UAH 663 million allocated for restoration of historic center of Odesa

A program with a budget of UAH 663 million for 2025-2028 was approved for the preservation of historic buildings in Odesa. The program provides for the restoration of facades, roofs and comprehensive restoration of monuments, including UNESCO sites.

The decision was supported at the session of the Odesa City Council.

The Odesa City Council approved the City Targeted Program for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage for 2025-2028, which is aimed at preserving the historic center of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as restoring buildings of national and local significance. The program envisages comprehensive measures to protect the architectural heritage, maintain the traditional character of the environment of the central part of Odesa and restore the dilapidated buildings.

The total amount of funding for the Program is UAH 663.49 million, of which UAH 197.69 million is allocated from the budget of the Odesa City Territorial Community, and UAH 465.8 million is planned to be raised from other sources. The program envisages the design and restoration of buildings in the city's central historical area, including the Old Exchange Building, the Zontag House, and the Vorontsov Palace Ensemble.

As of 2023, there were 1354 monuments and objects of cultural heritage in the city, 40 of which are of national importance. Of these, 1006 are located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Center of Odesa".

As stated in the document, in previous years, due to Russia's armed aggression and limited funding, a significant part of the planned restoration work was not completed. In particular, in 2022-2024, it was not possible to complete the restoration of the facades and roofs of 138 buildings in the historic part of the city, as well as the restoration of buildings of national importance, such as the Old Exchange Building and the Vorontsov Palace Ensemble.

The issue of approving the City Targeted Program for the Preservation of Odesa's Cultural Heritage for 2025-2028 was adopted without discussion.

Odesa region is among the regions with the largest number of damaged cultural monuments - more than 460 sites. Due to Russia's war against Ukraine, the cultural heritage of the south of the country is undergoing systemic destruction. Among the victims are 147 sites of national importance, 1267 of local importance, and 114 newly discovered sites. In Odesa region, there are 179 such sites.

Анна Бальчінос