Odesa Philharmonic Hall Damaged in Russian Missile Strike on City Center
The historic Old Exchange building, home to the Odesa Philharmonic and under enhanced UNESCO protection, sustained significant damage.
The Odesa Philharmonic, housed in the historic Old Exchange building, sustained significant damage during a Russian missile attack on the center of Odesa on Friday, January 31, according to a report by Intent Press.
Ivan Liptuga, Director of the Department of Culture, International Cooperation and European Integration, confirmed that 15 cultural heritage sites in total were damaged in the strike. While the Bristol Hotel—an architectural monument in its own right—took the heaviest structural hit, the Philharmonic suffered the most significant damage in terms of cultural value.
According to Liptuga, the blast wave destroyed the authentic carpentry of the Philharmonic's main entrance, damaged its large stained glass windows, and harmed the interior decoration. The full impact of the attack on the building's internal structures will be assessed by specialists in the coming days.
The Philharmonic building has been under enhanced UNESCO protection since 2023.
Other cultural sites damaged in the attack included the Lucini House, two museums of Western and Eastern art, and a branch of the Literary Museum.
The January 31 strike on central Odesa, carried out with ballistic missiles believed to be of the Iskander type, ultimately left seven civilians injured. Initial reports indicated four people were hurt, two of whom were hospitalized at the Black Sea Hospital. Among those injured was a surgeon who was struck by glass shards in the arm while performing surgery at the time of the attack.
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