Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra & St Sophia enter UNESCO list under Enhanced Protection

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: provereno.media

On September 7th, during an extraordinary meeting, the UNESCO Committee decided to support Ukraine's initiative to include the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and St. Sophia’s Cathedral in the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection, reports the press service of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

The corresponding request to the Secretariat of the Hague Convention was prepared by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy's website mentions the inclusion in the list of most objects from the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In total, 20 objects have been included in the registry, except for those located in temporarily occupied territories, as well as in the historical centres of Chernihiv and Odesa.

Special attention was given to the inclusion in the list of wooden churches in the Carpathian region, the residences of the Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia (modern Chernivtsi National University), the entire complex of St. Sophia of Kyiv, and the complex of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

It also mentions the Dendrological Park “Sofiyivka” and other objects. During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Culture Anastasia Bondar emphasized the need for joint efforts to preserve the historical and cultural heritage during full-scale combat operations.

Earlier, the Ministry of Culture reported on the "return" of 12 buildings of the Lavra under its control.

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