Preservation of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in Ukraine in the Conditions of War

Abstract

The article reveals the problems of preserving UNESCO’s world cultural heritage in Ukraine in the conditions of full-scale war and Russian aggression. The author made an attempt to analyze culture as a factor in the formation of national identity. She identified the challenges that arise in the cultural sphere of the state in the conditions of war, including insufficient funding, low wages and, in general, the leveling of culture in an important sense for the population, people, and nation.

One of the main aspects of cultural development is the preservation of the national heritage of Ukraine, in particular tangible and intangible monuments of the UNESCO heritage. The article examines the state in which they are during the Russian-Ukrainian war and the problems of their preservation. The main stages of the development of Ukraine’s cooperation with UNESCO are revealed: 1954-1962 - the initial stage of the establishment of relations; 1962-1980 - the stage of deployment of active cooperation; 1980-1990 - the stage of expanding Ukraine’s participation in the program of the organization’s activities. Since 1991 - a stage of qualitatively new relations, which was facilitated by the achievement of independence. An important step was the inclusion of historical, architectural and natural objects of Ukraine in the UNESCO world heritage list.

Since 2014, a number of topical issues have been discussed and resolved regarding the status and prospects of UNESCO cooperation in the light of preventing new challenges and threats, including the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories. There is also the question of expanding the list of the number of monuments. A brief description of the main monuments and potential sites for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is given.

It was concluded that thanks to active state and social activities, the issue of preservation of the UNESCO heritage in Ukraine is on the agenda, and this heritage is not only preserved, but also actively replenished. However, Ukraine still has to work actively in the direction of popularizing Ukrainian objects in the country and the world, debunking Russian myths about our heritage, etc.