UNESCO has called upon Russia to cease attacks on civilian facilities in Ukraine including schools, universities, memorial sites, cultural and communication infrastructures.

The heritage organisation and its Director-General, Audrey Azoulay have called for the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage, namely a number of World Heritage sites in cities such as Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkiv, which is recognised as a UNESCO Creative City for Music.

UNESCO says it is working to assess damage across its spheres of competence (notably education, culture, heritage and information) and to implement emergency support actions. The Russians have shelled a number of culturally significant buildings including an opera house and concert hall, which has led to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming the attacks as war crimes.

Conservation not-for-profit Docomomo received word from a team member based in Kharkiv, who claims the Russians have destroyed at least 30 heritage sites since their invasion on February 24.

“My hometown Kharkiv, which for many years has been the subject of my scientific research, excursions and educational projects, is surrounded by the Russian army and every day is under inhuman and massive strikes by weapons prohibited by all conventions such as explosive bombs and cluster bombs,” the letter reads.

A building in Kharkiv that has been bombed by Russian forces.

“Russia is precisely destroying civilian infrastructure and objects, residential areas, shelling crowded places, not allowing the Red Cross or food provision to the city. This is a genocide of a city of 2 million people, an intellectual, industrial and cultural center of Ukraine.

“Yesterday a monument of neoclassicism, the Assumption Cathedral, and the object of 1914 – the Palace of Labor (former House of the Rossiya Insurance Company), were vastly bombed. At the moment, at least 30 listed heritage sites have been destroyed or seriously damaged.”

Images: Docomomo

Jarrod Reedie

UNESCO-Russia-Ukraine-cultural-buildings-bombed-1732009080.png

Let’s connect!