The New York Times
Russia has quietly expanded its military footprint in Palmyra, a sprawl of ancient ruins in the Syrian desert, after helping Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad drive the Islamic State out of the city in March, ending a 10-month occupation that included the destruction of several archaeological treasures, including ancient temples and an arch dating to Roman times.
At a concert last week, Russian musicians played Bach and Prokofiev, and also showed journalists a small but well-fortified base constructed at the site.
But this week, the Cultural Heritage Initiative of the American Schools of Oriental Research warned that the Russian encampment, which is “in close proximity” to the archaeological site, could imperil the remaining treasures. (The Associated Press quoted Russian officials as saying that the base was only temporary, to house experts removing explosives.
A fresh ribbon of asphalt covers the area, though experts say the debris field of old stones around the ruined city is largely unexcavated. Sand berms were bulldozed to form a perimeter, and a panoply of defenses, including antiaircraft missiles, is at the ready. If the Russian site is a potential target that requires antiaircraft defenses, what does that make the ruins?
Historic sites in Syria continue to be damaged, including a monastery northwest of Aleppo where a fifth-century monk, St. Simeon Stylites, is said to have spent decades in hermetic contemplation. It was damaged by a missile last week.
The Syrian Army used a medieval citadel overlooking ancient Palmyra as a military base, and numerous Syrian sites — including the Great Mosque of Aleppo and the Crac des Chevaliers, a medieval fortress used by Crusaders — have been damaged during the five-year civil war. (Ancient sites like castles often end up militarized for strategic reasons: They tend to be built on defensible terrain.