UNESCO to apply special monitoring mechanism for Kharkiv's State Industry House for first time in history – photos

UNESCO has approved the deployment of an emergency "ad hoc monitoring" mechanism in respect to Kharkiv's Derzhprom. Russian bombardment damaged the structure on 28 October and 8 November this year. Source: Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine

Details: The decision to implement the special monitoring mechanism was made on Wednesday 11 December, during the first day of the 19th meeting of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Ukraine's Ministry of Culture added that this would enable accurate documentation of the building's damage, coordination of restoration efforts, and evidence for further bringing Russia to justice. Ukraine became the first country where UNESCO will use this mechanism. Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, expressed hope that the special monitoring mission's findings will help to reverse the harm done and make recommendations to the International Criminal Court.

Derzhprom, or the State Industry House, is a constructivist-style architectural landmark. It is the largest building of its design, as well as the first Soviet 13-storey skyscraper, constructed between 1925 and 1928.

The structure is located on Kharkiv's Freedom Square. In January 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers included Derzhprom to Ukraine's State Register of Immovable Monuments.

On 7 September 2022, UNESCO added twenty Ukrainian landmarks to the International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection. The Kharkiv Derzhprom is among them. On 28 October of this year, Russian troops bombed the central part of Kharkiv from aircraft.

One of the bombs hit the Derzhprom building.

The seventh entrance of the building was damaged, floors, part of the facade, roof and other structures collapsed.

Derzhprom was damaged again less than two weeks later, on 8 November, during a Russian attack.

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