Ukraine Faces $9B Reconstruction Cost for Cultural Sites, Tourism

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) underscored Ukraine's daunting task of rebuilding its cultural treasures and reviving its tourism industry, estimating a $9 billion investment over the next decade.

This projection comes in the aftermath of Russia's invasion and ongoing conflict, as reported by ABC News.

According to UNESCO, the ravages of war have inflicted severe blows on Ukraine's cultural and tourism sectors, resulting in a loss of more than $19 billion in revenue since the conflict began two years ago. The agency revealed that 341 cultural sites, spanning from the historic heart of Kyiv to the picturesque cities of Lviv and Odesa, have suffered damage during the hostilities.

The cost of restoring these cultural landmarks and thousands of other invaluable "cultural assets" throughout the nation is estimated to reach nearly $3.5 billion. Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who leads the UNESCO office in Ukraine, emphasized the symbolic significance of these sites, citing the example of the Cathedral of Odesa, which holds profound spiritual and historical importance for the community.

In an incident last July, UNESCO strongly denounced a "brazen" assault by Russian forces on historic buildings in downtown Odesa, an area designated by the agency as an endangered world heritage site. The attack resulted in casualties and extensive damage to several landmarks, including the Transfiguration Cathedral.

The cathedral, dating back to the late 18th century, serves as the principal Orthodox church in Odesa. Despite facing destruction during the Soviet era in 1936, it underwent reconstruction from 1999 to 2003, symbolizing resilience amidst adversity.

UNESCO condemned the deliberate targeting of cultural heritage sites, including religious edifices and artifacts, asserting that such actions could constitute war crimes.

This targeting echoes the precedent set by the International Criminal Court, which, in 2015, brought charges of war crimes related to purposeful assaults on historic religious monuments and structures in Mali.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.