The Khortytsia National Reserve is located in south-eastern Ukraine, on an island on the Dnipro River in the heart of Zaporizhzhia, only a few dozen kilometres from the active frontline. Khortytsia is the largest island on the Dnipro and a distinctive cultural and historical landscape that preserves centuries of regional history. As the historic centre of the Zaporizhian Cossacks, it represents a heritage that has influenced not only Ukraine’s cultural identity but broader European historical and democratic traditions.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this vibrant heritage has been under constant threat from shelling and strikes. On 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam, located down the Dnipro River and roughly 170 kilometres from the Khortytsia National Reserve, was destroyed, becoming one of the largest technogenic and environmental disasters in modern Ukraine. The destruction of the dam radically changed the Dnipro’s hydrological regime and posed a threat not only to the region’s natural balance but also to the archaeological and historical sites connected to Khortytsia Island.
As the water receded, parts of the Dnipro riverbed were exposed, revealing archaeological and historical objects previously preserved underwater. Without timely conservation, documentation and restoration, these heritage pieces could have faced irreversible damage due to erosion. The sudden exposure of these sites also increased the risk of illegal excavations, putting vulnerable cultural layers under additional threat.
To safeguard this heritage, UNESCO — with financial support from the Government of Japan and through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund — began providing extensive assistance to the Khortytsia National Reserve. UNESCO supported the Reserve in setting up a dedicated conservation and restoration space, including facilities for artefacts made of waterlogged wood.
This allowed specialists to save unique items, carry out archaeological work in frontline-adjacent regions, and conduct large-scale underwater heritage research. Preparing the team was essential, as many members were working under such challenging conditions for the first time.
