Report on any World Natural Heritage site. Little-known UNESCO monuments in Russia that not everyone knows about
World Heritage sites included in the UNESCO special list are of enormous interest to the entire population of the planet. Unique natural and cultural objects make it possible to preserve those unique corners of nature and man-made monuments that demonstrate the richness of nature and the capabilities of the human mind.
As of July 1, 2009, the World Heritage List included 890 sites (including 689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed) in 148 countries: individual architectural structures and ensembles - the Acropolis, cathedrals in Amiens and Chartres, the historical center of Warsaw (Poland) and St. Petersburg (Russia), Moscow Kremlin and Red Square (Russia), etc.; cities - Brasilia, Venice along with the lagoon, etc.; archaeological reserves - Delphi, etc.; national parks - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Yellowstone (USA) and others. States on whose territory World Heritage sites are located undertake obligations to preserve them.
1) Tourists examine the Buddhist sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes (Dragon Gate) near the city of Luoyang in the Chinese province of Henan. There are more than 2,300 caves in this place; 110,000 Buddhist images, more than 80 dagobas (Buddhist mausoleums) containing relics of Buddhas, as well as 2,800 inscriptions on rocks near the Yishui River, a kilometer long. Buddhism was first introduced to China in these places during the reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty. (China Photos/Getty Images)
2) Bayon Temple in Cambodia is famous for its many giant stone faces. There are more than 1,000 temples in the Angkor region, which range from nondescript piles of brick and rubble scattered among rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, considered the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored. More than a million tourists visit them every year. (Voishmel/AFP - Getty Images)
3) One of the parts of the archaeological site of Al-Hijr - also known as Madain Salih. This complex, located in the northern regions of Saudi Arabia, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 6, 2008. The complex includes 111 rock burials (1st century BC - 1st century AD), as well as a system of hydraulic structures dating back to the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, which was the center of caravan trade. There are also about 50 rock inscriptions dating back to the Pre-Nabatean period. (Hassan Ammar/AFP - Getty Images)
4) "Garganta del Diablo" (Devil's Throat) waterfalls are located in the Iguazu National Park in the Argentine province of Misiones. Depending on the water level in the Iguazu River, the park has from 160 to 260 waterfalls, as well as over 2000 species of plants and 400 bird species.Iguazu National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Christian Rizzi/AFP - Getty Images)
5) The mysterious Stonehenge is a stone megalithic structure consisting of 150 huge stones, and located on Salisbury Plain in the English county of Wiltshire. This ancient monument is believed to have been built in 3000 BC. Stonehenge was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
6) Tourists stroll at the Bafang Pavilion at the Summer Palace, the famous classical imperial garden in Beijing. The Summer Palace, built in 1750, was destroyed in 1860 and restored in 1886. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. (China Photos/Getty Images)
7) Statue of Liberty at sunset in New York. "Lady Liberty", which was given to the United States by France, stands at the entrance to New York Harbor. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Seth Wenig/AP)
8) "Solitario George" (Lonely George), the last living giant tortoise of this species, born on Pinta Island, lives in Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. She is now approximately 60-90 years old. The Galapagos Islands were originally included on the World Heritage List in 1978, but were listed as endangered in 2007. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP - Getty Images)
9) People skate on the ice of the canals in the area of the Kinderdijk mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located near Rotterdam. Kinderdijk has the largest collection of historic mills in the Netherlands and is one of the top attractions in South Holland. Decorating holidays taking place here with balloons gives a certain flavor to this place. (Peter Dejong/AP)
10) View of the Perito Moreno glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park, in the southeast of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The site was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1981. The glacier is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentine part of Patagonia and the 3rd largest glacier in the world after Antarctica and Greenland. (Daniel Garcia/AFP - Getty Images)
11) Terraced gardens in the northern Israeli city of Haifa surround the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, founder of the Baha'i faith. Here is the world administrative and spiritual center of the Baha'i religion, the number of professers of which worldwide is less than six million. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 8, 2008. (David Silverman/Getty Images)
12) Aerial photography of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. According to the World Heritage website, this small state is home to a unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces. The Vatican was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Giulio Napolitano/AFP - Getty Images)
13) Colorful underwater scenes of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This thriving ecosystem is home to the world's largest collection of coral reefs, including 400 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish. The Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. (AFP - Getty Images)
14) Camels rest in the ancient city of Petra in front of Jordan's main monument, Al Khazneh or the treasury, believed to be the tomb of a Nabatean king carved from sandstone. This city, located between the Red and Dead Seas, is at the crossroads of Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Phenicia. Petra was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1985. (Thomas Coex/AFP - Getty Images)
15) The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous and easily recognizable buildings in the world, a symbol of Sydney and one of the main attractions of Australia. The Sydney Opera House was designated a World Heritage Site in 2007. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP - Getty Images)
16) Rock paintings made by the San people in the Drakensberg Mountains, located in eastern South Africa. The San people lived in the Drakensberg region for thousands of years until they were destroyed in clashes with the Zulus and white settlers. They left behind incredible rock art in the Drakensberg Mountains, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. (Alexander Joe/AFP - Getty Images)
