The 'Precucuteni-Ariuşd-Cucuteni-Trypillia' Cultural Complex has been officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. This was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
Composition of the complex and significance for Ukraine
The newly created Cultural Complex includes 71 archaeological sites located on the territories of three states. In particular:
- Ukraine is represented by 15 sites covering 8 regions;
- Romania included 36 sites in the list;
- The Republic of Moldova — 20 sites.
The Ukrainian part of the complex represents unique sites that demonstrate a high level of planning of the settlements of that time and the material culture of the civilization that existed on these lands thousands of years ago.
Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of this event for the state:
“Trypillian culture is an important part of European cultural heritage and one of the most vivid testimonies to the development of ancient civilizations on the territory of modern Ukraine. The inclusion of the ‘Precucuteni-Ariuşd-Cucuteni-Trypillia’ complex in the UNESCO Tentative List opens up new opportunities for international cooperation, research, and preservation of these unique sites,” - the statement reads.
The Path to the Main World Heritage List
The inclusion of sites in the Tentative List is a mandatory technical stage preceding full international recognition. The next step for experts from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania will be the preparation of an expanded nomination dossier. The result of this work should be the final inclusion of the sites in the main UNESCO World Heritage List.
As a reminder, the foundation for this initiative was the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the relevant ministries of the three countries on September 18. The document solidified the intentions of the states to jointly promote the Trypillian heritage and popularize its values on a global level. Joint activities will not only provide better protection for archaeological sites but also strengthen Ukraine's cultural presence on the international stage.
