Poland and Ukraine Apply for UNESCO World Heritage Status for Wooden Churches

Sixteen Polish and Ukrainian wooden churches may be added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, report representatives of the Ukrainian and Polish sides of the seminar "The Experience of Protecting the Cultural Heritage of Poland and Possibilities of its Use in Ukraine" at a press conference on November 18. The subject of that day's seminar was the protection of sacred architectural monuments.

Volodymyr Herych, the director of the Zhovkva Historical and Cultural Reserve, said: "Polish-Ukrainian cooperation is developing. During the three years of activity of the International Center of Protection of Cultural Heritage in Zhovkva, about 200 people from Ukraine worked at seminars in Ukraine and Poland. These events are financed by the Lviv Oblast and the Polish Ministry of Culture."

Ukraine and Poland jointly applied for UNESCO World Heritage status. Ukraine's application includes eight objects. Next year, the wooden churches will be examined by a UNESCO expert. In 2012, the final decision regarding this question will be announced at the congress.

"Most of the architectural monuments are sacred buildings. And it became clear to Poland long ago that without a serious discussion with the churches' priests nothing good will be achieved. Serious substantial discussions are being held with the clergy regarding the preservation of the invaluable monuments," explained Mr. Herych during the press conference.

All 16 objects are sacred monuments of the Eastern tradition. The inventory of the shrines has already been completed. The Ukrainian monuments are located in the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Transcarpathian Oblasts.