An emergency decision was made to apply the “special monitoring” mechanism (ad hoc monitoring) to the State Industry Building (Derzhprom) in Kharkiv, during the opening of the 19th session of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, on December 11.
Kharkiv’s Derzhprom building suffered severe damage during another attack by the russian federation on November 8. A powerful explosion at the third-floor level of the seventh entrance caused the collapse of the second and third floors, along with major damage to the façade and roof. The blast wave further damaged the structural integrity of other sections. Derzhprom is included in the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection, according to the Committee’s decision as of September 7, 2023.
Committee members approved a “special monitoring” mission to Kharkiv, making Ukraine the first country to use this mechanism, on December 11. The mission will document the damage, coordinate restoration efforts, and collect evidence to hold russian war criminals accountable.
Mykola Tochytskyi, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, emphasized that while russia continues its deliberate attacks on cultural heritage sites, violating international humanitarian law, Ukraine is intensifying its use of UNESCO mechanisms to protect and preserve its cultural property amidst the ongoing war.
The Minister expressed confidence that the “special monitoring” mission’s findings would be crucial in documenting the destruction and providing evidence to the International Criminal Court.
