Loss of artifacts and uncontrolled construction: Expert names key challenges to preserving Crimea’s cultural heritage

In temporarily occupied Crimea, cultural heritage is suffering significant and often irreversible damage.

Liubov Apostolova-Sossa, Urban Planner Head of Department of Urban Economy Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, member of the Board of the ICOMOS Ukraine National Committee emphasized this during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

According to Apostolova-Sossa, the peninsula is experiencing uncontrolled archaeological and construction activity that grossly violates protective regimes developed in Ukraine.

“Of course, the activity taking place there is completely uncontrolled. This includes not only research, particularly archaeological excavations, but also construction work that disregards established heritage protection regimes and documentation previously developed and approved in Ukraine. These regulations imposed specific restrictions on new construction, placement of new structures, and reconstruction of existing ones. What is happening now violates those established protection measures,” she noted.

As consequences of such activities, the expert cites the destruction of sites due to military operations and fortification work, the loss of artifacts, and the inability to monitor their condition.

“This certainly includes destruction resulting from combat operations and the construction of fortifications. It also involves the loss of artifacts and the lack of access to monitor these sites. We don’t know their current state or how they will fare in the future.”

A separate threat is the destruction of historical environments. According to Apostolova-Sossa, these environments are no less important than individual monuments.

“The losses are enormous — losses of the historical and traditional character of the environment. A monument is a jewel, of course, but its context shapes it. When that context is destroyed, it creates another significant challenge,” the expert remarked.

She also stressed that some losses cannot be compensated for, even through restoration.

“Of course, restoration processes allow for reconstruction, but we must understand that what has been destroyed and lost is irreversible. These are losses that we will unfortunately never recover, especially when it comes to the destruction of authentic monuments or their parts, that has already occurred,” Apostolova-Sossa summarized.

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