Ukraine: UNESCO steps up support for the World Heritage site in Odesa amid escalating damage

In January 2023, the site was simultaneously inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, in recognition of its Outstanding Universal Value and the immediate threats it faces.

Over the last months - in November 2024, January 2025 and, more recently, during the week of 23 June 2025 –, in response to repeated attacks suffered by the city, UNESCO deployed several damage assessment missions all coordinated through its Office in Kyiv.

In 2025, UNESCO and ICOMOS also jointly dispatched two technical assistance missions to Odesa to provide expert guidance to national, regional, and local authorities, as well as cultural heritage professionals. These missions aimed to support the revision of the site’s Management Plan and to strengthen local capacity in disaster risk management and heritage protection.

Furthermore, UNESCO is facilitating urgent repair and rehabilitation works at key cultural landmarks in Odesa, with contributions from Italy and Japan. Beneficiary sites include the Odesa House of Scientists, the Odesa Fine Arts Museum, Stolyarsky Music School, and the Transfiguration Cathedral.

All these efforts in Odesa complement the more general support provided by UNESCO to Ukraine with financial support from Japan, in developing a standardised methodology for on-site damage and risk assessment, in collaboration with ICCROM. This methodology is being disseminated through training sessions on its use and on advanced documentation techniques such as 3D architectural laser scanning.

UNESCO’s assistance also extends to emergency preparedness, first aid for cultural property, and broader risk reduction strategies.

UNESCO condemns any attack that threatens World Heritage sites and reiterates the obligations of States Parties under the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. These Conventions prohibit deliberate acts that may cause damage to cultural and natural heritage.