In total, 248 damaged monuments have been identified by Unesco in Ukraine, according to an assessment that franceinfo was able to consult. To repair the destruction, Unesco has implemented a ten-year plan.
In Ukraine, the destruction in the culture and education sectors caused by the war has already cost 2.4 billion euros, according to an assessment made by Unesco that the international editorial staff of Radio France revealed exclusively on Monday. April 3. These figures will be announced during the day by Audrey Azoulay, the director general of Unesco, traveling for two days in kyiv, in Chernihiv, in the north of the country. She will be in Odessa on Tuesday, on the shores of the Black Sea.
Eastern Ukraine is the most affected area, according to Unesco. The Karkhiv and Donbass regions concentrate nearly 60% of the destruction. Two-thirds (more than 65%) of the total cost relates to the destruction of monuments and sites, ie 1.57 billion euros. The rest is to the detriment of collections of works, artists’ studios, and the tourist industry. The Donetsk region concentrates 16% of the destruction and that of Lugansk 9%. In these two regions, the war began in 2014. Since the beginning of winter, they have centralized the toughest battles.
A ten-year plan to rebuild
A total of 248 damaged monuments have been identified by Unesco in Ukraine. They are essentially Orthodox churches, a memorial in homage to the Jewish victims of Nazism, but also museums, schools, mostly built in the 19th century. Unesco has also assessed the loss of income after more than a year of war. Nearly 14 billion euros have definitely flown away, which will have to be compensated for to restore an ailing economy. The sectors concerned are tourism, art, but also sport and the recreational industry such as cinema or theatre. Most of these losses concern kyiv, with more than 6.5 billion euros, the Ukrainian capital having been deserted by tourists since the beginning of the conflict.
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To repair the destruction, Unesco has implemented a ten-year plan. Nearly 6.5 billion euros are needed. In the short term, over the period 2023-2026, priority will be given to the inventory, restoration and protection of one third of cultural property. For the next three years, Ukraine needs just over 2 billion euros. The rest runs until 2033. The priority sites will focus on a precise assessment of needs and emergency measures to clear debris, secure buildings, protect them from new attacks and store the works to prevent possible future losses. or looting.
To this aid, Unesco has issued conditions: the establishment of stable governance in Ukraine and compliance with international standards. This aid will be financed from a specific budget unrelated to the operation of Unesco. The UN organization is therefore appealing to its 193 member states. But the participation of Russia is, for the moment, more than hypothetical.