Ukrainian cities Kyiv, Lviv on UNESCO's list of heritage 'in danger'

The United Nations' cultural organisation placed the World Heritage Sites located in Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Lviv on its list of places “in danger” on Friday (September 15), stating that they stand at risk from the war sparked due to the invasion of the country by Russia.

The decision, which was taken in the meeting of UNESCO's annual World Heritage committee in Riyadh, is the first step towards excluding these sites from UNESCO's World Heritage List which features 1,157 sites.

UNESCO, in a statement, said that it had included Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the medieval buildings standing in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery site of the city to the list "due to the threat of destruction the Russian offensive poses".

The statement added that the officials decided because "optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and that it is threatened by potential danger due to the war".

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It stated that two historic sites have "remained under permanent threat since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022". Saint Sophia Cathedral, present in Kyiv, dates back to the 11th century and is among the best-known landmarks of the city.

The western Ukrainian city of Lviv, which is near the Polish border, came into existence in the late Middle Ages and in 1998, the city's historic centre was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

The step was taken after a decision was taken by UNESCO in January to add the centre of the Black Sea port of Odesa in Ukraine to the World Heritage List.

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In July, the city centre of Odesa and an Orthodox cathedral suffered damages in a Russian strike, which was condemned by UNESCO.

Venice escapes UNESCO world heritage downgrade

The UNESCO on Thursday stopped short of adding Venice to the list of world heritage sites in danger. The Italian city was being considered by UNESCO due to increasing water levels and mass tourism.

"The Committee has taken the decision not to include Venice on the list of World Heritage in Danger," said a UNESCO source, while speaking. Italy's Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano stated that it was "a great victory for Italy and for common sense".

“Venice is in danger from rising water levels, attributed to climate change, and excessive numbers of tourists,” said Lazare Eloundou Assomo, UNESCO's Director of World Heritage, before the Riyadh meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)

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