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UNESCO Speaks Out After Russian Drone Strike Hits Lviv World Heritage Site
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UNESCO has expressed deep concern over the Russian drone strikes that targeted the historic center of Lviv on March 24, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The strikes have raised alarms over the potential damage to one of Ukraine’s most significant cultural landmarks.
In an official statement published on UNESCO's website on March 26, the organization was “deeply alarmed” by the attack, particularly the strike on a building in the area of Bernardine Monastery. This monastery is part of the World Heritage site “Ensemble of the Historic Center of Lviv.”
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UNESCO emphasized that cultural values are protected under international law, specifically the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The organization reiterated that all parties involved in the conflict are obligated to protect cultural heritage and refrain from actions that could harm it.
In response to the recent attacks, UNESCO has offered to support the Ukrainian authorities in assessing the damage, implementing protective measures, and providing emergency assistance to safeguard the affected cultural assets.
On March 24, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has coordinated with UNESCO experts, who will be arriving in Lviv to assess the damage caused by the Russian drone strike.
Sybiha made the announcement during a broadcast on the national telethon.
He explained that the focus of the assessment will be on the cultural heritage sites affected by the attack.
“Russia has not only targeted buildings in the center of Lviv. This is an attack on UNESCO’s world heritage. An attack directly on UNESCO as an organization. An attack on all those worldwide who care about cultural heritage. We demand strong reactions,” said Andrii Sybiha.
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The Bernardine Church and Monastery in Lviv, designed by Paolo Dominici, is an example of Baroque architecture. Located in the city’s Old Town, south of the market square, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988. The monastery, along with the Church of St. Andrew, is now part of the Order of St. Basil the Great of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Russia has previously been linked to attacks on Ukrainian civilians and cultural sites. On February 16, Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General identified senior commanders from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet as suspects in the missile strike on Lviv and the nearby UNESCO buffer zone on July 6, 2023.
The investigation determined that the strike involved 3M-14 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles fired from submarines and surface ships of the Black Sea Fleet, which were on combat duty in the region at the time. One missile hit a residential area, killing nine civilians and causing significant damage to buildings, vehicles, and other civilian infrastructure.
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