
UNESCO has designated the historic centre of Odesa, a strategic port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, now a World Heritage in Danger site, the United Nations' cultural agency announced on Wednesday.
Granted by a UNESCO panel meeting in Paris, the status’ purpose intends to help protect Odesa’s cultural heritage, which has been under threat since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and to open avenues for financial and technical international aid.
Russian shelling has hit Odesa several times already since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
In July 2022, part of the large glass roof and windows of Odesa's Museum of Fine Arts, inaugurated in 1899, were shattered.🔴 BREAKING!
— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) January 25, 2023
Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List & World Heritage in Danger List: Historic Center of the Port City of Odesa - #Ukraine🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/2e9NUbed0E
In the 19th century, the city became a destination for bold entrepreneurs, also from Poland, who sought to build a fortune on wheat but also other kinds of trade. The city rose into prominence also as a go-to for relaxation, with its many resorts and spas offering great conditions for expecting mothers to deliver their babies. Thanks to being a port city, Odesa became one of the cities where one could hear ‘virtually any’ tongue and meet representatives of Greek, Russian, Polish, English and many other cultures.It is a southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Today, the Historic Center of Odesa has been included in the list of World Heritage in Danger. pic.twitter.com/r6kEmCZgjb
— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) January 25, 2023