The Foreign Ministry has criticised UNESCO over its statement regarding the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
Georgiy Tikhiy wrote about this on the social media platform X.
What the Foreign Ministry said
Georgiy Tikhiy described UNESCO’s position as absurd. According to him, the organisation responsible for protecting cultural heritage “does not even know who it is protecting it from”.
“Why is it so difficult to simply say ‘Russian attack’? Unfortunately, under the leadership of Director-General Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO continues to demonstrate a lack of leadership, weakness and an inability to fulfil its mandate,” said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
What UNESCO said
UNESCO condemned the strike on 15 June, which damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra within the World Heritage site “Kyiv: Saint Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”.
The organisation described the Lavra as one of Ukraine’s most important spiritual and cultural monuments, but the statement did not specify which country carried out the attack.
What has been damaged at the Lavra
The strike caused significant damage to the exterior and interior decoration of the Assumption Cathedral.
Adjacent historic buildings were also affected, including parts of the Lavra’s defensive complex and the Ivan Kushchnyk Tower.
What assistance is UNESCO offering
UNESCO has stated its readiness to provide support in assessing the damage and identifying priority measures.
The organisation also emphasised that it condemns attacks on cultural heritage sites, educational institutions, students, education staff and media representatives, who are protected under international law.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ukraine’s principal historical and spiritual landmarks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that international organisations should explicitly hold Russia responsible for the strikes on Ukraine’s cultural heritage, rather than using neutral wording without mentioning the aggressor.
On the night of 15 June, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine. In Kyiv, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex was damaged.
Russia denied striking the monastery and claimed that the damage was allegedly caused by a Patriot missile. Ukraine and Western countries attribute the damage to the Lavra to the Russian attack.
Follow us on Telegram
