Museum specialists from the HeMo (Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab) team have documented the destruction of cultural landmarks in Odessa following the Russian missile strikes on the night of July 23, 2023. They have recorded 55 damaged structures.
The experts examined all the damaged sites except those inaccessible. Among the affected structures are:
- The Transfiguration Cathedral and the historical buildings around it.
- The House of Scientists (the Palace of the Counts Tolstoy).
- The Stolyarsky Odessa Music Academy.
- A complex of historical residential buildings on Preobrazhenska Street within the UNESCO protection zone.
Researchers note that there were no military facilities among the damaged or destroyed buildings.
Roxolana Makar, a documentation specialist, noted that according to international law, such destruction is classified as war crimes.
"Most of the structures around the impact sites have deep cracks that can lead to serious consequences in the long term. Rainwater is leaking into the buildings through damaged roofs, ceilings, and windows - historic buildings continue to deteriorate and require urgent conservation," she added.
HeMo experts are conducting documentation following international methodologies from ICCROM and SCRI, which assist in conducting thorough assessments of objects immediately after the damage occurs.
