Work is underway to submit the following natural objects to the List: Volga Delta, Lena Delta, Green Belt of Fennoscandia, Kurile Islands, Valdai - Great Divide, Western Sayan, Beringia and Solovetsky Islands.
Natural sites included in the World Heritage List |
||
| Square | State | |
| Virgin forests of Komi | 3.279 million hectares | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1995) Criteria - N ii, iii |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Pechora-Ilychsky" | 721 322 | |
| 2. Yugyd Va National Park | 1 891 701 | |
| 3. Protected zone of the reserve | 666 000 | |
| Lake Baikal | 8.8 million hectares | Listed (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Baikal" | 165 724 | |
| 2. State Biosphere Reserve "Barguzinsky" | 374 322 | |
| 3. State Nature Reserve "Baikalo-Lensky" | 660 000 | |
| 4. Pribaikalsky National Park | 418 000 | |
| 5. National Park "Zabaikalsky" | 246 000 | |
| 6. Reserve "Frolikhinsky" | 910 200 | |
| 7. Reserve "Kabansky" | 18 000 | |
| 8. National Park "Tunkinsky" (partially) | ||
| Volcanoes of Kamchatka | 3.996 million hectares | Included in the List (1996). Expanded in 2001 Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Kronotsky" | 1 147 619,37 | |
| 2. Natural Park "Bystrinsky" | 1 368 592 | |
| 3. Natural Park "Nalychevsky" | 286 025 | |
| 4. Natural Park "South Kamchatka" | 500 511 | |
| 5. Federal Nature Reserve "South Kamchatsky" | 322 000 | |
| 6. Natural Park "Klyuchevskoy" | 371 022 | |
| Golden Mountains of Altai | 1.509 million hectares | Included in the List (1998) Criterion - N iv |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Altai" | 881 238 | |
| 2. State Biosphere Reserve "Katunsky" | 150 079 | |
| 3. Natural Park "Mount Belukha" | 131 337 | |
| 4. Ukok Nature Park | 252 904 | |
| 5. Buffer zone "Teletskoye Lake" | 93 753 | |
| Western Caucasus | 0.301 million hectares | Listed (1999) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Caucasian" with a buffer zone | 288 200 | |
| 2. Natural Park "Bolshoy Thach" | 3 700 | |
| 3. Natural monument "Upper reaches of the rivers Pshekha and Pshekhashkha" | 5 776 | |
| 4. Natural monument "Upper reaches of the Tsitsa River" | 1 913 | |
| 5. Natural monument "Buiny Ridge" | 1 480 | |
| Curonian Spit(shared with Lithuania) | 0.031 million hectares | Listed (2000) Criterion - C v |
| 1. National Park "Curonian Spit" (Russia) | 6 600 | |
| 2. National Park "Kursiu Nerijos" (Lithuania) | 24 600 | |
| 1.567 million hectares | Included in the List (2001). Expanded in 2018 Criterion - N iv |
|
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Sikhote-Alin" | 401 600 | |
| 2. Bikin National Park | 1 160 469 | |
| 3. Reserve "Goralovy" | 4 749 | |
| Ubsunur Basin(shared with Mongolia) | 0.883 million hectares | Listed (2003) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Ubsunurskaya Kotlovina" (Russia) | 73 529 | |
| 2. Biosphere Reserve "Uvs Nuur" (Mongolia) | 810 233,5 | |
| Wrangel Island | 2.226 million hectares | Listed (2004) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island" | ||
| Putorana Plateau | 1.887 million hectares | Listed (2010) Criteria - vii, ix |
| State Nature Reserve "Putoransky" | ||
| Lena pillars | 1.387 million hectares | Listed (2012) Criteria - viii |
| Natural Park of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Lena Pillars" | ||
| Landscapes of Dauria(shared with Mongolia) | 0.913 million hectares | Included in the List (2017) Criteria - (ix), (x) |
| 1. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky" | 49 765 | |
| 2. Protected zone of the State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky" | 117 690 | |
| 3. Federal reserve "Dzeren Valley" | 111 568 | |
| Total area in the Russian Federation: | 279 023 | |
| 4. Strictly protected area “Mongol Daguur” | 110 377 | |
| 5. Buffer zone of the strictly protected area “Mongol Daguur” | 477 064 | |
| 6. Nature reserve "Ugtam" | 46 160 | |
| Total area in Mongolia: | 633 601 | |
Natural sites included in the Tentative List |
||
| Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
| Valaam archipelago | 0.026 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on May 15, 1996. |
| Natural Park "Valaam Archipelago" | ||
| Magadan Nature Reserve | 0.884 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
| State Nature Reserve "Magadansky" | ||
| Commander Islands | 3.649 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on 02/07/2005. Nomination prepared |
| State Nature Reserve "Commander" | ||
| Great Vasyugan swamp | 0.4 million hectares | |
| State complex reserve of the Tyumen region "Vasyugansky" | ||
| Krasnoyarsk pillars | 0.047 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on March 6, 2007. |
| State Nature Reserve "Stolby" | ||
| Ilmen Mountains | 0.034 million hectares |
Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on August 11, 2008. Nomination prepared |
| State Nature Reserve RAS "Ilmensky" | ||
| Bashkir Ural | 0.045 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on January 30, 2012. |
Natural objects promising for inclusion in the Preliminary List |
||
| Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
| Beringia | 2.911 million hectares | Recommended by IUCN for inclusion in the List |
| 1. Beringia National Park (RF) | 1,819,154 ha | |
| 2. Bering Land Bridge National Wildlife Refuge (USA) | 1,091,595 ha | |
| Volga Delta | 0.068 million hectares | criterion N iv. Nomination prepared |
| State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Astrakhan" | ||
| Lena Delta | 1.433 million hectares | Recommended by IUCN for inclusion in the List in accordance with criterion N iv. Nomination prepared |
| State Nature Reserve "Ust-Lensky" | ||
| Kurile Islands | 0.295 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
| 1. State Nature Reserve "Kurilsky" and its buffer zone | 65,365 and 41,475 | |
| 2. Biological reserve "Little Kuriles" | 45 000 | |
| 3. Reserve of regional significance "Urup Island" | 143 000 | |
| Green Belt of Fennoscandia(shared with Finland and Norway) | 0.541 million hectares | The Russian part of the nomination has been prepared |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Lapland" | 278 436 | |
| 2. State Nature Reserve "Kostomuksha" | 47 457 | |
| 3. Pasvik State Nature Reserve | 14 727 | |
| 4. Paanajärvi National Park | 104 354 | |
| 5. National Park "Kalevalsky" | 95 886 | |
| Valdai - Great Divide | 0.183 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
| 1. Valdai National Park | 158 500 | |
| 2. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Central Forest" | 24 447 | |
Natural objects not included in the List |
||
| Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
| Vodlozersky National Park | 0.58 million hectares | |
| 1. Vodlozersky National Park | 404 700 | |
| 2. Reserve "Kozhozersky" | 178 600 | |
| Bashkir Ural | 0.2 million hectares | Not included in the List (1998) |
| 1. State Biosphere Reserve "Shulgan-Tash" | 22 531 | |
| 2. State Nature Reserve "Bashkir" | 49 609 | |
| 3. National Park "Bashkiria" (strictly protected area) | 32 740 | |
| 4. Reserve "Altyn Solok" | 93 580 | |
| Teberdinsky Reserve(extension of the "Western Caucasus" object) | 0.085 million hectares | Not included in the List (2004) |
| State Biosphere Reserve "Teberdinsky" | ||
Russia, of course, is rich in unique and, what is very important, natural complexes that have not been affected by economic activity. According to rough estimates by scientists, there are about 20 territories in our country that are worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage site. The list of the most promising areas was determined during the joint project of UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) on boreal forests.
