Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s Extraordinary Session regarding the inscription of Odessa’s Historic Centre on the UNESCO World Heritage List (24.01.2023)

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s Extraordinary Session held on Tuesday 24.1.2023, decided that Odessa’s Historic Centre be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Greece warmly welcomes this decision as it is the successful outcome of coordinated efforts, in which the Greek side took the lead as a member of the Committee (in coordination with Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Japan) so as to respond directly to Ukraine’s request to protect the city, particularly considering the region’s current state of war.

Upon instructions from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaged in a diplomatic campaign to overcome any reservations, considering the protection of this emblematic city of utmost importance, for Hellenism and for Ukraine.

Today, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, thanked the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, for these decisive actions on Greece’s part.

From the very beginning, Greece has demonstrated sensitivity and support to the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people who are suffering. Even more so for the regions where the Greek Diaspora has left its imprint, such as Mariupol and Odessa.

Moreover, in order to underline the importance that Greece attaches to these areas, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided that the Greek Consulate General in Odessa remains in operation and visited the city twice (April 3 and July 12, 2022) even though the Russian invasion had already begun.

Immediately after his second visit and having held talks with the city’s local authorities, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias addressed a letter to the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, dated July 18, 2022, where he expressed the Greek Government’s full support for the promotion of Odessa’s inscription on the World Heritage List, offering all possible assistance for the achievement of this goal, at both diplomatic and technical levels.

In the context of the Minister’s second visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Odessa State Archives for the co-funding, by the Greek Foreign Ministry, of the digitization of part of the city’s historical archives pertaining to the Greek presence in Odessa.

Odessa is inextricably linked to the history of the Greek nation as the city was home to a thriving Greek community and was the place where the Revolution for the liberation of Greece began.

The Secret Society – Filiki Etairia’s meeting point was the family home of the National Benefactor, Grigorios Maraslis.

Grigorios Maraslis was born in Odessa and served as the city’s Mayor for 16 years in the late 19th century.

During his mayoralty and at his own expense, he transformed Odessa into a modern European city, implementing projects such as electric lighting, road network, theatre, orphanage, nursing home, etc.