Odesa historian accuses Akerman Fortress administration of disfiguring the monument

The rector of the South Ukrainian Pedagogical University, Andriy Krasnozhon, has accused the administration of the Belgorod-Dniester (Akkerman) Fortress of violations during the installation of video surveillance cameras on the territory of the monument.

The historian recorded these violations when he visited the fortress the other day, the Dumskaya newspaper reported.

"This is barbarism that could not have been agreed with the Ministry of Culture. They stuck cameras all over the fortress, braided it with wires, and drilled through the walls of the 15th century to install them, and attached them directly to them. There is a world experience that could have been studied. But the administration of the fortress traditionally does everything without any approvals," said Andriy Krasnozhen.

In addition, during a walk around the fortress, Andrii Krasnorozhen said that he discovered another problem that was solved in 2021, but has become relevant again: drainage from the roof of the Harem Tower.

"Back then, in order to eliminate leaks and rainwater accumulation, a concrete screed was made and gutters were installed to drain water away from the tower. Now, for some reason, the administration has poured crushed stone on top of the screed, filling up the gutters along the way. Now they are not fully coping with their task. It's hard to say why this is being done, a normal drainage system was created, but they disrupted it with this rubble, and now water is flowing down the walls again," the historian explained.

In June 2023, the head of the Odesa Regional Council, Hryhorii Didenko, invited Turkish companies registered in Ukraine to take part in a tender for the restoration of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (Akkermanskyi) fortress.

Instead, the tender to select the company that will be paid for priority emergency measures at the Akkerman Fortress in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, was canceled because the winning contractor failed to submit the necessary documents in time.

On the eve of the Russian invasion on February 17, 2022, members of the Standing Committee on Education, Science, Youth Policy, Sports, Culture and Tourism of the Odesa Regional Council supported the appeal of the Fortress utility company responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi fortress in Odesa region. The utility company asked the council for 25 million for comprehensive restoration work on the fortress, and in some places for emergency work, such as on Tower 2.

And in July 2021, Andriy Krasnozhon reported that the condition of the eastern facade of Tower 2 of the Akkerman fortress is such that the structure risks collapsing at any time.

Кирило Бойко