Odesa Philharmonic's Stained Glass Restoration After Russian Attack

The Odesa Philharmonic is facing a complete dismantling of the stained-glass windows that were damaged by the Russian Federation's attack on the city on January 31, 2025, but not all of them have been dismantled yet.

This conclusion was reached by an intentional photojournalist who visited the scene.

For example, there are rooms where damaged stained glass windows are simply supported by a single wooden stick. It should be noted that many Odessans wanted to come to help the Philharmonic with the consequences of the Russian attack, but it is better not to do this in cultural heritage institutions.

"It's important to have the competence to distinguish garbage from valuable fragments. International guidelines always say that such places should be treated as a crime scene where forensic scientists work. Or an archaeological site," explained Oleksandra Kovalchuk, co-founder of Museum for Change.

It is interesting that access to the Philharmonic was opened on February 9, during which day anyone could come in and see how the stained glass windows were being preserved, with each fragment signed for further identification by restorers.

According to Oleksandra Kovalchuk, on February 3, they received consultations from stained glass restorers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and from Dr. Ivo Rauch, an expert and member of the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Stained Glass of ISCCSG ICOMOS-CVMA.

February 4 was the first day of collecting and sorting stained glass fragments. The process was organized in accordance with the recommendations of the ICCROM (International Center for the Study, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Rome Center) section on stained glass restoration. The Philharmonic is also being assisted by the Thousand Doors of Odesa team, which is making boxes for preservation on site, and consultations with the National Restoration Center are ongoing. In addition, Larysa Pisha, a specialist in monumental stained glass from Kyiv, is working in Odesa.

Experts from Ukrainian and international organizations in the field of cultural heritage rescue believe that all stained glass windows, including those that have visually survived, should be completely dismantled.

"It is worth noting that they were in poor condition even before the arrival and needed restoration. Ideally, we need to wrap them in acid-free paper or Tyvek, and we are working on it. These are scarce materials, which usually take a long time to order. I think we will accomplish this task within a month," explained the former director of the Odesa Art Museum.

The next step is to prepare a scientific and restoration project that must be approved by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, as the Philharmonic is a national monument.

Intent reported that the ALIPH Foundation, with the support of the European Commission, has confirmed the provision of $30,000 to overcome the consequences of the arrival.

Earlier, the prosecutor's office opened a criminal investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war over the shelling of Odesa on January 31. According to the investigation, the Russian army attacked the city center with ballistic missiles. Seven people were injured. The Bristol Hotel, the Odesa Philharmonic, the literary, historical and local history museums, and the Museum of Western and Eastern Art were damaged.

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