Prosecutor's Office defends archaeological site from Olbia in Mykolaiv region

In the Mykolaiv region, law enforcement officers forced a land tenant to enter into a security agreement to protect an archaeological site of national importance - an Olbian settlement. This was a reaction to the destruction of the cultural layer in 2021, which had previously gone unpunished.

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

On the southern outskirts of the village of Kozyryka, Mykolaiv region, an archaeological monument of national importance, the "Settlement", which belonged to ancient Olbia, was protected from destruction.

It dates from the end of the first century BC to the middle of the third century AD and is considered part of the agricultural district of the ancient city: the remains of defensive structures and residential buildings decorated with frescoes have been preserved here. This archaeological site is located on the shores of the Bug Estuary.

The settlement occupied almost 5 hectares and belonged to the Chernyakhivska culture. The remains of residential and commercial buildings with frescoes and plaster cornices, children's burials, workshops, grain dryers, and many household items such as ceramics, tools, and jewelry were found here. The settlement was part of the agricultural district of ancient Olbia.

After a part of the archaeological layer was destroyed at the site in 2021 and the cultural heritage protection authorities took no action, prosecutors went to court.

Thanks to law enforcement, the land user was obliged to enter into a security agreement to prevent further destruction of the cultural site. The fulfillment of the contract is under constant supervision of the prosecutor's office.

At the end of June, a mound group near the village of Slyvyno, an archaeological site of local significance, was partially destroyed during agricultural work in Mykolaiv region. The violation was referred to the police and the prosecutor's office for investigation, and an analysis of cadastral, satellite, and topographic data showed that both mounds were privately owned, which is contrary to the law.

The Department of Culture sent official appeals to the prosecutor's office and the police of the Mykolaiv region demanding a legal assessment of the actions that led to the destruction of the archaeological site.

Анна Бальчінос