UNESCO Launches First-Ever Special Monitoring for Kharkiv’s Damaged Derzhprom Building

During the first day of the 19th session of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the organization approved the emergency use of a ‘special monitoring’ mechanism for Kharkiv’s Derzhprom , Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine reported on December 11.

This decision follows the significant damage inflicted on the historic structure during Russian attacks launched on October 28 and November 8, 2024. A powerful explosion at the building’s seventh entrance, near the third floor, caused the collapse of the second and third floors, along with parts of the facade and roof. The blast also damaged structural elements of other sections of the building.

Derzhprom, which has been on UNESCO’s International List of Cultural Properties Under Enhanced Protection since September 2023, now faces its most serious threat to date.

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War in Ukraine

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Committee members also approved organizing a “special monitoring” mission to Kharkiv, making Ukraine the first country to benefit from this mechanism. The initiative aims to document the damage, coordinate restoration efforts, and provide evidence for holding Russian war criminals accountable.

Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytskyi, commented on the decision, emphasizing that while Russia continues its deliberate attacks on cultural heritage sites in defiance of international humanitarian law, Ukraine is intensifying its collaboration with UNESCO to safeguard and preserve its cultural assets during the ongoing war.

The minister expressed confidence that the results of the ‘special monitoring’ mission would help to document the destruction and send the findings to the International Criminal Court.

Earlier, UNESCO officially recognized the Ukrainian Kobzar tradition as an integral part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.