According to the latest figures from UNESCO, at least 236 cultural sites have been destroyed or damaged during Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which has now lasted nearly a year. This high number demonstrates that Russia is not adhering to treaties binding under international law that require the protection of cultural property during wartime. Rather, the war is specifically targeting Ukraine’s cultural identity—and thereby also posing a significant threat to sites that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As of January 25, 2023, Ukraine has eight World Heritage sites. The newest addition—the “Old Town of Odessa”—was simultaneously included on the List of World Heritage in Danger upon its designation. This decision, made during an emergency session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, underscores the threat to cultural heritage during the war and the need to raise its visibility.

Exhibition Draws Significant Interest

Raising awareness and demonstrating solidarity are also the goals of the special exhibition “UNESCO World Heritage in Ukraine” in the stairwell of the World Heritage Visitor Center at Untere Mühlen, which has been showcasing Ukraine’s seven World Heritage sites (as of April 1, 2022) since that date. “The exhibition is a tribute to Ukraine’s endangered cultural diversity—and a gesture of solidarity,” says Patricia Alberth, outgoing director of the Bamberg World Heritage Center. “For World Heritage is not a tourism label, but a commitment to shared values dedicated to peace.” The team at the Bamberg World Heritage Center is therefore particularly pleased with the lively interest the exhibition has generated both nationally and internationally.

Those interested still have the opportunity to visit the exhibition until February 28, 2023. Anyone wishing to take action can also donate to cultural heritage protection in Ukraine via a QR code. Further assistance for refugees in Bamberg is available on the city’s website, https://bamberghilftukraine.de/.

The special exhibition was made possible by the “Denk-Mal-Stiftung” in Bischberg/Bamberg, the agency “h neun” in Berlin, and “srg_media” in Bamberg. The images can be viewed daily between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the World Heritage Visitor Center on the Untere Mühlen, with free admission. Guided tours are available upon request through February 28.

Info

The special exhibition showcases these seven Ukrainian World Heritage sites as of 2022: St. Sophia Cathedral and the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, the Historic Center of Lviv, the Struve Geodetic Arc, the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians, the Residence of the Orthodox Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia, the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonesos and its Chora, and the Wooden Churches of the Carpathians. The Old Town of Odessa, added to the World Heritage List in January 2023, is not featured in the special exhibition.

Image credit: World Heritage Center Bamberg