UNESCO has strengthened protection for the Odessa Archaeological Museum

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has provided support to protect more than 160,000 artifacts at the Odessa Archaeological Museum.

This was reported by the UNESCO Office in Ukraine.

The organization is helping to implement a comprehensive approach that combines preventive conservation, reorganization of storage facilities, digitization, documentation, and emergency preparedness. Museum staff, students, and international experts are involved in the process. They have received specialized training in collection care, emergency response, and the UNESCO-ICCROM RE-ORG methodology. New, custom-made storage equipment has also been installed to enhance the security of the collections.

The project has already yielded significant results for the preservation of the museum’s collections. Specifically:

97,000 objects have been inventoried;
6,952 objects have been reorganized;
Over 3,400 archival documents have been scanned;
20,000 archaeological objects have been photographed.

Based on a needs assessment and a detailed plan for reorganizing the storage areas, custom cabinets and shelving units were manufactured and installed.

The Odessa Archaeological Museum was damaged in July 2023 by shock waves from shelling. At that time, the walls of the 19th-century building cracked, and part of the ceiling collapsed.

UNESCO has also designated Chersonesos of Taurica as a site in danger. This decision calls onthe international community to strengthen cooperation in preventing the illicit traffickingof cultural property from the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Юлія Калабайда

Odesa Odesa region Odessa Archaeological Museum UNESCO consequences of the shelling