Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiated the creation of a special legal status for 23 national landmarks in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has introduced a package of bills aimed at legally enshrining the status of national shrines and increasing criminal penalties for their intentional damage. The initiative is intended to establish a special legal regime for sites of exceptional historical, cultural, and spiritual value to Ukrainian statehood. This was reported by UNN.

The proposed list includes 23 iconic sites, among them St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Khotyn Fortress, the Zaporizhzhia Sich on Khortytsia Island, and Taras Shevchenko’s grave on Chernecha Mountain. According to Bill No. 15550, the sacred sites included on this list will receive state protection, and their grounds may be used for official state events, oath-taking ceremonies, and psychological rehabilitation programs for veterans.

To ensure the preservation of these sites, Bill No. 15551 amends the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The intentional destruction or damage of such sacred sites is punishable by a severe penalty—imprisonment for a term of three to ten years. In addition, legal entities that carry out illegal work in protected areas face substantial fines ranging from 850,000 to 1.7 million hryvnias.

It is noted that a special Council on National Sacred Sites will be established to oversee this process, and the president has designated these documents as urgent.