The Russians are planning to open a monastery on the territory of Chersonese Tavri. PHOTO – News

The Russian occupiers plan to open a men’s monastery on the territory of the UNESCO world heritage site – museum-reserve Tavrian Chersonesus.

She reported about it in her Facebook Union of Archaeologists of Ukraine.

“It became known that in Chersonese Tavriyskyi – UNESCO world heritage sites – Moscow priests will place a men’s monastery. This information was made public by the press service of the occupation administration of the museum“, the union said in a statement.

The occupation administration explains such a decision by the fact that “exactly a century ago, the monastery buildings were liquidated and handed over to the Chersonese Museum“, so in 2024 supposedly “the time has come for changes and re-creation of monastic life in the Khersonessky Men’s Monastery“.

Evelina Kravchenko, archaeologist, historian, employee of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, also wrote about Russia’s intentions to organize a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the museum.

“What we have been warning about since 2015 has happened. The buildings of the Tavrian Chersonesus National Reserve, which are located in the center of the landmark of world importance – the fortifications of the Tavrian Chersonesus, are handed over to scammers. The occupying power creates the “Khersonesian Men’s Monastery” of the ROC on the territory of the Chersonesus settlement“, Kravchenko wrote.

The day before, on February 15, the administration of Chersonesus Tavriyskyi in its Telegram shared photos and videos from the liturgy with the participation of Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea, appointed by the occupiers, who is called “Putin’s clergyman” in the media.

It announced the creation of a Russian monastery on the territory of the UNESCO site. Tikhon also announced the plans of the occupying Crimean authorities to open the “Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya” here.

About Chersonesus Tavriyskyi

Tavrian Chersonesus – an ancient and Byzantine city-state in the southwestern part of Crimea. In 1892, a National Reserve was opened on the site of the ruins of the settlement.

On June 23, 2013, at the 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Cambodia, Chersonesus Tavri was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

After Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, there were concerns about the preservation of the museum’s heritage. In 2015, there were reports that the Russian army poured concrete over the site of an ancient estate on Cape Chersonese.

In 2021, the occupation authorities announced plans to expand the “New Chersonesus” complex. It was criticized because of the use of excavators and concrete pouring in the buffer zone of the UNESCO site.

In December 2022, Evelina Kravchenko, a senior researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, said that the Russian occupiers had prepared the collections of Chersonesus Tavriysky to be taken outside the peninsula. According to her information, about a year ago, the occupiers issued an “order” to prepare for the evacuation of the collections of four Sevastopol museums: the Chersonese Tavriyskyi National Reserve, the Sevastopol Art Museum named after Kroshytskyi, the combined museum of panoramas and dioramas, the museum of the naval fleet.

At the end of May 2023, the representative office of the President of Ukraine in Crimea reported that the Russians looted the museum-reserve Chersonesos Tavriyskyi and took the gold of Byzantium, as well as other artifacts: ancient products made of bone, clay and other materials, to Veliky Novgorod for an exhibition.

Instead, an exhibition of artifacts stolen from the historical-archaeological reserve “Stone Tomb” near Melitopol (Zaporizhia region) was arranged in Chersonesos itself.

At the end of 2023, new details of the plan to destroy the Tavrian Chersonesus appeared – the Russians announced that they planned to create a complex of artificial reservoirs there. Also, during the implementation of the “New Chersonese” project on the territory of the world heritage site, they plan to organize a parking lot for official vehicles of 800 square meters.

In parallel with Russian patriotic measures, which have nothing to do with the history of Chersonese, construction, concrete works and large-scale excavations continue on the territory of the reserve, which violate the authenticity of the settlement.