How Russia is wiping out Ukraine’s UNESCO Heritage

The systematic demolition of Ukrainian cultural landmarks, from medieval cathedrals to ancient Greek ruins, forms part of a broader strategy to erase national identity through cultural warfare.

Nov 16, 2024 - 12:00

How Russia is wiping out Ukraine’s UNESCO Heritage

UNESCO site Odesa Transfiguration cathedral

As the world celebrates UNESCO Foundation Day, Ukraine’s cultural heritage is being torn apart by Russia’s invasion. Since UNESCO’s founding in 1945, Ukraine has built up a legacy of seven World Heritage Sites. Yet, even these globally treasured landmarks haven’t been spared — some have been wiped out entirely by Russian aggression.

For Ukrainian sites with less legal protection, the outlook is often even bleaker.

As of November 2024, 1,096 Ukrainian cultural sites have fallen victim to the Russian invasion, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. UNESCO estimates the damage to Ukraine’s heritage sites alone at $2.4 billion—just a fraction of the destruction inflicted on the country’s cultural legacy.

UNESCO world heritage Ukraine destroyed Russia — The Virgin Mary Skete in Sviatohirsk, destroyed by Russian shelling. Photo: World Council of Churches

The massive cultural destruction pushed the UN’s World Heritage Committee to list three of Ukraine’s major historical landmarks as endangered. Yet, even this status hasn’t shielded them from deliberate Russian attacks.

Kyiv UNESCO St. Sophia cathedral — Russian missile strikes endanger the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, an XI-сentury priceless treasure from the times of the Kyivan Rus and a UNESCO site. Photo: Vitaly Stelmakh

In January 2023, UNESCO added Odesa’s historic center to its World Heritage list and flagged it as endangered. Just six months later, Russia struck the city, damaging three museums and the Transfiguration Cathedral — dating back to the late 18th century.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1683052412955684864

Just two weeks before the Odesa attack, Russian troops struck a UNESCO buffer zone in Lviv, home to a fifth-century castle and squares dating back to the 13th-17th centuries. The site, which includes a synagogue and Orthodox, Armenian, and Catholic churches, is also listed as a World Heritage Site in Ukraine.

Lviv UNESCO Russian missile strike — The center of Lviv was hit by a Russian missile on 6 July 2024, damaging 17 buildings in the UNESCO buffer zone. Photo: Ukrinform

Throughout the full-scale invasion, the UNESCO buffer zone in Lviv has been battered by three major Russian strikes, including drone and missile attacks. The latest on 4 September 2024 left 19 architectural landmarks—mostly early 20th-century villas—reeling from the damage.

LVIV UNESCO site Russian strike — Consequences of the Russian missile strike on central Lviv on 4 September 2024. Photo: Ukraine’s State Emergency Service

However, the worst damage was done to the Tauric Chersonese archaeological complex – the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Crimea. Home to a well-preserved 5th-century BC Greek city, this globally significant site has been turned into the centerpiece of one of Russia’s most ambitious propaganda projects, with full backing from Vladimir Putin.

Crimea UNESCO site Khersones Chersonesus — Chersonese (Khersones), an ancient Greek city in Crimea, has suffered from the propaganda ambitions of Vladimir Putin. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

After Russia seized Crimea in 2014, authorities pushed forward with a massive “archaeological park” project, bulldozing over ancient Hellenistic ruins and untouched archaeological layers. The construction, which included military buildings, was backed by illegal excavations, unlocking access to up to 500,000 artifacts.

Russia destroys Ukrainian cultural heritage Chersonese — During the construction of the park. Photo: Russian TG channels

In July 2024, Russia rolled out the New Chersonese Archaeological Park, aiming to whitewash the Russian occupation of Crimea. By October, it had drawn 700,000 visitors, fueling the destruction of the UNESCO-protected site and its fragile archaeological layers.

Russia destroys Ukrainian cultural heritage — Photo: Maksim Vasilenko/Vedomosti

On 30 May 2024, the PACE Culture Committee called out the erasure of Ukrainian cultural identity as a weapon in Russia’s war and part of its genocidal agenda. The resolution condemned the deliberate destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage as crimes against humanity, laying bare the Kremlin’s intent to erase its national identity.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!