Tomb of Tzadik Nachman in Uman becomes a national monument
3 July 2025 05:17
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has upgraded the protective status of the grave of Tzadik Nachman in Uman to a national monument. The Cabinet’s decision was announced by the government’s representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“The category of the local landmark ‘Tomb of Tzadik Nachman’, located at 1 Hryhorii Kosynky Street in Uman, Cherkasy region, has been changed to the category of a national monument by type of history,” he wrote on Telegram.
The grave is one of the most important objects of pilgrimage for the Bratslav Hasidim, followers of the Jewish spiritual leader Nachman of Bratslav, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Every year, tens of thousands of Hasidim from all over the world come to Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which this year will take place from October 2 to 4. According to the pilgrims’ beliefs, praying at the Tzaddik’s grave during this period brings blessings for the whole year ahead.
However, the attention to this place on the part of pilgrims also causes certain problems. On December 23, 2024, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy drew attention to the illegal construction of a five-story hotel near the shrine.
The ministry emphasized that the Tzadik’s grave is included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine and is under state protection. Any construction work on the adjacent territory must be carried out in accordance with the current legislation, in particular, the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage.”
on October 30, 2024, the Ministry of Culture officially refused to approve the project documentation for the hotel. The reason was that the architectural design did not meet the requirements for the protection of cultural heritage.
The land plots where the hotel was planned to be built are located within the protected zones of the State Historical and Architectural Reserve “Old Uman,” the historical and cultural center of the Bratslav Hasidim, and the central historical area of the city.
Granting Tzadik Nachman’s grave the status of a monument of national significance is a step toward strengthening control over the preservation of this important cultural and spiritual heritage. This decision will make it possible to more effectively counteract illegal construction and ensure an appropriate level of protection for a site of international religious significance.
