UPDATE - UNESCO Includes Odesa's Historic Center In World Heritage List

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday granted Kiev's request to include the historic center of the city of Odesa in the List of World Heritage in Danger.

"Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List & World Heritage in Danger List: Historic Center of the Port City of Odesa - #Ukraine," the organization wrote on Twitter.

The decision to include Odesa in the list was approved with six votes in favor, one against and 14 abstentions, media reported, adding that Russia was the one that had voted against.

Meanwhile, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay welcomed the new title of Odesa and said that this "free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature and the arts," would now be "under the reinforced protection of the international community."

"This inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction," Azoulay was quoted as saying in the statement released by UNESCO.

The inclusion of Odesa's historic center in both World Heritage and World Heritage in Danger lists provides the Ukrainian authorities with the right to apply for international technical and financial support to protect the facility and restore it.

Kiev submitted the nomination of Odesa's historic center for the World Heritage List in August 2022, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the submission official in October.

The Russian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO said that the inclusion of Odesa's historic center on the list circumvented established rules of the procedure under pressure from the West. In particular, the Ukrainian authorities concealed from UNESCO the fact that Kiev was demolishing historic monuments in Odesa and also put pressure on the organization's independent experts.

"Kiev has concealed from the (World Heritage) Committee information about the barbaric demolition of landmark art monuments within the heritage site, refused to provide additional information requested by the advisory bodies, citing military secrets. Tried to put pressure on independent experts, accusing them of politicization and a pro-Russian position for mentioning (Russian Empress) Catherine II as the founder of the city," the delegation said.

The Russian delegation also emphasized that Kiev does not intend to preserve the historical appearance of the city, "otherwise the monuments would not have been demolished, the historical Names of streets and buildings would not have been changed and the old port would not have been militarized."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on the situation, that UNESCO's decision was simply "unbelievable" and that the head of the organization should be well aware that it was Kiev that was destroying the historical monuments in Odesa.