If Venice is pleased to have escaped it, the “in danger” world heritage listing has fallen for kyiv and Lviv. But in the context of the war in Ukraine, it is rather a form of recognition which weighs on the historical sites of the two cities. “The sites of Kiev and Lviv (are) included on the list of world heritage in danger,” indicated UNESCO, after a vote to this effect by the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, which followed the recommendations of UN experts .
The inscription concerns the Saint Sophia Cathedral and monastic sites in kyiv, and the historic center in Lviv. UNESCO announced its intention to include these sites in early September, explaining that they were “threatened with destruction”. This Committee considers that “the optimal conditions are no longer met” to guarantee their protection, because of the conflict.
Odessa already on the list
“Faced with the risk of direct attacks, these sites are also vulnerable to the shock waves produced by the bombings on the two cities,” he said. This registration also opens the right to additional financial and technical assistance to implement new emergency measures on site, added the organization.
The sites of kyiv and Lviv also join the historic center of Odessa on the list, listed in January 2023, several buildings of which were affected at the end of July. The Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa was damaged by a Russian bombing in July, which UNESCO condemned. Saint Sophia Cathedral, located in the historic center of Kiev, is “one of the main monuments representing the architecture and monumental art of the early 11th century” in Ukraine, according to UNESCO. The historic center of Lviv, a city founded in the Middle Ages, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996.