17) General view of the city of Shibam, located in the east of Yemen in the Hadhramaut province. Shibam is famous for its incomparable architecture, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program. All the houses here are built of clay bricks; approximately 500 houses can be considered multi-story, as they have 5-11 floors. Often called "the world's oldest skyscraper city" or "Desert Manhattan", Shibam is also the oldest example of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. (Khaled Fazaa/AFP - Getty Images)
18) Gondolas along the shore of the Grand Canal in Venice. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is visible in the background. Island Venice is a seaside resort, a center of international tourism of world importance, a venue for international film festivals, art and architectural exhibitions. Venice was included in the UNESCO World Heritage program in 1987. (AP)
19) Some of the 390 abandoned huge statues made of compressed volcanic ash (moai in Rapa Nui) at the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano on Easter Island, 3,700 km off the coast of Chile. Rapa Nui National Park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program since 1995. (Martin Bernetti/AFP - Getty Images)
20) Visitors walk along the Great Wall of China in the Simatai area, northeast of Beijing. This largest architectural monument was built as one of the four main strategic strongholds to defend against invading tribes from the north. The 8,851.8 km long Great Wall is one of the largest construction projects ever completed. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP - Getty Images)
21) Temple in Hampi, near the South Indian city of Hospet, north of Bangalore. Hampi is located in the middle of the ruins of Vijayanagara - the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi and its monuments were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP - Getty Images)
22) A Tibetan pilgrim turns prayer mills on the grounds of the Potala Palace in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. The Potala Palace is a royal palace and Buddhist temple complex that was the main residence of the Dalai Lama. Today, the Potala Palace is a museum actively visited by tourists, remaining a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and continuing to be used in Buddhist rituals. Due to its enormous cultural, religious, artistic and historical significance, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP - Getty Images)
23) Inca citadel Machu Picchu in the Peruvian city of Cusco. Machu Picchu, especially after receiving UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983, has become a center of mass tourism. The city is visited by 2,000 tourists per day; In order to preserve the monument, UNESCO demands that the number of tourists per day be reduced to 800. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP - Getty Images)
24) Kompon-daito Buddhist pagoda on Mount Koya, Wakayama Province, Japan. Mount Koya, located east of Osaka, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In 819, the first Buddhist monk Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school, a branch of Japanese Buddhism, settled here. (Everett Kennedy Brown/EPA)
25) Tibetan women walk around the Bodhnath Stupa in Kathmandu - one of the most ancient and revered Buddhist shrines. On the edges of the tower crowning it are depicted the “eyes of Buddha” inlaid with ivory. Kathmandu Valley, about 1300 m high, is a mountain valley and historical region of Nepal. There are many Buddhist and Hindu temples here, from the Boudhanath stupa to tiny street altars in the walls of houses. Locals say that 10 million Gods live in the Kathmandu Valley. The Kathmandu Valley was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
26) A bird flies over the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum-mosque located in the Indian city of Agra. It was built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. The architectural marvel was also named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" in 2007. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP - Getty Images)
27) Situated in north-eastern Wales, the 18-kilometre long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a feat of Industrial Revolution-era civil engineering, completed in the early years of the 19th century. Still in use more than 200 years after its opening, it is one of the busiest sections of the UK canal network, handling around 15,000 boats a year. In 2009, the Pontkysilte Aqueduct was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a "landmark in the history of civil engineering during the Industrial Revolution". This aqueduct is one of the unusual monuments to plumbers and plumbing (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
28) A herd of elk grazes in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park. Mount Holmes, to the left, and Mount Dome are visible in the background. In Yellowstone National Park, which occupies almost 900 thousand hectares, there are more than 10 thousand geysers and thermal springs. The park was included in the World Heritage program in 1978. (Kevork Djansezian/AP)
29) Cubans drive an old car along the Malecon promenade in Havana. UNESCO added Old Havana and its fortifications to the World Heritage List in 1982. Although Havana has expanded to a population of over 2 million, its old center retains an interesting mixture of Baroque and neoclassical monuments and homogeneous ensembles of private houses with arcades, balconies, wrought iron gates and courtyards. (Javier Galeano/AP)
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added 19 new sites to its list of World Heritage Sites.
New features include a mountain range in Mexico, mountains in France, a cathedral in Germany and a forest in Canada.
These places are listed as protected areas for future generations.
The World Heritage Committee announced this last week after a meeting in Bahrain.
The committee selects sites around the world that need to be preserved for their cultural, historical or scientific significance. The list already includes the Indian Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu in Peru and many others
Once a location is specified, it receives legal protection under international treaties.
Check out the amazing places around the world that have been added to the list.
1. Colombia's Chiribiquete National Park is a new member. The park has a huge variety of plants found in the Amazon Valley. 
Chiribiquete has been a national park since 1989. Only a small part of the park has been studied, as it is difficult to access, but it is known that there is also a diverse fauna there, from jaguars to hummingbirds. 
