On the eve of the Day of Historical and Cultural Monuments, Lviv expressed gratitude to all those who preserve the city’s cultural heritage. Not only professional restorers were honoured, but also ordinary residents who care for their buildings.
Lviv is a central hub of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, with the highest concentration of architectural monuments, and the city’s historic centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overall, there are more than 2,500 historical and cultural monuments in the city.
Representatives of the LKP ‘Heritage Bureau’ emphasised the importance of protecting monuments, especially in the current climate of aggression that has caused significant losses to cultural heritage. The Head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine, Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, reported that over 526 objects have been damaged.
In particular, at least 60 monuments in the Lviv region have been affected, including the 17th-century Bernardine complex. This and other objects have been visited by 40 foreign delegations, which have agreed to provide Ukraine with about 100 million hryvnias for their restoration.
During the event, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called on the international community to exclude Russia from UNESCO. The Day of Historical and Cultural Monuments was established on the initiative of UNESCO and ICOMOS to raise awareness about the protection of architectural and cultural heritage.