Following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on 6 June 2023, a vast territory known as the “great meadow” has been revealed along the Dnipro River in southeastern Ukraine. The 2,155 square kilometer area, previously submerged under a reservoir since the 1950s, has rapidly regenerated into wetlands, grasslands, and islands while exposing thousands of years of human settlement and activity.
Ukrainian archaeologists, naturalists, and ecologists have launched an effort to designate this territory as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, arguing that the dam should never be reconstructed. A team of researchers, including those from Ukraine’s national Institute of Archaeology, has documented remarkable discoveries including Bronze Age tools, Scythian ceramics, Byzantine artifacts, ancient tree-trunk boats, and 18th-century warships. The expedition operates in challenging conditions near active conflict zones, with military units organized to protect researchers conducting investigations in this sensitive area.
Valeriy Nefedov, a leading underwater archaeologist, has been instrumental in the preservation effort. He has advocated for the dam’s dismantling since the 1990s, viewing the current situation as both an opportunity and a tragedy. Over 100 Ukrainian NGOs formally support the UNESCO bid, and a letter of intent has been submitted to the organization with support from the Ukrainian government’s culture ministry.
However, the preservation effort faces opposition from competing interests. The Ukrainian government and the state-owned hydroelectric company Ukrhydroenergo have initiated a pilot project to prepare for the dam’s reconstruction after the war concludes, intending to restore irrigation capacity for southern farmlands. This tension between heritage protection and agricultural and energy needs will likely shape decisions regarding the site’s future.
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