Officials in Odessa were unable to explain how they implemented the heritage preservation program

Members of the Odesa City Council criticized the relevant department for its report on the implementation of the cultural heritage preservation program. Of all the program’s initiatives, the department representative stated that only one had been completed.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations following a meeting of the city council’s standing committee on land-use planning, urban design, architecture, and cultural heritage preservation.

The committee reviewed the implementation of decisions currently under review. The program for the preservation of cultural heritage sites in Odesa’s central historic district raised the most questions.

Fedir Stoyanov, a representative of the relevant department, reported that the measures had not been fully implemented. At the same time, he was unable to immediately provide details on which items had been completed, the reasons for the non-implementation of the rest, or the results for the previous period.

The deputies emphasized that the expiration of the program’s term does not mean its objectives have been met. They demanded an explanation of what had been done, what had not, and whether the measures had been carried over to the next program. The department was instructed to prepare a report.

Among the completed measures, the department representative cited the removal of the monument to Soviet military figure Ivan Chernyakhovsky near Odesa Lyceum No. 56. He did not cite any other results.

Commission members criticized the report: a single completed measure is insufficient for a heritage preservation program. Information regarding funding for 2026 is also missing.

Meeting participants noted that they were aware in advance of the issue with the contractor for repair and restoration work on residential buildings. In their opinion, the relevant departments should have prepared amendments to the program rather than leaving the issue unresolved until the end of the year.
 

Ірина Глухова