The idea arose after the Second World War, the impetus was the decision to build the Aswan Dam in Egypt, which included flooding the valley in which the temples of Abu Simbel, the treasures of Egyptian civilization, were located. In 1959, UNESCO launched an international campaign, responding to calls from the Egyptian and Sudanese governments to save the monuments. As a result, the temples were dismantled and reassembled in their original form in a safe place.
This initiative cost $80 billion, half of which came from funding from 50 countries! Egypt's success was followed by Venice in Italy and Borobodur in Indonesia. A conference held in Washington in 1965 made a formal proposal for the creation of a World Cultural Heritage Society. The specific proposals developed were reported to the UN conference in Stockholm in 1972 and, finally, the General Conference of Unesco on November 16, 1972 adopted the final text of the convention.
Finally, a few words about funding, which amounts to $3 million per year. A small amount considering the enormity of the task! The bulk of it comes from mandatory payments from partner countries, 1% of their contributions to the UNESCO budget.
Excerpt from André MALRAUX's speech at the UNESCO Hall on March 8, 1960, in honor of the opening ceremony of the first international campaign for the protection of the monuments of Nubia.
“Beauty is the main mystery of our time, in which the masterpieces of Egypt are combined with the statues of our cathedrals (European - V.K.’s notes) or the creations of the Aztecs, and the caves of India and China with the paintings of Cezanne and Van Gogh... - into the treasures of world civilization.
For the first time, humanity discovered the universal language of art. We feel its power, although we are not fully aware of its origin. Treasures of art that represent the victory of man-made masterpieces over death!”
Natural monuments of Russia on the World Heritage List
UNESCO
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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created on November 16, 1945 and is headquartered in Paris, France. The organization has 67 bureaus and offices located in various parts of the world. UNESCO's Constitution was adopted at the London Conference in November 1945 and it entered into force on 4 November 1946 following the deposit of instruments of acceptance by 20 signatory States. Currently, 188 states are members of the Organization. UNESCO's fundamental purpose is to contribute to the promotion of peace and security by promoting cooperation among peoples in the fields of education, science and culture in order to ensure universal respect for justice, the rule of law and human rights, as well as the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, for all peoples without distinction of race, sex, language or religion. In order to fulfill its mandate, UNESCO performs five main functions: · Forward-looking studies, what forms of education, science, culture and communication are needed in tomorrow's world? · Promotion, transfer and exchange of knowledge: relying primarily on research, training and teaching. · Regulatory activities: preparation and adoption of international acts and mandatory recommendations. · Providing expert services to: Member States to define their development policies and formulate projects. · Exchange of specialized information. |
UNESCO, in cooperation with most countries of the world, is working to identify natural and cultural monuments worthy of being called World Heritage Sites, promoting their preservation for future generations. As of 2005
The World Heritage List includes 812 properties of outstanding universal value. These include 628 cultural, 160 natural and 24 mixed heritage sites in 137 countries.
UNESCO Office in Moscow.
The Representative Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural, Information and Communication Organization in Moscow, the UNESCO Moscow Office, was opened in 1994 and has been fully operational since 1996.
Until 2002, the Bureau acted as the representative office of UNESCO in the Russian Federation. In 2002, as part of the implementation of the decentralization policy, the UNESCO Moscow Office became a cluster Office and works to this day for: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation.
For 30 years, UNESCO has been helping countries identify World Heritage sites and ensure their preservation for future generations. These monuments are the heritage of all humanity, which must be protected and preserved.
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted at the UNESCO General Conference in 1972.
At the heart of the Convention is the idea that there are places on Earth of “outstanding universal value” that should form part of the common heritage of humanity. The 182 states that signed this document committed themselves to preserving our common, world heritage.
UNESCO's objectives in the field of World Heritage:
· assisting countries in signing the World Heritage Convention and guaranteeing the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
· providing support to States Parties in identifying heritage sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
· assistance to States Parties to the Convention in adopting management plans and developing a reporting system on the condition of World Heritage sites;
· assisting States Parties to the protection and conservation of World Heritage sites through the provision of technical support and professional training;
· providing immediate assistance to those World Heritage properties that are in immediate danger of destruction;
· providing support to States Parties to the Convention in developing measures to inform the public about the need to preserve World Heritage sites;
· encouraging local people to participate in the conservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
· development of international cooperation in the field of conservation of world cultural and natural heritage.
The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the 17th session of the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972 and entered into force on December 17, 1975. Russia signed the Convention in 1988.
The main goal of the Convention is to attract international instruments for the identification, protection and comprehensive support of cultural monuments and natural sites that are outstanding on a global scale.
In 1975, the Convention was ratified by 21 states; currently, the total number of state parties to the Convention has reached 178.
To strengthen the effectiveness of the Convention, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Fund were established in 1976, and two years later the first cultural and natural sites were included in the World Heritage List.
Among natural sites, the Galapagos Islands, Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Simen (Ethiopia) national parks were the first to receive World Heritage status.
Over the following years, the List became very representative both in terms of different regions of the planet and in terms of the number of territories: by the beginning of 2005, it included 154 natural, 611 cultural and 23 natural-cultural sites from 134 countries.
Under the protection of the Convention are such well-known natural attractions as Niagara Falls, the Great Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian Islands, the volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Lake Baikal. The total area of natural World Heritage sites accounts for more than 13% of all protected areas in the world.
Place of Russian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List
In order to more reasonably expand Russia’s participation in the World Heritage List, it is advisable to analyze what place Russian VPN sites currently occupy on it. Let's look at them from different points of view.
