World Monuments project to heal earthquake, war wounds

In 2024, the World Monuments Fund is launching projects to restore cultural heritage in Turkey and Ukraine, addressing damage from earthquakes and Russia’s war, respectively

In 2023, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) launched projects to restore the cultural heritage of Ukraine and Turkey. Turkey’s cultural heritage was damaged during earthquakes, while Ukraine’s sites are under threat due to the ongoing war with Russia.

WMF announced that it would support the restoration initiatives for two sites in Hatay, Turkiye, which experienced substantial human and cultural losses due to the destructive earthquakes in February. The restoration projects will focus on the Orthodox Church of Antioch, commonly referred to as St. Paul’s Church, and the Antioch Synagogue. 

In Ukraine, during the ongoing war, which started almost two years ago, Ukraine announced that it would restore the glass dome of the landmark building called the Teacher’s House, which was used as the first Parliament building of the Ukrainian Republic during the Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917.

WMF President and CEO Benedicte de Montlaur told the art market website Artnet News that climate change is one of the main threats to cultural heritage, underscoring “the need to integrate cultural heritage and cultural rights into climate action and interventions.” The $15 million allocated to climate change projects includes restoring historic water retention systems in India, increasing access to safe water in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, and rehabilitating traditional dams and retention ponds in Peru’s Andes Mountains.

Source: Newsroom