Kiev, Lviv placed on heritage 'in danger' list

RIYADH

The UN's cultural organization on Sept. 15 placed World Heritage Sites in the Ukrainian cities of Kiev and Lviv on its "in danger" list, saying they are at risk from the war sparked by Russia's invasion.

The decision, taken at UNESCO's annual world heritage committee meeting in Riyadh, is a step towards better protection of the historic sites, the U.N.'s cultural organization said.

Their inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger "also opens the door to additional financial and technical aid in order to implement new emergency measures," it said in a statement.

UNESCO said it had added Kiev's Saint Sophia Cathedral and the medieval buildings of the city's Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery site to the list "due to the threat of destruction the Russian offensive poses."

The decision had been taken because "optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee the protection" of the sites "threatened by potential danger due to the war."

The two historic sites have "remained under permanent threat since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24, 2022," the statement added.

Kiev's Saint Sophia cathedral dates back to the 11th century and is one of the city's best-known landmarks.

Lviv, the western Ukrainian city near the Polish border, was founded in the late Middle Ages and its historic center was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.

The move came after a January decision by UNESCO to add the center of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa to the World Heritage List.

In July, Odesa's city center and an Orthodox cathedral were damaged in a Russian strike condemned by UNESCO.