Geographical Distribution
Since different countries are represented differently on the List, the overall picture is quite mixed. The Balkans with the Western Black Sea region, the mountainous “Wild West” of the USA and Canada, the Himalayas with Tibet, as well as the equatorial and subequatorial regions of Africa and the eastern tropical coast of Australia turned out to be the most saturated with VPN objects. On the other hand, on the map of the location of VPN facilities there are such “white spots” as the steppe, the most developed areas of the USA and Canada, most of Brazil and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara, Mongolia, and the interior of Australia.
In Russia, the “white spots” include the northern regions of Siberia, as well as almost the entire Far East (with the exception of Kamchatka).
Value or rank of importance
The 138 natural sites of global significance included in the List include almost all of the world's most famous natural phenomena, such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and the Hawaiian Islands (USA), Iguazu Falls (Brazil and Argentina), the Danube Delta (Romania), Belovezhskaya Pushcha (Belarus and Poland), Mount Jomolungma, or Everest (Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal), Komodo Island and Krakatoa Volcano (Indonesia), Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti and Ngorongoro national parks (Tanzania), Great Barrier reef (Australia), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), etc.
It is obvious that in this series such unique Russian sites as Baikal, Kamchatka, the Subpolar and Northern Urals, the highlands of Altai and the Caucasus can also rightfully be considered the property of all mankind. No complete analogues of the specified objects can be found in the List; we can only talk about their partial similarity with some other territories.
The natural sites included in the List are very diverse, representing a wide variety of Earth's ecosystems.
There are mountainous countries, surviving tracts of virgin forests located in different zones of the planet, wetlands, deserts, steppes, prairies and savannas, tundras and woodlands, glaciers and volcanoes, interesting geological and geomorphological formations (including karst landforms, caves, underground rivers, etc.), dune complexes, locations of paleontological remains, unique watercourses, ponds and waterfalls, thermal and mineral springs, large river deltas and mangrove communities, areas of marine waters, archipelagos and individual islands, fjords, atolls and reefs, etc.
However, Russia in this aspect still looks very monotonous, since all its objects are mainly mountainous regions located in different parts of the temperate zone. Therefore, a sufficient degree of representativeness of Russian nature in the List as a whole has not yet been achieved.
Dimensions
The VPN sites included in the List vary greatly in size: from areas of less than 1000 hectares (for example, the Vallée de Mai reserve in the Seychelles, which occupies only 19.5 hectares) to such huge areas as a complex of mountain parks and reserves on the border of Alaska and northwestern Canada (9.8 million hectares), Lake Baikal with adjacent national parks and reserves (8.8 million hectares), Galapagos Islands (about 8.77 million hectares, including -- 8 million hectares of adjacent water areas), the Air and Tenere reserves in Niger (7.7 million hectares), the Great Barrier Reef National Marine Park (5.1 million hectares).
As for Russia, it fully exploits the potential of its vast territory: 3 out of 5 of its objects exceed 3 million hectares in area, and “Lake Baikal” takes second place in the List in terms of its size.
Structure
The inclusion in the List of vast territories with a very complex (mosaic) spatial-territorial structure is a very common occurrence. Some VPN objects include several adjacent protected areas (for example, the boundaries of a valuable mountain forest area located on the north-eastern coast of Australia include 19 national parks, 31 areas of state forests, 5 forest reserves and 1 ethnographic reserve) .
In Russia, in this sense, first of all, the Baikal zone stands out, which includes 2 national parks, 3 reserves, as well as a number of nature reserves, natural monuments, etc. Despite the mosaic structure, the Baikal zone remains, nevertheless, an integral complex , limited in space according to a single principle (catchment, or basin).
Clustering is also a very common phenomenon when forming the List. For example, another Australian site, located on the east coast, consists of approximately 45 different protected areas, combined into 8 blocks, and their total area is 370 thousand hectares.
Among the Russian VPN objects, clustering is most pronounced at the “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”: there are 5 scattered sites representing the most valuable ecosystems of the peninsula.
The List contains about 10 transboundary territories consisting of so-called “parallel” protected areas. These are, in particular, “Belovezhskaya Pushcha” (Belarus and Poland), a complex of parks and reserves in Alaska (Canada and the USA), Victoria Falls - Mosi-oa-Tunya (Zambia and Zimbabwe).
The only border VPN facility in Russia is now “Altai - Golden Mountains” (at the junction with Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia).
Situation in Russia
Russia is represented in the List by 13 cultural and 8 natural sites. In terms of the number of natural objects, Russia shares 3rd-4th place with Canada after Australia (11 objects) and America (12).
30 Russian protected areas have World Heritage status, including 11 state nature reserves and 5 state natural national parks.
Currently, the status of a World Natural Heritage Site in Russia is given to:
1. natural complex “Virgin Komi Forests”,
2. natural area “Lake Baikal”,
3. natural area “Volcanoes of Kamchatka”,
4. natural complex “Golden Mountains of Altai”,
5. natural complex “Western Caucasus”,
6. natural complex “Central Sikhote-Alin”,
7. State Natural Biosphere Reserve “Ubsunur Basin”,
8. State Nature Reserve “Wrangel Island”.
Work is underway to submit the following natural objects to the List: “Putorana Plateau”, “Magadansky Nature Reserve”, “Commander Islands”, “Kuril Islands”, “Valdai - the Great Watershed”, “Daurian Steppes”, “Green Belt of Fennoscandia”.
Russia, of course, is rich in unique and, what is very important, natural complexes that have not been affected by economic activity.
According to rough estimates by scientists, there are about 20 territories in our country that are worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage site.
The list of the most promising areas was determined during the joint project of UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) on boreal forests.
World Heritage status appears to be very attractive in terms of providing a range of benefits, both in an environmental context and in terms of overall support for the areas included in the World Heritage List.
The Convention provides broad opportunities in the legal, information and economic fields, communications and contacts that have been developing and improving for more than three decades.
The main advantages can be summarized as follows:
Additional guarantees of safety and integrity of unique natural complexes
Increasing the prestige of territories and the institutions that govern them
Popularization of objects included in the List
Development of alternative types of environmental management (primarily eco-tourism)
Priority in attracting financial resources to support World Heritage sites, primarily from the World Heritage Fund
Organization of monitoring and control over the state of conservation of natural objects
The status of a natural heritage site has made it possible to attract significant resources from international funding sources. Thus, 2 UNDP/GEF projects are currently being implemented:
- “conservation of biodiversity in four protected areas of the Kamchatka Peninsula - a demonstration of a sustainable approach.” All 4 protected areas are part of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka VN facility. The project budget is US$ 13,800,000.
- “preservation of the biodiversity of primary forests in the upper reaches of the river. Pechora”, covering the territory of the “Virgin Komi Forests” object. Project budget US$ 4,000,000.
