Following its assessment of the situation in Russian-occupied Crimea, UNESCO’s Executive Council has passed a decision that could lead to a monitoring mission being launched. The move is certainly welcome but may be too late to save the Khan’s Palace, or Hansaray, in Bakhchysarai, a site of huge Crimean Tatar historical and cultural heritage which Russia is destroying. News of the UNESCO decision coincides with the latest shocking images from Crimea where a construction firm with no experience in restoration work has been let loose on a complex dating back to the 16th century. …read more