18 December 2025
(Reconstruction in Odesa. PHOTO: Natalia Dovbysh/Intent)
Work has begun in the center of Odesa to reconstruct the fence and retaining wall near the House of Scientists.
This was reported by Intent 's photojournalist Natalia Dovbysh.
The building of the House of Scientists was severely damaged in the summer of 2023. On the night of July 22-23, Odesa was attacked by Russian missiles of various types. The House of Scientists was severely damaged during the attack: almost all the ancient stained glass windows were smashed and furniture was damaged. A missile also hit the Transfiguration Cathedral on Soborna Square.
In late November 2024, UNESCO announced an international tender to develop a comprehensive plan for the conservation and restoration of the building. The restoration work is funded and coordinated with the support of UNESCO.
At that time, UNESCO called for proposals from companies to develop a comprehensive conservation plan. The scope of work included a detailed survey, planning, stakeholder engagement, and preparation of design and tender documents. The project included not only repairs to the facade and interiors damaged by the 2023 missile strike, but also comprehensive measures to strengthen the foundations, retaining walls, and fences, which are critical to the building's stability in the difficult terrain of Odesa's city center.
Public initiatives also supported the restoration. As reported by Suspilne, the charity art festival "Zatyshok 5.0" in August 2025 raised more than half a million hryvnias for the priority needs of the House of Scientists.
In October 2025, the government approved a bill to ratify a grant agreement with Italy to restore Odesa's cultural heritage. The program provides for the restoration of museums, the Philharmonic and other historical monuments in the city center.
The decision launches the program "Restoration and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Odesa region," which has been jointly prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine and Italian partners in recent months. The agreement was signed on July 10 in Rome during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025). Italy plans to provide Ukraine with 32.5 million euros of non-repayable assistance to implement the program.
Анна Бальчінос