Ukraine’s Odesa wins Unesco status despite Russia opposition
- The port city, known as the ‘pearl of the Black Sea’, has been added to the World Heritage List
- Russia, which invaded Ukraine last year, has tried repeatedly to delay the vote to recognise the site’s value and ‘the duty of all humanity to protect it’
Unesco on Wednesday added the historic centre of Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, often described as “the pearl of the Black Sea”, to its World Heritage List, overcoming opposition from Russia.
The 21 member states of the UN cultural body’s world heritage committee approved inscribing designated areas of the city with six votes in favour, one against and 14 abstentions.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year, tried repeatedly to delay the vote to recognise the site’s “outstanding universal value” and “the duty of all humanity to protect it”.
“While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction,” said Unesco director general Audrey Azoulay after the decision.
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who requested the listing in October to shield the city from Russian bombardment, welcomed the decision.