A UNESCO monitoring mission (ICOMOS) has arrived in Kyiv to assess the state of preservation of UNESCO World Heritage sites, in particular the National Reserve “St. Sophia Cathedral” and adjacent monastic buildings, as well as the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra,” according to the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA).
“During the visit, the delegation discussed the current state of the territory, challenges related to the preservation of the historical environment, and further steps to improve the use of the buffer zone in accordance with Ukraine’s international obligations,” the statement said.
It is noted that as part of the monitoring, the mission inspected a number of sites: the building at the corner of Sofiivska Street, 20/21 and Volodymyrska Street, 21/20, which was granted the status of a newly discovered cultural heritage site last year and was entered into the register of monuments; the building at 17/23 Olesya Gonchara Street, where, in accordance with UNESCO recommendations, it is proposed to dismantle the superimposed floors and bring the height of the building in line with the parameters of the neighboring historic buildings; the building at 32 Velyka Zhytomyrska Street (the so-called house with snakes and chestnuts), which is currently undergoing restoration; part of Peizazhna Alley.
As reported, on the night of January 24, the sites of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra reserve, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, were damaged as a result of a massive Russian missile and drone attack. In particular, the following were damaged: Building No. 66 — the entrance to the Far Caves complex, and Building No. 67 (Annozachatiivska Church). The blast wave knocked out some of the windows and doors, and damaged fragments of plasterwork in many places.
On June 10, 2025, St. Sophia Cathedral was damaged as a result of enemy shelling.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine calls on the Verkhovna Rada to provide internally displaced persons (IDPs) with the opportunity to vote in the upcoming local elections. The UNHR urges parliament to take steps to provide IDPs and labor migrants with the opportunity to vote in local elections scheduled for 2020, mission head Matilda Bogner said at a press conference, presenting “Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 May to 15 August 2019” in Kyiv on Tuesday.
She noted that the Monitoring Mission would monitor developments around the Electoral Code, which President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky vetoed, giving Parliament 30 days to amend the document.
Bogner emphasized the need to solve the problem of paying pensions to residents of temporarily uncontrolled territories of Donbas. She said pensions should be paid to everyone who is entitled to them, regardless of their place of residence, adding this is an urgent recommendation, hoping that the new government will consider it one of the priorities.
In addition, the Mission notes that it is necessary to find a mechanism for paying off pension arrears.
At the same time, the UN Mission considers the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to compensate families whose homes were destroyed as a result of the conflict in Donbas a positive sign. However, it has concerns about a number of issues, in particular, the condition that applicants for compensation should live in the same village where the destroyed housing is located, as well as the fact that funds for these needs will be provided for in the budget after 2020.
As reported, on July 15, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established a mechanism for monetary compensation for private housing destroyed as a result of Russian armed aggression in eastern Ukraine.