The World Bank has decided to finance a project to repurpose the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. The grant amount will be US$ 27,000,000 A number of World Heritage areas are supported by the German World Heritage Fund.
Managers of all protected areas that are part of the listed VN sites have repeatedly taken part in international training seminars and working meetings to improve the effectiveness of the application of the World Heritage Convention.
International expeditions for the preparation of nominations, visits of UNESCO and IUCN experts, the procedure for awarding a certificate of a VN site, publication of advertising materials, etc. - these events certainly contribute to the popularization of protected areas and the departments managing them, increase the attractiveness of protected areas for local administration and business, which in some cases translated into specific financial and technical support. However, it should be noted that in Russia so far no significant attempts have been made to use the status to improve the socio-economic situation of the regions in whose territories VN facilities are located.
It is necessary to take into account that the short-term economic effect from the development of a number of economic projects can be significantly higher than from the development of folk crafts or eco-tourism. However, looking at the long term, the picture may turn out to be the opposite. In addition, in the vast majority of cases of industrial development, the territory loses a number of its valuable qualities (aesthetic appeal), which makes it unsuitable for use for recreational, scientific, educational and other purposes.
Preliminary list
At the 24th session of the World Heritage Committee, a decision was made on the mandatory submission of preliminary lists of natural sites from States Parties to the Convention, starting in 2003.
Nominations of natural sites can be accepted for consideration by the World Heritage Center only if they are submitted to the preliminary list.
The preliminary list identifies natural complexes that are promising for nomination, while the state party does not bear any obligation to further submit them to the World Heritage List.
Russia has only once submitted a preliminary list of natural heritage sites based on a letter from the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, Danilov-Danilyan, dated October 19, 1994. All natural complexes declared on this list are already included in the World Heritage List.
To form a balanced preliminary list of the Russian Federation at the beginning of 2005, the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia proposed the following natural objects in the list:
· “Putorana Plateau” (Putorana State Nature Reserve)
· “Reserve “Magadansky” (state natural reserve “Magadansky”)
· “Commander Islands” (state natural reserve “Commander”)
· “Steppes of Dauria” (state natural reserve “Daursky”)
The selection of these objects was carried out on the basis of an analysis of their natural significance, carried out by scientific and public organizations, and approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia in 2000-2004.
In the period 2000-2004. For all these territories, the documentation necessary for submission to the UNESCO World Heritage Center has been prepared.
In addition, for all these territories, the executive authorities of the relevant constituent entities of the Russian Federation have sent proposals to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia for their inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Name nominations |
Specially protected natural areas (SPNA) included in composition of the nomination |
Status of protected areas |
Notes |
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Virgin |
1. Pechoro-Ilychsky 2. Yugyd Va |
1. State biosphere reserve 2. National Park 3. Protected zone of the reserve |
3.28 million hectares: |
Included in the List Criteria - N ii, iii |
|
|
1. Baikal 2. Barguzinsky 3. Baikal-Lensky 4. Pribaikalsky 5. Transbaikalsky 6. Tunkinsky 7. Kabansky 8. Frolikhinsky |
1. State biosphere reserve 2. State biosphere reserve 3. State natural reserve 4. National Park 5. National Park 6. National Park 7-8. Wildlife sanctuaries |
8.8 million hectares: |
Listed (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
||
|
Kamchatka |
1. Kronotsky 2. Bystrinsky 3. Nalychevo 4. South Kamchatka 5. South Kamchatka 6. Klyuchevsky |
1. State biosphere reserve 2. Nature park 3. Nature park 4. Nature park 5. Federal reserve 6. Nature park |
3.7 million ha: |
Listed (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii Criterion N iv (2001) |
|
|
Altai Mountains |
1. Altai 2. Katunsky 3. Mount Belukha 5. Lake Teletskoye |
1. State nature reserve 2. State nature reserve 3. Nature park 4. Quiet zone 5. Buffer zone (3 km water protection zone) |
1.64 million hectares: |
Included in the List (1998) Criterion - N iv |
|
|
West |
1. Caucasian 2. Big Thach 3. Upper reaches of the rivers Pshekha and Pshekhashkha 4. Upper reaches of the Tsitsa River 5. Buiny Ridge |
1. State biosphere reserve with a buffer zone 2. Nature park 3. Natural monument 4. Natural monument 5. Natural monument |
0.3 million ha: |
Listed (1999) Criteria - N ii, iv |
|
|
Curonian (together with |
1. Curonian Spit 2. Kursiu Nerijos |
1. National Park (Russia) 2. National Park (Lithuania) |
Russia 6,600 ha Lithuania 24,600 ha |
Listed (2000) Criterion - C v |
|
|
Natural complex "Central Sikhote-Alin" |
1. Sikhote-Alinsky 2. Goral 3. Middle Bikin 4. Upper Bikin |
1. State natural reserve 2. Reserve 3. Territory of the traditional environmental management 4. Reserve |
0.395 million ha: |
Reserve and Goral Sanctuary included in the List (2001) Criterion - N iv The territory of the river valley Bikin may be included in the List |
|
|
Ubsunurskaya Basin (together with Mongolia) |
Ubsunurskaya Basin |
State Biosphere reserve |
1.069 million ha: Mongolia - |
Listed (2003) Criteria - N ii, iv |
|
|
Wrangel |
Wrangel Island |
State natural reserve |
2.226 million hectares |
Listed (2004) Criteria - N ii, iv |
|
|
Vodlozersky National |
1. Vodlozersky 2. Kozhozersky |
1. National Park 2. Reserve |
0.58 million ha: |
Not included in the List (1998) Expected to be reused introduce the territory according to the criterion “cultural landscape". |
|
|
Bashkir |
1. Shulgan-Tash 2. Bashkiria 3. Altyn Solok |
1. State natural reserve 2. National Park (strictly protected area) 3. Reserve |
0.15 million ha: |
Not included in the List (1998) It is expected to be repeated representation of the territory according to the criterion “cultural landscape". |
|
|
Teberdinsky reserve (object extension "Western Caucasus") |
Teberdinsky |
State Biosphere reserve |
0.085 million ha |
Not included in the List (2004) |
|
|
Ust-Lensky |
State natural reserve |
1.433 million hectares |
Materials are presented in VN Center in 1999 |
||
|
Kuril |
1. Kuril 2. Small Kuriles 3. Urup Island |
1. State natural reserve and its buffer zone 2. Biological reserve 3. Reserve of regional significance |
0.295 million ha: |
Materials were transferred to Commission of the Russian Federation on Affairs UNESCO in 2000 |
|
|
Green belt Fennoscandia (together with Finland and Norway) |
Woodland series along the Russian-Finnish Norwegian border |
State natural Reserves: 1. Lapland (biosphere) 2. Kostomuksha Paanajärvi National Park The newly created NP "Kalevalsky" |
About 1 million hectares |
In preparation |
|
|
Putorana |
Putoransky |
State natural reserve |
1.887 million ha |
The nomination has been prepared. |
|
|
Magadan Reserve |
Magadan |
State natural reserve |
0.88 million ha |
The nomination has been prepared. |
|
|
Commander's |
Komandorsky |
State natural reserve |
3.649 million ha |
The nomination has been prepared. |
|
|
Valdai Elevation |
1. Valdai 2. Central forest |
1. National Park 2. State Biosphere Reserve |
0.183 million ha |
The nomination has been prepared. |
|
|
Daurian steppes |
Daursky |
State Biosphere reserve |
0.045 million ha |
The nomination has been prepared. |
In the future, it is advisable to expand Russian participation in the UNESCO List according to a unified and clear plan.