The park contains rock art in 60 caves that is approximately 20,000 years old. 
2. China's Fangjingsan Mountain was added to the list due to its beauty and biodiversity. A mountain up to 2,570 meters above sea level, it is home to a number of endangered species. 
Fanjingsan is home to plant species that originated 65 million years ago, and there are also waterfalls 
3. The Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Shanghai consist of seven temples dating from the 7th to 9th centuries. 
These sacred monasteries have survived centuries. 
4. The Spanish caliphate city of Medina Azahara, an architectural site dating back to the 11th century, was once the seat of the Caliphate of Cordoba. 
The city has been open to tourists since the beginning of the 20th century. 
5. Aasivissuit-Nipisat Hunting Grounds in Greenland The area "contains evidence of 4,200 years of human history." 
Arctic territories contain archaeological sites. 
6. Germany's Naumburg Cathedral is "an outstanding testament to medieval art and architecture," according to UNESCO. Part of the cathedral dates back to the 13th century. 
7. The island of Kyushu in Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan contains a village built by the first Christian settlers in Japan between the 16th and 19th centuries. 
8. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey contains ancient sites created by hunting tribes between 9,600 and 8,200 BC. 
9. The Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Valley in Mexico has the richest biodiversity in all of North America and a large number of endangered cacti, as well as archaeological sites. 
10. Chaine des Puys - 80 dormant volcanoes in the center of France stretch over 40 kilometers. Visitors can take a train to the highest peak. 
11. South Africa's Barberton Mahonwa Mountains "represent the best-preserved remnants of volcanic and sedimentary rocks from 3.6 to 3.25 billion years ago, when the first continents began to form on primitive Earth." 
12. At the archaeological site of Hedeby in Germany there are remains of a trading town with traces of roads, buildings, cemeteries and a harbour. 
13. The Pimahyowin Aki Forest in China has rivers, lakes, wetlands and forest. It is part of the ancestral home of the Anishinabeg First Nations people. 
14. The Italian city of Ivrea is an industrial city designed by leading Italian city planners and architects, mainly between the 1930s and 1960s. UNESCO believes that the city "expresses a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture." 
15. UNESCO has recognized a series of eight archaeological sites in Iran for the way they show the influence that Achaemenid, Parthian and Roman traditions had in the Islamic era. 
16. Victorian Gothic architecture of Mumbai and Art Deco. A row of Art Deco apartment buildings along the shores of the Arabian Sea can be seen in the picture below. 
17. According to UNESCO, the archaeological site of Kenya at Thimlihe Ohinga was probably built in the 16th century. The settlements appear to have served as forts for communities and livestock. The site, the organization says, is "the largest and best of these traditional enclosures." 
18. On the east coast of Oman, the ancient city of Qalhat was a major port city between the 11th and 15th centuries AD. “Today it has unique archaeological evidence of trade links between the eastern coast of Arabia, East Africa, India, China and Southeast Asia,” UNESCO said in a statement. 
Al Ahsa from Saudi Arabia is the largest oasis in the world. Boasting 2.5 million date palms, the area has been home to people from the Neolithic era to the present day. 
The adoption in 1972 by the international organization UNESCO of the Convention for the Protection of the World Heritage of Humanity was due to serious global changes in the human environment. The need for additional measures aimed at improving the environment, in which man is inextricably linked with nature and ensures the preservation of cultural heritage inherited from past generations, has become obvious.
Natural heritage
The list of World Natural Heritage monuments includes objects of both living and inanimate nature. Monuments of world significance include all the most famous natural wonders of exceptional beauty and value for all humanity. These are objects such as the Grand Canyon, Iguazu Falls, Mount Chomolungma, Komodo Island, Mount Kilimanjaro, and many dozens of other objects. World Natural Heritage sites in Russia include Lake Baikal, volcanoes, primeval Komi forests, the island, the Ubsunur Basin, the mountains of the Western Caucasus, Central Sikhote-Alin and Altai.
The list of World Heritage sites also includes specially protected areas where endangered species of animals and plants live. Tanzania's Serengeti and Ngorongoro national parks protect several million wild animals of various species. On the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), giant sea turtles, iguana lizards and other animals, most of which are endemic, are protected.
Cultural heritage
The various World Cultural Heritage monuments can be grouped into several groups.
Firstly, these are historical city centers or even entire cities, reflecting the architectural styles of different eras. In Europe, these are the cities of the Ancient World - Rome and Athens, the oldest temples and palaces of which were built in the style of classicism. Medieval Florence and Venice, Krakow and Prague retain majestic Catholic cathedrals and luxurious Renaissance palaces. In Asia, this is the center of three Jerusalem, the ancient capital. In America - the capital of the Aztec Empire, the Incan fortress city of Machu Picchu in Peru.
Secondly, the number of cultural heritage sites includes individual architectural masterpieces. These are, for example, religious centers in Europe (Cologne and Rheims Cathedrals, Canterbury and Westminster Abbeys) and in Asia (Buddhist temples of Borobudur and Angor-Watt, mausoleum).
