In Ukraine there are lands where real treasures are hidden - ancient artifacts and historical monuments that tell about our past and are part of the world heritage. Now all this is under state protection. But recently a new bill has emerged that could change everything.
It was submitted by MP Sergei Grivko, and if it is accepted, local authorities will be able to dispose of these lands at their own discretion, transferring them to developers. This means that our archaeological sites may be in danger of extinction.
At first glance, this may not seem like such an important topic. Well, lands, well, archeology, who cares? But let's figure out why this is a really big problem.
What's the point?
Today, all archaeological monuments are state property, as it should be according to the Constitution of Ukraine and international treaties that we have ratified. But Grivko proposes amending the law that will allow these lands to be transferred to local authorities, who, in turn, will be able to lease them to developers.
That is, archaeological sites, which may contain ancient mounds, settlements or other objects, can be bulldozed.
Grivko has surprised me more than once with his ideas. Previously, he proposed a “tax on childlessness” and forcing convicts to “pedal to generate electricity.” Now he has decided to apply his “creativity” to the archaeological heritage.
Moreover, all this is happening against the background of a recent court decision, which ruled that archaeological monuments are exclusively state property.
For example, in the Chernihiv region, local authorities leased land with mounds, and they began to plow them, but the court returned them to the state. Grivko's bill could change this rule, and such lands could easily pass into private hands.
Who benefits from this?
Archaeological sites are most often located in picturesque places, near rivers and lakes. These are the areas that developers are interested in. But today these lands are protected by the state, and the prosecutor's office can intervene if local authorities try to transfer them for development.
If Grivko’s law is adopted, then the prosecutor’s office will no longer be able to protect these territories - they will become communal property, and then private. And here it is no longer difficult to guess that this is beneficial not only to developers, but also to those in local councils who will make decisions on the transfer of these plots.
Why is this a problem?
If the bill passes, a huge part of the archaeological monuments of Ukraine could be destroyed. And all this is done under the pretext of “easing the burden on local budgets.” They say that the prosecutor's office returns these lands to the state, and this costs money - the court fee can be up to 10 thousand hryvnia.
It may not seem like much, but for small communities, especially in front-line zones, every penny counts. But is it really worth saving on such trifles when an entire historical heritage is at stake?
Experts believe that if Grivko really wanted to help communities, he would propose exempting them from court fees in such cases, rather than creating a loophole for developers. After all, in the end, this will only open the way to the destruction of monuments for short-term gain.
The bill is now awaiting consideration by the Humanitarian Policy Committee. Its head has already stated that this document has little chance of being adopted. But let's hope that common sense will prevail and our archaeological treasures will remain protected.
