially designated an endangered World Heritage site by the United Nations cultural agency, despite Russian opposition.
Unesco said its decision recognised „the outstanding universal value” of the site.
But Russia criticised the move, saying it was „politically motivated”.
Known as the pearl of the Black Sea, Odesa has been bombed several times since Russia invaded Ukraine. Last year, residents rushed to protect the city’s monuments and buildings by covering them in sandbags.