Thirdly, unique monuments of engineering art become objects of cultural heritage. Among them, for example, the Iron Bridge (England), the most grandiose creation of human hands - the Great Wall of China.
Fourthly, these are the most ancient religious buildings and archaeological monuments of primitiveness and the Ancient World. Examples of such objects include the English, Greek ruins of Delphi and Olympia, and the ruins of Carthage in.
Fifthly, memorial sites associated with historical events or the activities of famous people become special heritage objects.
Currently, there are 26 World Heritage Sites located on the territory of the Russian Federation:
16 cultural sites (designated with the letter C - cultural) and 10 natural heritage sites (designated with the letter N - natural) on the World Heritage List.
Three of them are transboundary, i.e. located on the territory of several states: Curonian Spit (Lithuania, Russian Federation), Ubsunur Basin (Mongolia, Russian Federation), Struve Geodetic Arc (Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Estonia)
The first objects - “Historical Center St. Petersburg and associated groups of monuments”, “Kizhi Pogost”, “Moscow Kremlin and Red Square” - were included in the World Heritage List at the 14th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in 1990 in the Canadian city of Banff.
14th Session of the World Heritage Committee - 1990 (Banff, Canada)
№С540 - Historical center St. Petersburg and related groups of monuments
Criteria (i) (ii) (iv) (vi)
The "Venice of the North", with its many canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a great urban planning project, begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. The city turned out to be closely connected with the October Revolution of 1917, and in 1924-1991. it bore the name Leningrad. Its architectural heritage combines such different styles as Baroque and Classicism, which can be seen in the example of the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage.
Information about the object:
No. S544 - Kizhi Pogost
Criteria: (i)(iv)(v)
Kizhi Pogost is located on one of the many islands of Lake Onega, in Karelia. Here you can see two wooden churches from the 18th century, as well as an octagonal bell tower, built of wood in 1862. These unusual structures, the pinnacle of carpentry, represent an example of an ancient church parish and blend harmoniously with the surrounding natural landscape.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
No. C545 - Moscow Kremlin and Red Square
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)(vi)
This place is inextricably linked with the most important historical and political events in the life of Russia. Since the 13th century. The Moscow Kremlin, created in the period from the 14th century. to the 17th century by outstanding Russian and foreign architects, it was a grand ducal and then a royal residence, as well as a religious center. On Red Square, located near the walls of the Kremlin, stands St. Basil's Cathedral - a true masterpiece of Russian Orthodox architecture.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Moscow Kremlin Museums
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
16th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1992 (Santa Fe, USA)
No. C604 - Historical monuments of Veliky Novgorod and its environs
Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)
Novgorod, advantageously located on the ancient trade route between Central Asia and Northern Europe, was in the 9th century. the first capital of Russia, the center of Orthodox spirituality and Russian architecture. Its medieval monuments, churches and monasteries, as well as the frescoes of Theophanes the Greek (Andrei Rublev's teacher), dating back to the 14th century, clearly illustrate the outstanding level of architectural and artistic creativity.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Novgorod Region
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
No. C632 - Historical and cultural complex of the Solovetsky Islands
Criterion: (iv)
The Solovetsky archipelago, located in the western part of the White Sea, consists of 6 islands with a total area of more than 300 square meters. km. They were inhabited in the 5th century. BC, however, the very first evidence of human presence here dates back to the 3rd-2nd millennia BC. The islands, starting from the 15th century, became the site of the creation and active development of the largest monastery in the Russian North. There are also several churches from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Solovetsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve"
on the website "Museums of Russia"
No. C633 - White stone monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)
These two ancient cultural centers of Central Russia occupy an important place in the history of the formation of the country's architecture. There are a number of majestic religious and public buildings of the 12th-13th centuries, among which the Assumption and Demetrius Cathedrals (Vladimir) stand out.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
17th session of the World Heritage Committee -1993 (Cartagena, Colombia)
No. C657 - Architectural ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad
Criteria: (ii)(iv)
This is a striking example of a functioning Orthodox monastery, which has the features of a fortress, which was fully consistent with the spirit of the time of its formation - the 15th-18th centuries. In the main temple of the Lavra - the Assumption Cathedral, created in the image and likeness of the cathedral of the same name in the Moscow Kremlin - there is the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev.