First of all, one should proceed from the criteria set out in the Convention, although the above criteria, from our point of view, reflect a certain ideology of UNESCO experts. If we think from the position of a country party to the Convention and strive for adequate representation of Russia on the List, we can recommend the following:
1. It would be desirable to give a more uniform distribution of valuable objects classified as VPN across the territory of Russia, which, in our opinion, would contribute to a more complete reflection of the regional specifics of Russia, as well as coverage of the main natural landscape areas of the country, which, by the way, fully complies with UNESCO's position on this issue, which is expressed in the fact that the World Heritage List should collectively reflect the entire world diversity of the most valuable natural and cultural sites of global significance.
In light of the above, the most relevant proposal is to nominate Siberian and Far Eastern objects to the List (Putorana Plateau, Lena Delta, Wrangel Island, Central Sikhote-Alin, “Daursky”, “Magadansky” and “Tungussky” nature reserves, Lena Pillars). These objects ensure the integrity of the natural heritage of Asian Russia and at the same time represent several global ecoregions of the planet.
2. When choosing objects for the List, you should strive to reflect a variety of types of landscapes, and not just predominantly mountainous ones, as is the case now. From this point of view, the promotion of such objects as the Lena and Volga deltas, the Commander and Kuril Islands, Wrangel Island, Samarskaya Luka, Valdai, Meshchera, and the Black Earth Nature Reserve should be considered especially relevant. Typological diversity can also increase due to the so-called “mixed objects” that fall under the category of “cultural landscape” and have significant historical and cultural significance; Vivid examples include the Bashkir Ural and the Vodlozersky and Kenozersky national parks.
3. It is necessary to try to include in the List the largest possible areas with an area of more than 1 million hectares, which is especially important for Siberia and the Far East, where there are still significant territorial reserves. From this position, the Ubsunur Basin (more than 2 million hectares), the Putorana Plateau (about 2 million hectares), Sikhote-Alin and the Lena Delta (about 1.5 million hectares each) are promising.
4. The opportunity to nominate cluster and mosaic objects should be more actively used, since this makes it possible to simultaneously assign a high international status to several valuable sites at once. In this regard, the most interesting objects are the “Green Belt of Fennoscandia” (cluster structure) and “Central Sikhote-Alin” (mosaic structure). Novaya Zemlya can also be included in this category, since, obviously, only a few of the most valuable areas of the archipelago should be included in the World Heritage Site.
5. It is advisable to study the issue of nominating a number of trans-border protected areas as objects of natural resource conservation, since it is absolutely clear that it is only possible to effectively preserve a single natural complex, separated by administrative boundaries, through joint efforts. Examples here again include the “Green Belt of Fennoscandia” (Russia, Norway and Finland) and the “Ubsunur Basin” (Russia and Mongolia).
In conclusion, we note that at present, when the process of including Russian cultural and natural heritage on the UNESCO List has intensified, debugging the mechanism for effective management of such objects is of great importance.
First of all, this means improving financing, strengthening the system of security measures, popularizing and developing ecotourism, creating information centers, staff training, etc.
The formation of a legislative framework for VPN facilities is of exceptional importance for our country. A separate problem is the development of unified management plans, especially for cluster, cross-border or large-area VPN facilities.
All this would contribute to a more reliable conservation of those unique natural objects of global significance that are located on the territory of the Russian Federation, using for this all the opportunities provided by the UNESCO Convention “On the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage”
In Russia, many priceless natural and cultural monuments are recognized as World Heritage Sites.
They are under the close attention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). We present to your attention the most protected UNESCO sites in Russia.
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square
Real symbols of Russia, which are known throughout the world and are considered the main cultural attractions of the planet. The Moscow Kremlin and Red Square were included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1990.Almost the oldest monument in Russia with numerous buildings reflects the centuries-old history of the Russian people. Unique examples of Russian foundry art are exhibited on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin - the “Tsar Cannon” weighing 40 tons and the “Tsar Bell” weighing over 200 tons and with a diameter of 6.6 m.
Lake Baikal
A unique natural monument of Eastern Siberia, Baikal was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1996. The lake is the deepest in the world and contains 19% of the planet's fresh water. When viewed from above, the lake resembles a crescent moon, covers an area of over 3 million hectares and is fed by more than 300 rivers and streams. 
The water in the lake has a high oxygen content, and thanks to its transparency, it is possible to discern a depth of up to 40 m. The age of the ancient lake is especially impressive - more than 25 million years, the complete isolation of which contributed to the development of a unique ecosystem in it.
Natural Park "Lena Pillars"
Included in the UNESCO National Heritage List in 2012, the Lena Pillars Park is the site where priceless finds from the inhabitants of the Cambrian period were discovered. The park is located in the center of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) near the coast of the Lena River, occupying 1.27 million hectares. 
The park is home to 12 species of fauna listed in the Red Book. Due to its antiquity, the park is of particular geological interest: the natural monument is distinguished by its relief dotted with caves, stone spiers, towers and niches.
Architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost
The unique architectural complex of wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990 and is an ensemble of two wooden churches and a bell tower in Karelia. 
The Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum is located here, with many objects of wooden religious architecture, including an eight-wing windmill from 1929 and the Church of the Transfiguration, built without a single nail.
Novgorod historical monuments
The architectural complexes of Veliky Novgorod and its environs were included in the UNESCO National Heritage List in 1992. The number of cultural sites includes such significant Orthodox buildings of antiquity as the Znamensky, Antoniev, Yuryev, Zverin monasteries, as well as the churches of the Nativity of Christ, the Savior on Nereditsa, and the Novgorod Detinets Kremlin. 
