State of Conservation (SOC)

34COM7B.103
Link to the decision

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/7B,

2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.125, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),

3. Notes reparation works and monitoring activities of the key monuments of the National Conservation Area "Saint Sophia of Kyiv" as well as catacombs at the Lavra site;

4. Also notes that a complex rehabilitation programme for the "Varangian caves" is being prepared and requests the State Party to submit a copy to the World Heirtage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;

5. Deeply regrets that no moratorium has been put in place on a number of projects until an Urban Master Plan has considered appropriate uses for these sites, and reiterates its requests to the State Party to halt these projects in the light of their lack of conformity with regulations and their potential adverse impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property:

a) Buildings on the territory around the Arsenal and the earth fortification following the international competition,

b) A hotel complex around Saint Spas of Berestove Church,

c) A hotel and residential complex on the land of the former military factories near the Arsenal,

d) Buildings in the buffer zone of the Saint Sophia Cathedral,

e) High-rise buildings that could compromise the panorama of the historical monastic landscape along the Dnieper;

6. Urges the State Party to adopt the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Protection of Cultural Heritage" and also requests the State Party to approve urgently a new city urban master plan, including a conservation master plan for the property and its buffer zone;

7. Also urges the State Party to provide three printed copies and an electronic version of the draft integrated management plan of the property for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;

8. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to consider extending the eastern boundary of the buffer zone of the Saint Sophia site to include Maidant Nezalejnosti Square as an important part of the urban structure, and to initiate a study on visual perspectives of the property in the wider context of the monastic riverside landscape;

9. Further requests the State Party to transmit to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, a description of any intention to undertake or to authorize major restoration or new construction projects which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property;

10. Requests furthermore the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive monitoring mission to the property to assess the overall state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the World Heritage Committee's decisions;

11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2011, a report on the state of conservation of the property and on the steps taken to implement the above recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 35th session in 2011.

34COM8B.36
Link to the decision

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-10/34.COM/8B and WHC-10/34.COM/INF.8B1,

2. Defers the examination of the extension of Kiev: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kiev Pechersk Lavra to include Saint Cyril's Church and Saint Andrew's Church, Ukraine, to the World Heritage List in order to allow the State Party to:

a) Review and expand the comparative analysis for Saint Cyril's Church with Byzantine churches and for the mural scheme for Saint Andrew's Church the stylistic genesis and then its influence in the Orthodox Christian world;

b) Review the boundaries around Saint Cyril's Church in order to extend it so as to include the former walled monastery and form a homogeneous and coherent ensemble separated from the hospital;

c) Consider creating a buffer zone north-east of Saint Andrew's Church, on the hillside below the building. This point should be considered in conjunction with the recommendation of Decision 33 COM 7B.125 concerning the buffer zone for Saint-Sophia Cathedral;

d) Clarify the texts and responsibilities for the implementation of protection for the property's various components and the buffer zones, and specify the legal status of the Reserve (or National Conservation Area) of Saint-Sophia of Kiev. This point should be considered in conjunction with the recommendations of Decision 33 COM 7B.125;

e) Implement a unique system of management which involves the various stakeholders of the properties (the two ministries involved, the Reserve, the museums, the Municipality, the local communities, etc.), in response to the current fragmented management, and in accordance with Decision 33 COM 7B.125;

f) Implement a unified management plan for the properties, buffer zones, and landscape protection of the Orthodox Metropolate of Kiev; through its implementation, focus on resolving the problems of unregulated urban development, already raised and highlighted by the reactive monitoring mission to the property already inscribed (March 2009) and Decision 33 COM 7B.125; define and implement a town-planning system that is compatible with the property's values; and implement the cultural and landscape project;

g) Consider developing a comprehensive works strategy for the medium term for the wet and fragile soil under the foundations of Saint Cyril's Church;

h) Reschedule the project for heavy interventions for the unstable soil supporting Saint Andrew's Church and study more extensively the context in order to better identify the work required, considering the least intrusive solutions, preferably focusing on the causes of the instability;

i) Confirm for Saint Andrew's Church the presence of fire-alarm systems, and whether there is a specific surveillance team for the property other than the museum staff; state for Saint Cyril's Church the number and status of the active guards and the location of the fire brigade in the event of a fire;

j) Implement quantified monitoring of the interior and exterior architectural and decorative components and murals of the churches;

k) Provide a summary in French or in English of the applicable texts concerning the protection of the properties, the proposed extensions, and the buffer zones;

3. Recommends the State Party to:

a) Clarify the meaning and use of the terms 'department' and 'museum' in reference to the Churches of Saint Cyril and Saint Andrew, as they seem to overlap;

b) Ensure that restoration work is carried out in complete conformity with international standards under the supervision of a qualified manager;

c) Consider limiting the excessive use of candles, which may compromise the murals and the iconostasis paintings for the day-to-day management of Saint Andrew's Church;

d) Control the immediate surroundings of Saint Andrew's Church, which have been invaded by a large number of unsightly tourist trading huts;

e) Consider an overall tourist infrastructure project and a general maintenance programme for the surroundings of the properties as part of the unified management plan.