Information about the object:
on website of the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
18th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1994 (Phuket, Thailand)
№С634rev- Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye (Moscow)
Criterion: (ii)
This church was built in 1532 on the royal estate of Kolomenskoye near Moscow to commemorate the birth of the heir - the future Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. The Church of the Ascension, which is one of the earliest examples of the traditional hipped roof construction in stone, had a great influence on the further development of Russian church architecture.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
19th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1995 (Berlin, Germany)
N719 - Virgin forests of Komi
Criteria: (vii) (ix)
Covering an area of 3.28 million hectares, the heritage site includes lowland tundra, mountain tundra of the Urals, and one of the largest tracts of primary boreal forest remaining in Europe. A vast area of swamps, rivers and lakes, home to conifers, birch and aspen, has been studied and protected for more than 50 years. Here you can trace the course of natural processes that determine the biodiversity of the taiga ecosystem.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
20th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1996 (Merida, Mexico)
№ N754 - Lake Baikal
Criteria: (vii) (viii) (ix) (x)
Located in the southeast of Siberia and covering an area of 3.15 million hectares, Baikal is recognized as the oldest (25 million years old) and deepest (about 1700 m) lake on the planet. The reservoir stores approximately 20% of the world's fresh water reserves. In the lake, which is known as the “Galapagos of Russia,” due to its ancient age and isolation, a freshwater ecosystem, unique even by world standards, has formed, the study of which is of enduring importance for understanding the evolution of life on Earth.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
22nd Session of the World Heritage Committee - 1998 (Kyoto, Japan)
№ N768rev - “Golden Mountains of Altai”
Criteria: (x)
The Altai Mountains, which are the main mountainous region in the south of Western Siberia, form the sources of the largest rivers in this region - the Ob and Irtysh. The heritage site includes three separate areas: the Altai Reserve with the water protection zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Reserve plus the Belukha Nature Park, and the Ukok Plateau. The total area is 1.64 million hectares. The region demonstrates the widest range of altitudinal zones within Central Siberia: from steppes, forest-steppes and mixed forests to subalpine and alpine meadows and glaciers. The area is home to endangered animals such as the snow leopard.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
23rd session of the World Heritage Committee - 1999 (Marrakesh, Morocco)
№
N900
- Western Caucasus
Criteria: (ix) (x)
This is one of the few large high mountain ranges in Europe where nature has not yet been subject to significant anthropogenic influence. The area of the object is approximately 300 thousand hectares, it is located in the west of the Greater Caucasus, 50 km northeast of the Black Sea coast. Only wild animals graze in the local alpine and subalpine meadows, and the vast untouched mountain forests, stretching from the low-mountain zone to the subalpine, are also unique in Europe. The area is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems, highly endemic flora and fauna, and is an area once inhabited, and later re-acclimatized, by a mountain subspecies of the European bison.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
24th Session of the World Heritage Committee - 2000 (Cairns, Australia)
No. C980 - Historical and architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin
Criteria: (ii) (iii) (iv)
Emerging from a territory inhabited since ancient times, the Kazan Kremlin traces its history back to the Muslim period in the history of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. It was conquered in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible and became a stronghold of Orthodoxy in the Volga region. The Kremlin, which largely preserved the layout of the ancient Tatar fortress and became an important center of pilgrimage, includes outstanding historical buildings of the 16th-19th centuries, built on the ruins of earlier structures of the 10th-16th centuries.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve "Kazan Kremlin"
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
No. C982 - Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery
Criteria: (i) (iv)
Ferapontov Monastery is located in the Vologda region, in the north of the European part of Russia. This is an exceptionally well-preserved Orthodox monastery complex of the 15th-17th centuries, i.e. a period that was of great importance for the formation of a centralized Russian state and the development of its culture. The architecture of the monastery is unique and holistic. The interior of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary preserves magnificent wall frescoes by Dionysius, the greatest Russian artist of the late 15th century.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve”
on the website of the Museum of Frescoes of Dionysius
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
№С994 - Curonian Spit
Transboundary object: Lithuania, Russian Federation
Criterion: (v)
Human development of this narrow sandy peninsula, which has a length of 98 km and a width of 400 m to 4 km, began in prehistoric times. The spit was also exposed to natural forces - wind and sea waves. The preservation of this unique cultural landscape to this day has become possible only thanks to man's ongoing struggle against erosion processes (fixation of dunes, forest planting).