Nature Reserve Wrangel Island
The reserve was included in the UNESCO list in 2004. The unique protected area is known for its virtually untouched natural ecosystem dominated by the largest population of polar bears, walruses, and more than 50 species of birds. 
The territory of the reserve is located beyond the Arctic Circle, including Wrangel and Herald Islands and the waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. Despite the harsh conditions of the Arctic waters, more than 400 species of plants can be seen here.
Curonian Spit
The famous sand spit stretches for 98 km with a maximum width of up to 3.8 km, located on the dividing line of the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. The natural attraction was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 2000 and is interesting for its unique anthropogenic landscape, which is represented by a variety of reliefs - from deserts to swampy tundras. 
The spit is of great importance during the migration of 10 to 20 million birds and serves as a haven for them during rest. Only here you can find dunes up to 68 m in height, the width of which sometimes reaches 1 km.
Novodevichy Convent in Moscow
Since 2004, the monastery has been included in the UNESCO list, which since 1524 was one of the defensive structures of Moscow. In 1926, a historical museum was founded in the building of the monastery, and in 1980, the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna was located. In 1994, the convent was officially approved. There are more than eight hundred monasteries in Russia. You can read about the most beautiful temples in our article. 
Komi forest
The Komi forest area is recognized as the most pristine forests in Europe with a total area of 32,600 square meters. km, which belong to the territory of the Pechero-Ilychsky Nature Reserve and occupy part of the YugydVa National Park. 
Protected by UNESCO since 1995. The forests are distinguished by the diversity of flora and fauna, with many plant species on the verge of extinction and listed in the Red Book.
Kamchatka volcanoes
The volcanoes of Kamchatka are considered part of the planet's Pacific volcanic ring of fire and have been protected by UNESCO since 1996. The surrounding landscapes with unique nature and biological diversity are especially impressive. 
The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is still unknown. The highest volcano is considered to be Klyuchevskaya Sopka with a height of 4835 m. The editors of the site also invite you to learn more about the most beautiful places in Russia.
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Russia is a unique country. It ranks first in the world in terms of territorial area and ninth in terms of population. As of 2012, there are 25 specially protected sites in Russia. Fifteen of them have the status of a cultural attraction, the remaining ten are of a natural nature. Six of the fifteen UNESCO cultural sites in Russia are marked “i”, that is, they belong to the masterpieces of human civilization. Four out of ten natural objects have the highest aesthetic criterion “vii”.
The nature of the country is distinguished by a variety of plant and animal forms: northern mosses and lichens coexist with southern palm trees and magnolias, coniferous forests of the taiga form a striking contrast with the steppe crops of wheat and sunflowers.
Climatic, natural and cultural diversity has led to interest in it from both domestic and foreign citizens. Natural and man-made attractions, river cruises and rail travel, beach and health, sports and extreme tourism make the country attractive to all categories of vacationers.
The main attractions of Russia are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Anyone who wants to discover a great country can start by getting acquainted with twenty-five natural and man-made sites that have a cultural, historical or environmental degree of global significance. and is compiled in order to preserve and show modern people the full depth of our common civilizational heritage.
UNESCO sites in Russia - PHOTO
The northern capital of Russia was included in the UNESCO List of 36 monuments located not only in St. Petersburg itself, but also in its neighbors - Pushkin and Shlisselburg. The palace and park ensembles of the villages of Gatchina and Strelna, the Koltuvskaya and Yukkovskaya uplands, the Lindulovskaya Grove and the Komarovskoye village cemetery - all this makes up one huge cultural and natural formation, territorially and historically connected with the northern capital of Russia. It itself is represented in the UNESCO List by the historical center and the old part of the city, the Pulkovo Observatory and the palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, Shuvalovsky Park and the Vyazemsky estate, local fairways and numerous city highways.
Two wooden churches and a bell tower, built in the 18th-19th centuries in Kizhi, were included in the UNESCO List in 1990. The cultural heritage of Karelia is known throughout the world for the Church of the Transfiguration, built, according to legend, without a single nail. Since the mid-20th century, the Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum has been operating on the basis of the Kizhi Pogost. Along with the ancient original buildings, it includes objects of wooden religious architecture that were brought and erected in the immediate vicinity - for example, an eight-wing windmill built in 1928. The wooden fence of the Kizhi churchyard ensemble was reconstructed in 1959 in accordance with the principles of organizing traditional churchyard fences.
Symbols of an entire country and era - the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square - are among the most significant cultural attractions of Russia and the whole world. It seems that there is not a person on Earth who does not know what they look like. When visiting Russia, most foreigners first go to Red Square. The Moscow Kremlin is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Russia. Its majestic walls and numerous towers, its Orthodox cathedrals and palace buildings, its squares and gardens, the Armory Chamber and the Kremlin Palace of Congresses reflect the centuries-old history of the country. Adjacent to the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin, Red Square is famous not only for the Mausoleum and the Eternal Flame, but also for the numerous events organized there recently. Victory parades, concerts dedicated to Russian Independence Day, New Year's skating rinks - all this can be afforded by one of the largest pedestrian areas in Moscow.
Veliky Novgorod and its surrounding areas are included in the UNESCO list with more than ten cultural sites that are predominantly of a religious nature. Znamensky, Zverin, Antoniev and, the Church of the Nativity on the Red Field, the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, St. John the Merciful and the Annunciation on Myachina and many other Orthodox buildings belong to ancient periods of Russian history and represent unique architectural complexes. The Novgorod Detinets (that is, the Kremlin) and the part of the city related to it are interesting from the point of view of historical and architectural heritage.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was built in the 20-30s of the 15th century. It is spread over four islands of the Solovetsky archipelago. The cultural and historical ensemble "Solovetsky Islands" includes the main monastery, the Ascension and Savvatievsky skete, St. Isaac's, Makarievskaya and Filippovskaya hermitages on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, Sergievsky monastery on the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, Trinity and Golgotha-Ruspyatsky monastery and Eleazar's hermitage on Anzer and St. Andrew's deserts and stone labyrinths on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. During Soviet times, the largest special-purpose forced labor camp in the USSR, the Solovetsky special-purpose camp, operated on the monastery territory. Monastic life became possible here only at the end of 1990.
Eight architectural monuments of ancient Russian architecture, mostly of a white stone nature, were included in the UNESCO list in 1992. All of them are located on the territory of the Vladimir region and belong to the Orthodox culture of Russia. In Vladimir there are three UNESCO-protected sites: the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, built in the 12th century, as well as the Golden Gate. In Suzdal there is a 12th-century Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral and the Spaso-Efimievsky Monastery, built in the 16th-17th centuries. The village of Bogolyubovo is known to Orthodox pilgrims for the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky and the magnificent. The Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha is the first white stone building in northeastern Rus'.
