PROBLEMS OF ACCOUNTING AND PRESERVATION OF MONUMENTS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE (on the example of the City Cemetery of Sumy)

Abstract

Sumy City Cemetery, given the personalities of prominent Sumy people buried on it, as well as the artistic and historical value of many tombstones, is of great historical, cultural and memorial importance. There are 39 cultural heritage sites on its territory, three of which are of national importance and 36 of local significance. At the same time, many burials of the City Cemetery, valuable from a historical or artistic point of view, do not have the status of a cultural heritage site. Procrastination in granting it the status of cultural heritage sites can eventually lead to their destruction. However, burials that have the appropriate status are not always properly cared for. Yes, the crypt-pyramid is cluttered and actively destroyed. Sculptures by Aristide Croisy need to be restored. The protection status of the monuments located on the territory of the City Cemetery is not specified in any way, there are no appropriate protection boards, plaques, explanations. The locations of the monuments are not marked on the information stand located at the entrance to the cemetery. Thus, there are two main problems in the accounting and preservation of monuments located in the City Cemetery of Sumy. The first is the significant number of sites that need to be given cultural heritage status of local significance. The second is the unsatisfactory condition of cultural heritage sites, including those of national importance. The first problem, in our opinion, can be solved by creating regional expert commissions, which should be able to promptly consider the inclusion of cultural heritage sites in the State Register by category of local importance. The problem of proper maintenance of monuments requires the joint efforts of public authorities and local governments with activists of public organizations, especially those whose statutory tasks include the protection of cultural heritage.