Information about the object:
on the website of the Curonian Spit National Park (Russia)
on the website of the Curonian Spit National Park (Lithuania)
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
25th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2001 (Helsinki, Finland)
№
N766rev - Central Sikhote-Alin
Criterion: (x)
The Sikhote-Alin Mountains are home to Far Eastern coniferous-deciduous forests, which are recognized as one of the richest and most original in species composition among all temperate forests on Earth. In this transition zone, located at the junction of the taiga and subtropics, there is an unusual mixture of southern (tiger, Himalayan bear) and northern animal species (brown bear, lynx). The area stretches from the highest peaks of the Sikhote Alin to the coast of the Sea of Japan, and serves as a refuge for many endangered species, including the Amur tiger.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
27th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2003 (Paris, France)
№
N769 rev- Ubsunur Basin
Transboundary site: Mongolia, Russian Federation
Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site (with an area of 1,069 thousand hectares) is located within the boundaries of the northernmost of all drainage basins in Central Asia. Its name comes from the name of the vast shallow and very salty lake Ubsunur, in the area of which a mass of migratory, waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds accumulate. The object consists of 12 isolated areas (including seven areas in Russia, with an area of 258.6 thousand hectares), which represent all the main types of landscapes characteristic of Eastern Eurasia. The steppes are home to a wide variety of birds, and desert areas are home to rare species of small mammals. In the high mountainous part, such globally rare animals as the snow leopard and argali mountain sheep, as well as the Siberian ibex, are noted.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Tuvan Republican Branch of the Russian Geographical Society
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
No. C1070 - Citadel, Old Town and fortifications of Derbent
Criteria: (iii) (iv)
Ancient Derbent was located on the northern borders of Sasanian Persia, which at that time extended east and west from the Caspian Sea. The ancient fortifications, built of stone, include two fortress walls that run parallel to each other from the seashore to the mountains. The city of Derbent developed between these two walls and has retained its medieval character to this day. It continued to be a strategically important place until the 19th century.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Budgetary Institution "Derbent State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve"
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
28th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2004 (Suzhou, China)
No. S1097 - Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent (Moscow)
Criteria: (i) (iv) (vi)
The Novodevichy Convent, located in the southwest of Moscow, was created during the 16th-17th centuries and was one of the links in the chain of monastic ensembles united in the city’s defense system. The monastery was closely connected with the political, cultural and religious life of Russia, as well as with the Moscow Kremlin. Representatives of the royal family, noble boyar and noble families were tonsured and buried here. The ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent is one of the masterpieces of Russian architecture (Moscow Baroque style), and its interiors, where valuable collections of paintings and works of decorative and applied art are stored, are distinguished by their rich interior decoration.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Mother of God of Smolensk Novodevichy Convent
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
№ N1023rev - Natural complex of the Wrangel Island reserve
Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site, located above the Arctic Circle, includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7.6 thousand sq. km) and Herald Island (11 sq. km) along with the adjacent waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. Since this area was not covered by the powerful Quaternary glaciation, there is very high biodiversity here. Wrangel Island is known for its huge walrus rookeries (one of the largest in the Arctic), as well as the highest density of polar bear maternity dens in the world. The area is important as a feeding ground for gray whales migrating here from California and as a nesting site for more than 50 species of birds, many of which are classified as rare and endangered. More than 400 species and varieties of vascular plants have been recorded on the island, that is, more than on any other Arctic island. Some of the living organisms found here are special island forms of those plants and animals that are widespread on the continent. About 40 species and subspecies of plants, insects, birds and animals are defined as endemic.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island"
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
29th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2005 (Durban, South Africa)
No. S1187 - Struve geodetic arc
Transboundary object: Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Estonia
Criteria: (ii) (iii) (vi)
The “Struve Arc” is a chain of triangulation points stretching for 2820 km across ten European countries from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. These observation reference points were established in the period 1816-1855. astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (aka Vasily Yakovlevich Struve), who thus made the first reliable measurement of a large segment of the earth's meridian arc. This made it possible to accurately determine the size and shape of our planet, which was an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. This was an exceptional example of scientific cooperation between scientists from different countries and between reigning monarchs. Initially, the “arc” consisted of 258 geodetic “triangles” (polygons) with 265 main triangulation points. The World Heritage Site includes 34 such points (the best preserved to date), which are marked on the ground in a variety of ways, such as hollows carved into the rocks, iron crosses, cairns or specially installed obelisks.
Information about the object:
Online St. Petersburg Society of Geodesy and Cartography
on the website of the Land Department of the Ministry of the Environment of Estonia
on the website of the Finnish Department of Cartography
on the Norwegian World Heritage website
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
№С1170 - Historical center of Yaroslavl
Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The historical city of Yaroslavl, located approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow at the confluence of the Kotorosl River and the Volga, was founded in the 11th century. and subsequently developed into a large shopping center. It is known for its numerous churches from the 17th century, and as an outstanding example of the implementation of the urban planning reform carried out by decree of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763 throughout Russia. Although the city retained a number of remarkable historical buildings, it was later reconstructed in the classicist style based on a radial master plan. It also preserves items dating back to the 16th century. constructions of the Spassky Monastery - one of the oldest in the Upper Volga region, which arose at the end of the 12th century. on the site of a pagan temple, but rebuilt over time.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Official portal of the city of Yaroslavl
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
34th Session of the World Heritage Committee - 2010 (Brasilia, Brazil)
№ N1234rev - Putorana Plateau
Criteria: (vii) (ix)