Built in the 16th century, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord is the first stone Orthodox church to use a tent instead of a classic dome. According to legend, it was erected on the occasion of the birth of Ivan the Terrible. The place for the temple was chosen on the right bank of the Moscow River, famous for its miraculous spring. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord has the appearance of a centric temple-tower, rising above the ground to a height of 62 meters. The architectural design of the church shows features of the early Renaissance. The temple is surrounded in a circle by a two-tiered gallery-promenade.
The Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius was founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1337. Currently it is the largest Orthodox monastery in Russia. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is located in the center of Sergiev Posad, a city in the Moscow region. The designation “Laurel” indicates the crowded, large population of the monastery. The architectural ensemble of the monastery consists of fifty buildings of various functional purposes. Among them there are Orthodox cathedrals, numerous bell towers, and royal palaces. Boris Godunov and members of his family found their final refuge in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
The virgin forests of Komi are known as the largest intact forests growing in Europe. They occupy an area of 32,600 square kilometers in the north of the Ural Mountains, within the Pechero-Ilychsky Nature Reserve and the Yugyd Va National Park. In terms of their composition, Komi forests belong to the taiga ecosystem. They are dominated by coniferous trees. The western part of the forests is in the foothills area, the eastern part is in the mountains themselves. The Komi forest is distinguished by the diversity of not only flora, but also fauna. More than two hundred species of birds live here, and rare species of fish are found. Many forest plants are protected.
For the whole world, Baikal is a lake, for residents of Russia, who are in love with a unique natural object, Baikal is a sea! Located in Eastern Siberia, it is the deepest lake on the planet and, at the same time, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water by volume. The shape of Baikal looks like a crescent. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 meters with an average depth of 744. Baikal contains 19 percent of all fresh water on the planet. The lake is fed by more than three hundred rivers and streams. Baikal water has a high oxygen content. Its temperature rarely exceeds plus 8-9 degrees Celsius even in summer in the surface area. The water of the lake is so clean and transparent that it allows you to see at a depth of up to forty meters.
The volcanoes of Kamchatka are part of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire - a large chain of the main active volcanoes of the planet. Unique natural sites were included in the UNESCO List in 1996, along with adjacent areas characterized by picturesque views and biological diversity. The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is unknown. Scientists talk about several hundred and even thousands of objects. About thirty of them are classified as active. The most famous Kamchatka volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka - the highest volcano in Eurasia and the most active on the peninsula. The volcanoes of Kamchatka have different volcanic origins and are divided into two belts superimposed on each other - the Middle and East Kamchatka.
A large biosphere reserve in the Primorsky Territory was originally created to preserve the sable population. Currently, it represents the most convenient place for observing the life of the Amur tiger. A huge number of plants grow on the territory of the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve. More than a thousand higher species, more than a hundred mosses, about four hundred lichens, more than six hundred species of algae and more than five hundred fungi. The local fauna is represented by a large number of birds, marine invertebrates and insects. Many plants, birds, animals and insects are protected species. Schisandra chinensis and edelweiss Palibina, spotted deer and Himalayan bear, black kite and Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon and swallowtail butterfly - they all found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve.
The three most significant areas of the Altai Mountains - the Altai and Katunsky reserves and the Ukok plateau - were included in the UNESCO list in 1998 under the name “Golden Mountains of Altai”. Mount Belukha and Lake Teletskoye were also included in the list of protected geographical sites. The Altai Mountains received the natural criterion “x” for the most fully presented picture of alpine vegetation. In this area, five belts follow one after another: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed, subalpine and alpine. The territory of the golden mountains of Altai is home to rare species of animals - snow leopard, Siberian mountain goat and others.
The basin of Lake Uvs-Nur, located in the Republic of Tyva, belongs to both Russia and Mongolia. On the part of the Russian Federation, it is represented by the Ubsunur Basin biosphere nature reserve, which includes both the waters of the lake itself and the adjacent land areas. The latter is home to a unique and, in many ways, diverse ecosystem of the region - here you can find both glaciers and the northernmost deserts in Eurasia. On the territory of the Ubsunur depression there are taiga zones, forest and classical steppes, alpine tundra and meadows. The area of the reserve is replete with several tens of thousands of unexcavated burial mounds of ancient nomadic tribes.
Located in the Western Caucasus, the natural biosphere reserve belongs to the category of state ones. It is a large natural formation belonging to two climatic zones - temperate and subtropical. More than 900 species of vascular plants and 700 species of fungi grow on the territory of the reserve. Initially, the Caucasian Reserve was called the bison reserve. Nowadays, it was decided to abandon this definition, since, in addition to bison, there are a large number of other mammals in the Western Caucasus, each of which needs state protection. Today, on the territory of the reserve you can find wild boars and roe deer, Western Caucasian tur and brown bear, Caucasian mink and bison.
Not only the Moscow and Novgorod Kremlin are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Kazan Kremlin is also among the culturally significant objects of world significance. Its historical and architectural complex, consisting of a white-stone Kremlin, temples and other buildings, is a monument of three historical periods: XII-XIII, XIV-XV and XV-XVI centuries. The Kremlin territory of Kazan has the shape of an irregular polygon, coinciding in outline with the hill on which the ancient settlement is located. Initially, the Kazan Kremlin was a Bulgarian fortress. Then it came under the rule of the Kazan Khanate. After the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the first Orthodox churches appeared on Kremlin territory. In 2005, in honor of the millennium of Kazan, the main mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kul Sharif, was built within the Kazan Kremlin.
Currently, the Ferapontov Monastery is one of the inactive monasteries. The Ferapontovsky branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve and the unique Museum of Dionysian Frescoes located there became a stumbling block between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2000, the Ferapontov Monastery was included in the UNESCO List, which finally gave it the status of not so much a religious, but a cultural heritage of humanity. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is represented by the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, painted by the famous Moscow icon painter of the 15th-16th centuries - Dionysius, the monumental Church of the Annunciation, the treasury chamber and service buildings.
The Curonian Spit is a long, narrow strip of sandy land that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. According to its geographical status, this natural object is sometimes classified as a peninsula. The length of the Curonian Spit is 98 kilometers, the width is from 400 to 4 kilometers. The saber-shaped strip of land belongs half to Russia, half to Lithuania. On Russian territory, the Curonian Spit contains the national park of the same name. The original peninsula was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its biological diversity. Numerous landscapes, from deserts to tundra, a large amount of flora and fauna, as well as the ancient migration route of birds make the Curonian Spit a unique natural complex that needs protection.
