Faced with the continued deterioration of the Ukrainian-Russian war, UNESCO is expected to lend a helping hand to assist Ukraine’s precious historical sites and cultural heritage. President Audrey Azoulay called on the international community to have the responsibility to protect and maintain these prized cultural assets for future generations.
Taipei, Taiwan (Merxwire) –There are 7 World Heritage Sites in Ukraine with a thousand-year history, including 6 World Heritage Sites and 1 World Natural Heritage Site, all of which are now at risk. Since the Ukrainian-Russian War, the Russian army has bombed several Ukrainian cities. Many scholars and historians in the outside world are worried that the war is ruthless and that guns without eyes will destroy critical historical sites in Ukraine.
The World Heritage is an international convention system initiated by the United Nations in 1792 and implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which protects valuable natural or cultural settlements. Counting down the cultural and historical assets of Ukraine, in addition to the seven world heritage sites, there are 17 “World Heritage Preliminary List,” namely Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra、the Ensemble of the Historic Centre、Struve Geodetic Arc、Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe、Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans、Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora、Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine。 The Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings and Kyiv Pechersk Lavra are located in Kyiv, the capital of the main battlefield of the Ukrainian-Russian political dispute, which has worried scholars and experts from all walks of life.
To prevent the destruction of various types of cultural heritage in armed conflict, UNESCO adopted the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict in 1954 in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its two protocols (1954 and 1999 ) subsequently developed the Blue Shield symbol, and the International Blue Shield Committee protects all cultural heritages with the Blue Shield symbol. At present, the International Blue Shield Committee has cooperated with Ukrainian officials to important local cultural sites and monuments will be marked with the Blue Shield, and the World Heritage-listed Saint Sophia Cathedral and related monastery buildings in Kyiv, as well as the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery, will be given priority for marking.
In addition, Audrey Azoulay, chief executive of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said in a statement on 3/8: “We must safeguard the cultural heritage in Ukraine, as a testimony of the past but also as a catalyst for peace and cohesion for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve.” Calls on all parties to pay attention to the important cultural assets in Ukraine.
Therefore, between the 9th and 10th of this month, UNESCO will hold an emergency meeting with Ukrainian cultural professionals to determine whether they need technical or financial support. Although the news of the destruction of these seven cultural relics in Ukraine has not yet been received, many experts are still not too optimistic, calling on both sides to respect the international cultural heritage protection treaty and jointly protect the treasures of human civilization.