This object coincides with its borders with the Putorana State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 km beyond the Arctic Circle. The World Heritage portion of this plateau contains a full range of subarctic and arctic ecosystems preserved in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as pristine cold-water lake and river systems. The main migration route of deer runs through the site, which is an exceptional, majestic and increasingly rare natural phenomenon.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "United Directorate of Taimyr Nature Reserves"
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
36th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2012 (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation)
№ N1299 - Lena Pillars Nature Park
Criteria: (viii)
The Lena Pillars Natural Park is formed by rock formations of rare beauty that reach a height of about 100 meters and are located along the banks of the Lena River in the central part of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). They arose in a sharply continental climate with differences in annual temperatures of up to 100 degrees Celsius (from -60°C in winter to +40°C in summer). The pillars are separated from each other by deep and steep ravines, partially filled with frost-covered rock fragments. The penetration of water from the surface accelerated the freezing process and contributed to frost weathering. This led to the deepening of the ravines between the pillars and their dispersal. The proximity of the river and its current are dangerous factors for the pillars. The site contains remains of a wide variety of Cambrian species.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Natural Park “Lena Pillars”
on the website of the Natural Heritage Conservation Foundation
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
38th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2014 (Doha, Qatar)
No. S981rev- Bulgarian Historical and Archaeological Complex
Criteria:(ii) (vi)
The facility is located on the banks of the Volga River south of the confluence of the Kama River and south of the capital of Tatarstan, the city of Kazan. It contains evidence of the medieval city of Bolgar, an ancient settlement of the Volga Bulgar people, which existed between the 7th and 15th centuries. and was in the 13th century. the first capital of the Golden Horde. Bolgar demonstrates the historical and cultural relationships and transformations in Eurasia over several centuries, which played a decisive role in the formation of civilizations, customs and cultural traditions. The site represents important evidence of historical continuity and cultural diversity. It is a symbolic reminder of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars in 922 and remains a sacred place of pilgrimage for the Muslim Tatars.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Bulgarian State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Great Bolgar"
on the website of the Russian Commission for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website
37th sessionWorld Heritage Committee - 2013 (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Cambodia)
№C1411 - Ancient city of Tauride Chersonesos and its choir
Criteria: (ii) (v)
The object is the ruins of an ancient city founded by the Dorian Greeks in the 5th century BC. e. on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The site includes six elements, including the ruins of a city and agricultural land, divided into several hundred rectangular plots of the same size, used for growing grapes; the products of the vineyards were intended for export and ensured the prosperity of Chersonesos until the 15th century. On the territory of the site there are several complexes of public buildings, residential areas and monuments of early Christianity. There are also ruins of Stone and Bronze Age settlements, Roman and medieval tower fortifications and water systems, as well as exceptionally well-preserved vineyards and dividing walls. In the 3rd century AD e. Chersonesus was known as the most successful wine-making center on the Black Sea and served as a link between Greece, the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the peoples of the northern Black Sea coast. Chersonesos is an outstanding example of the democratic organization of agriculture in the vicinity of an ancient city, reflecting the urban social structure.
Information about the object:
41st session of the World Heritage Committee - 2017 (Krakow, Poland)
№N1448rev - Landscapes of Dauria
Criteria: (ix) (x)
Situated between Mongolia and the Russian Federation, the site is a unique example of the Daurian steppe ecosystem, which begins in eastern Mongolia and extends through Russian Siberia to the northeastern border of China. The cyclical climate, with characteristic wet and dry periods, has contributed to the emergence of a wide variety of species and ecosystems that are important throughout the world. The various types of steppes present here, such as wet grasslands, forests and lake areas, are home to rare species such as white-naped cranes and bustards, as well as millions of rare and vulnerable migratory birds that are at risk of extinction. The park is also an important site on the migratory route of the Mongolian Dresden.
Information about the object:
No. C1525 - Assumption Cathedral and monastery of the island-city of Sviyazhsk
Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The Assumption Cathedral is located on the island-city of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Situated at the confluence of the Volga, Sviyaga and Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk Road and the Volga River, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that Ivan the Terrible began the conquest of the city of Kazan. The location and architecture of the Monastery of the Assumption testify to the existence of a political and missionary program developed by Tsar Ivan IV in order to expand the territory of the Moscow state. The cathedral's frescoes are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox wall painting.
Information about the object:
The list of natural and cultural attractions created by UNESCO is a kind of quality mark, telling the traveler that it is worth seeing. We decided to tell you about those Russian sites that were included in the World Heritage Register. What if you don’t know about some of them?
Architectural and historical complex Bulgar
On the territory of Tatarstan, the ruins of a city founded by the Volga Bulgars (Turkic tribes) have been preserved. In 1361, the city was destroyed by the Golden Horde prince Bulat-Timur - fortunately, not completely. The settlement, which was recognized as a unique monument in 2014, has survived to this day.
Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island is the northernmost of the UNESCO World List sites. It includes not only the island of the same name, but also the neighboring Herald Island, as well as the adjacent waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. The islands are famous for their huge walrus rookeries and the highest density of polar bear dens in the world. The reserve was recognized as a heritage of humanity in 2004.
Historical center of Yaroslavl
One of the dominant features of Yaroslavl is the Spassky Monastery complex, which is often called the Kremlin. Together with other historical buildings of the city, it was included in the World Heritage List in 2005.
Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye
It was built on the royal estate in 1532, when Kolomenskoye was not yet a territory of Moscow. The church was recognized as a heritage of humanity in 1994.
Lake Baikal
Surprisingly, the deepest lake in the world was not recognized as a heritage of humanity among the first natural attractions. UNESCO noted the exclusivity of this reservoir only in 1996.
Architectural ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra
In 1993, the list was replenished with the main attraction of Sergiev Posad. The largest monastery in Russia was founded back in 1337, and the laurel acquired its usual appearance by the 18th century, when most of the buildings available to the public today appeared here.
