Author: Andriy Lutsyk, Expert on the Protection of Cultural Heritage, NGO "Regional Centre for Human Rights"
After Crimea, archaeologists from the Russian Federation set their sights on Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
The Russian Federation has begun large-scale archaeological excavations in southern Ukraine. On 30 January 2024, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation issued permits for archaeological excavations in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions.
The "open letters" (excavation permits) were issued to archaeologists Anna Ivanik and Larisa Shepko, both of whom were granted permits for the territory of several regions at once.
Letters for several regions at once are issued for two types of archaeological work: either so-called "exploration" or "archaeological observations". In both cases, it is about supporting construction work.
Similarly, after the seizure of the Crimean peninsula was completed, in 2015, the occupying country issued permits for "exploration", which continued with the construction of the so-called Tavrida highway.
On the basis of these explorations, a list of archaeological sites was compiled that would fall victim to Russian infrastructure projects: those that fell within the construction area and those that were simply located nearby, such as the Hospital barrow.
Russia, in particular, is already implementing a similar project, Tavrida-2 (also known as the Azov Ring), which involves the partial reconstruction of existing infrastructure and the construction of new bypasses and crossings. Russia is also building a railway line to connect Rostov-on-Don with Crimea through the occupied territories of the south.
Usually, permits for archaeological work are obtained in advance, before construction work begins. However, the conduct of an aggressive war pushes the Russian Federation to hurry, which does not make archaeological sites any better.
The very fact that these permits did not appear earlier may indicate that the organisations involved in the implementation of these projects are deliberately violating the norms of cultural heritage protection and construction, and archaeological work may be carried out poorly.
However, it is possible that new "grandiose projects" to destroy Ukraine's cultural heritage are waiting for us.
09.04.2024
