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The old center of Odesa, a key port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, has been listed by the United Nations cultural organization, UNESCO, as a 'World Heritage in Danger site'. Despite opposition from Russia, the United Nations cultural organisation has listed Odesa's historic centre as an endangered World Heritage site.
The designation was criticized by Russia, which invaded Ukraine 11 months ago and claimed that the only threat to Odesa stemmed from the "nationalist regime in Ukraine." The designation, given by a UNESCO panel convening in Paris, is intended to help save Odesa's cultural heritage, which has been at risk ever since Russia invaded, and to open access to technical and financial international assistance.
Russia has repeatedly bombarded Odesa since invading Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The Odesa Museum of Fine Arts, which opened its doors in 1899, had a portion of its enormous glass roof & windows shattered in July 2022.
Audrey Azoulay, the director general of UNESCO, said in a statement that Odesa, a "free city, world city, and legendary port," had left its impact on literature, the arts, and film. This inscription, Azoulay remarked, "reflects our collective will to save this city from more devastation as the conflict continues."
The choice, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, "will enable us to defend our Odesa. Russia is only capable of defending itself against terror and military action. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the choice to honor and preserve Odesa's legacy is one with which it does not disagree.
Russian Empress Catherine the Great:
The nationalist regime in Ukraine, which routinely demolishes monuments honoring the city's founders and defenders, is the only threat to the city's rich heritage, the statement stated. It specifically mentioned a monument to Russian Empress Catherine the Great, who is frequently credited with founding the city, which was demolished by order of the local government last year. Hours were spent debating Odesa at UNESCO as Russia unsuccessfully sought to postpone the vote.
History:
Odesa was established in the last years of the 18th century close to the area of an Ottoman fortress that had been taken, and its location on the Black Sea coast allowed it to develop into one of the most significant ports in the Russian empire.
It was one of the richest and most progressive cities in Eastern Europe as a result of its role as a trading centre. The Opera House, which reopened in June 2022 and became a symbol of resiliency, and the enormous stairway to the harbour, which was immortalized in Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin, are among the most well-known historical attractions in the city.
Despite substantial damage from World War Two, the city's famous central grid square of low-rise nineteenth-century buildings largely escaped unharmed. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Odesa was a significant tourist destination. The Black Sea became a battlefield during the war, which altered everything.