Western Caucasus
The Western Caucasus Mountains, on whose territory, for example, the Sochi National Park and the Ritsa Nature Reserve are located, stretch from Anapa to Elbrus. Here you can find both low-mountain terrain and typically alpine landscapes with numerous glaciers. The mountains were included in the UNESCO list in 1999.
Citadel, old town and fortifications of Derbent
Derbent is considered the oldest city in Russia. The first mention of it dates back to the 6th century BC, when it was called the Caspian Gate. There is a citadel and fortifications here, which are 16 centuries old. In 2003, UNESCO recognized them as an exceptional historical monument.
Golden Altai Mountains
It was under this name that three sections of the Altai Mountains were included in the UNESCO list in 1998: the Altai and Katunsky reserves and the Ukok plateau. Despite the status of specially protected areas, cases of poaching are still common here.
Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery
The construction of the Ferapontov Monastery in the Vologda region began in the 15th century. For centuries it was the most important cultural and religious center of the Belozersky region. Today, in the buildings of the monastery, included in the UNESCO list in 2000, there is a museum and the bishop's courtyard of the Vologda Metropolis.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka
In 1996, the Kamchatka volcanoes were recognized as a World Heritage Site, and five years later UNESCO expanded the protected area. A large number of active volcanoes are concentrated here, which makes this area unique even by global standards.
Historical and architectural complex "Kazan Kremlin"
The only Russian Kremlin, on the territory of which a church adjoins a mosque, is located in Kazan. It began to be built in the 10th century, and it acquired a more or less modern appearance only six centuries later. Today, the fortress, which has been considered a heritage of humanity since 2000, is the main attraction of the capital of Tatarstan and a favorite place for walks for citizens.
Putorana Plateau
Lenta.ru has written more than once about the Putorana Plateau, which was included in the World Heritage List in 2010. This natural reserve, stunning in its beauty, is located in the north of Central Siberia, 100 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle. Here you can see untouched taiga, forest-tundra and arctic desert.
White stone monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
In 1992, the white stone monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal were recognized as World Heritage Sites. The cities located very close to each other are an ideal weekend route, varied and not tiring.
Moscow Kremlin and Red Square
In 1990, one of the first to be included in the list was the main square of Russia (together with the Kremlin). In total, Moscow has three UNESCO-listed attractions, more than in any other region of the country.
Curonian Spit
Partially located on the territory of Lithuania, the Curonian Spit is one of the main natural attractions of the Kaliningrad region. Its length is 98 kilometers, and its width ranges from 400 meters at its narrowest point to four kilometers at its widest. The spit was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 2000.
Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent
Another Moscow landmark - the Novodevichy Convent - was created in the 16th-17th centuries. The monastery is a prominent representative of the Moscow Baroque and is famous for the fact that women from the royal family were tonsured here as nuns. The importance of the monastery for world culture was recognized in 2005.
Virgin forests of Komi
The largest Russian attraction on the list covers an area of 3.28 million hectares, including lowland tundra, mountain tundra of the Urals and one of the largest tracts of primary boreal forests. These territories have been protected by the state for the past 50 years; the forests were included in the UNESCO list in 1995.
Architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost
Many people go to Karelia for the sake of Kizhi and Solovki. Both islands are included in the World Heritage List. Kizhi Pogost, a monument of wooden architecture, was included in the list in 1990.
Lena pillars
Located in the largest region of the country - Yakutia, the pillars are located almost 200 kilometers from the republican center. Excursions here are expensive, but those who have visited the pillars say that they do not regret the money spent. In 2012, the uniqueness of the natural monument was noted by UNESCO.
Historical center of St. Petersburg
One of the most famous attractions not only in Russia, but also beyond its borders is the center of St. Petersburg. The "Venice of the North", with its canals and more than 400 bridges, was included in the UNESCO list in 1990.
Ubsunur Basin
Another attraction that Russia shares with other states (there are three of them in total). The Ubsunur Basin, partially located on the territory of Mongolia, consists of 12 isolated areas, united by a common name. The local steppes are home to a huge number of birds, rare mammals are found in desert areas, and the snow leopard, listed in the Red Book, lives in the highlands. The basin was included in the UNESCO list in 2006.
The ancient city of Chersonesos Tauride and its choirKhersones is familiar to everyone who has vacationed in Crimea at least once. The ruins of the ancient polis, which is today part of Sevastopol, were added to the UNESCO list in 2013.
Struve geodetic arc
The “Struve Arc” is a chain of triangulation points stretching for almost three thousand kilometers across ten European countries from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. It appeared at the beginning of the 19th century and was used for the first reliable measurement of a large segment of the earth's meridian arc. It was created by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, better known in those days under the name Vasily Yakovlevich Struve. In 2005, the attraction was included in the UNESCO heritage list.
Historical monuments of Novgorod and surrounding areas
In the 9th century, Novgorod became the first capital of Russia. It is logical that it was one of the first to be included in the World Heritage List. UNESCO recognized it as a heritage of humanity in 1992.