MILITARY BURIALS OF THE UKRAINIAN GALICIAN ARMY IN THE TOWN OF BELZ: ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE, CONDITION, AND CONSERVATION MEASURES

Abstract

This article analyzes the condition of military burials of the Ukrainian Galician Army (UGA) in the town of Belz, which serve as a representative example of early 20th-century memorial architecture. The study focuses on the technical condition, typology, and structural features of the so-called "riflemen's crosses" made of reinforced concrete, while also highlighting the practical experience of local restoration efforts. The aim of the research is to explore the architectural and stylistic characteristics of UGA burial sites, assess their state of preservation, and develop methodological approaches to their conservation and restoration. The methodology combines field surveys, photographic documentation, historical source analysis, and the experimental restoration of a damaged cross. The study includes a preliminary inventory of the burial sites, cartographic mapping of the objects, documentation of the structural condition and materials, and the development of practical recommendations for conservation regimes. The scientific novelty of the article lies in introducing a previously undocumented set of UGA burials into academic discourse, offering a typological generalization of the crosses, and testing an adapted restoration methodology under limited resource conditions. The conclusions identify the main threats, such as environmental, social, and institutional, that endanger military memorial heritage and propose interdisciplinary conservation approaches that can be integrated into local cultural policy frameworks.