The southernmost city of Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan, Derbent, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The first settlements on its territory arose at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The city acquired its modern appearance in 438. In those distant times, Derbent was a Persian fortress, consisting of the Naryn-Kala citadel and double walls descending to the Caspian Sea. The ancient fortress, old town and fortifications of Derbent were included in the UNESCO List in 2003. Naryn-Kala has survived to this day in the form of ruins, an ancient fire-worshipping temple, a mosque, bathhouses and water reservoirs located on its territory.
Wrangel Island, located in the Arctic Ocean, was discovered in 1849. In 1926, the first polar station was created on it, in 1948 the island was inhabited by domesticated reindeer, and in 1975 by musk oxen. The latest event led to the fact that the authorities of the Magadan region decided to establish a nature reserve on Wrangel Island, which also included the neighboring Herald Island. At the end of the 20th century, the adjacent water areas also became part of the Wrangel Island nature reserve. The island's flora consists mainly of ancient plant species. The fauna of the area is poorly developed: most often, birds and walruses are found here, which have established their main Russian rookery on Wrangel Island.
The Novodevichy Mother of God-Smolensk Monastery was founded in 1524 in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria”. The location of the Orthodox women's monastery is the Maiden's Field in Moscow. In the center of the monastery is the five-domed Smolensk Cathedral, from which the creation of the entire architectural ensemble of the religious monument of the Russian capital began. In the 17th century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a bell tower, a refectory, the Lopukhinsky, Mariinsky and Funeral Chambers were built around it.
The historical center of Yaroslavl, consisting of Rubleny Gorod (the local Kremlin) and Zemlyanoy Gorod, was noted by UNESCO in 2005 as an outstanding architectural example of urban planning reform carried out under Catherine II. Construction from the time of classicism took place near the parish church of Elijah the Prophet, in front of which there was a semicircular square. Streets were drawn to it, each of which ended with an architectural monument that was earlier in construction - the Assumption Cathedral on Strelka, the Znamenskaya and Uglichskaya towers, the Church of Simeon the Stylite.
A network of 265 geodetic reference points, created in the first half of the 19th century to study earth parameters, is currently found in many European cities. On Russian territory it is represented by two points - “Point Mäkipällus” and “Point Z”, located on the island of Gogland. Of more than two hundred objects of the Struve arc, only 34 points have survived to this day, which served as the basis for including a unique scientific monument of humanity in the List of especially valuable cultural objects of our time.
Like many natural sites in Russia included in the UNESCO List, the Putarana Plateau was included in it due to the unique combination of different ecological systems. Located within an isolated mountain range, the Putorana State Nature Reserve combines the subarctic and arctic zones, taiga, forest-tundra and arctic desert within its territory. The Putorana subspecies of the snow leopard, listed in the Red Book of Russia, lives on the territory of the reserve. The world's largest population of wild reindeer also winters on the plateau.
Located on the territory of the Sakha Republic, the Lena Pillars are the most recent Russian site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. The geological formation, located on the banks of the Lena, is a multi-kilometer complex of vertically elongated rocks. The basis of this unique natural monument is Cambrian limestone. Scientists attribute the beginning of the formation of the Lena Pillars to the Early Cambrian, a time 560 million years distant from ours. The relief form of the Lena Pillars was formed much later - only 400 thousand years ago. Near the Lena Pillars there is a natural park of the same name. On its territory there are blowing sands and the site of an ancient man. Fossilized remains of mammoths are also found here.
The most important tourist and recreational resources, which often determine a tourist’s choice of travel route, include unique natural and cultural landscapes, historical and cultural monuments, which are designated as “natural and cultural heritage” and are declared national treasures by many countries. Of particular importance are the sites included by UNESCO in the list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites began to be compiled in 1972, when the Convention for the Protection of Outstanding Cultural and Natural Sites was adopted. This includes archaeological sites, unique cultural landscapes, historical city centers and individual architectural monuments that have become the property of all mankind, monuments that represent an example of the traditional way of life, monuments associated with teachings and beliefs of global significance, nature reserves, etc.
At the beginning of 2010, the list of cultural and natural heritage sites included 890 objects, incl. 689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed (natural and cultural). In fact, there are much more of them (over a thousand), because some of them include entire complexes and architectural ensembles, such as the castles of the Loire Valley or palaces and temples in the historical center of St. Petersburg. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in 148, the first twenty of which are presented in Table. 4.
Table 4.
There is a clear disproportion in the distribution of World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites across parts of the world: 44% of UNESCO sites are in Europe, and another 23.5% are in Asia (Table 5). The marked contrast is even more noticeable in the distribution of cultural monuments - 3/4 of the world's cultural heritage is concentrated (50% in Europe and 25% -). This phenomenon is explained by the Eurocentricity of modern world culture, and the preserved heritage of ancient civilizations of the East, on the one hand, and the youth of European civilization in America, Australia, and the almost unpreserved heritage of ancient African civilizations, on the other hand.
Table 5.
America holds the lead in natural monuments in the world, significantly ahead of Europe in this regard. Due to natural monuments, Africa and Australia are also noticeably moving up in the general list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We also note that in the distribution of UNESCO World Heritage sites among the three structural elements there is no such disproportion as in the geography of international tourism. World Heritage sites are divided in approximately equal proportions between the post-industrial “core”, the industrial “semi-periphery” and the agricultural “periphery” (Table 6).
Table 6.
Distribution of UNESCO World Heritage sites by structural
elements of the world economic hierarchy
However, additional (relative) indicators of the distribution of natural and cultural monuments recognized by UNESCO still indicate their greater concentration in the post-industrial “core”. In terms of the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites per unit area, the “core” is almost twice the world average, and in terms of the number of natural and cultural monuments in proportion to the population – almost three times.
In terms of the density of UNESCO World Heritage sites (i.e., in terms of their number per unit area), the leading positions in the world are occupied by small but densely populated sites: , etc. (Table 7, Fig. 4). In most cases, these countries act as the most famous centers of attraction for foreign tourists in Europe and the world.
Table 7.
Top 20 countries and Russia by number of World Heritage sites
UNESCO per unit area and in proportion to population
It is quite natural that large countries, such as Russia, the USA, Brazil, Australia, etc., occupy quite low positions in terms of the density of UNESCO World Heritage sites. For this reason, we propose another relative indicator characterizing the location of natural and cultural monuments in the world: the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in proportion to the population of states (Table 7, Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Number of UNESCO World Heritage sites per 10 million inhabitants.
Apparently, the relatively more even distribution of UNESCO World Heritage sites across countries and continents, compared to the current global tourist flows, should in the near future affect the increase in the weight of the “semi-periphery” in the tourism industry of the world economy, and in the more distant future perspective – and the “periphery”. Tourism can play the role of a locomotive of post-industrial development in countries of the “semi-periphery” and “periphery”.
