Chersonesus Taurica in Crimea was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage in Danger
Kyiv • UNN
The decision was made at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan. This confirms the threats due to the Russian occupation of Crimea and illegal excavations.
Chersonesus Taurica in the temporarily occupied Crimea has been added to the UNESCO list of endangered heritage sites amid the Russian occupation, Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna reported on social media on Thursday, UNN writes.
Chersonesus Taurica has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Danger
According to her, the decision was made during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan. She called this the result of long work by the team of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and colleagues.
"This is an extremely important international decision that officially confirms the threats to the site due to the temporary Russian occupation of Crimea, illegal excavations, construction, destruction of the archaeological context, and removal of cultural property," she stated.
The Committee, according to her, "called for a halt to actions that could cause further damage to the sites in the temporarily occupied Crimea and to strengthen the fight against the illegal trafficking of cultural property."
Also, she added, the Committee called for the protection of other Ukrainian sites in the temporarily occupied Crimea: the Khan's Palace in Bakhchysarai, the cave cities of Crimean Gothia, the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, and the Sudak Fortress. During the discussion, Ukraine was openly supported by Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland.
"The world sees Russia's systematic destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage. Ukraine will continue to use all international mechanisms to protect our cultural heritage," Berezhna emphasized.