Report on a UNESCO geographical site. Natural and cultural heritage

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the most valuable sites (both natural and man-made) in terms of their cultural, historical or environmental significance. Here are twenty uniquely beautiful UNESCO sites located in Europe.

20 PHOTOS

1 National Park Plitvice Lakes, Croatia.

Forest reserve in Central Croatia, famous for its cascading lakes, waterfalls, caves and limestone gorges.

2 Red Square, Moscow, Russia.

The most famous square in Russia, located east of the Kremlin, the official residence of the president. On Red Square there are St. Basil's Cathedral and the State historical Museum.

3 Village Vlkolínec, Slovakia.

A perfectly preserved ethnographic village, which is included in the list of museums of folk architecture in Slovakia. The settlement reflects traditional features Central European village: log buildings, stables with haylofts and a wooden bell tower.

4 Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.

The largest and most famous Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in the mid-1800s.

5 Natural-historical complex Mont Saint-Michel, France.

A fortified Gothic-style island abbey built between the 11th and 16th centuries in northwestern France.

6 Alcobaça Monastery, Portugal.

Roman Catholic church located north of Lisbon. It was built by the Portuguese king Alfonso I in the 12th century.

7 Budapest: Banks of the Danube, Buda Castle Hill and Andrássy Avenue.

The central part of the Hungarian capital boasts such stunning architectural masterpieces as the Parliament Buildings, the Opera House, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Market Hall.

8 Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, Poland.

The largest wooden sacral buildings in Europe, built in the second half of the 17th century after the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War.

9. Stavkirka in Urnes, Norway.

The stave church, located in western Norway, is a superb example of traditional Scandinavian architecture.

10. Giant's Causeway, Ireland.

A natural monument consisting of approximately 40,000 interconnected basalt columns formed as a result of ancient eruption volcano

11. Pont du Gard Aqueduct, France.

The tallest surviving ancient Roman aqueduct. Its length is 275 meters and its height is 47 meters.

12. Pilgrimage Church in Wies, Germany

A Bavarian Rococo church located in a beautiful Alpine valley southwest of Munich.

13. Fjords of Western Norway, Norway.

Located in southwest Norway, Geirangerfjord and Nordfjord are among the longest and deepest fjords in the world.

14. Vatican, Italy.

Center of Catholic Christianity, and residence of the Pope. Also, the Vatican Museums house many of the world's artistic masterpieces.

15. Thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery in Pannonhalm, Hungary.

The monastic community and one of the oldest historical monuments in Hungary, was founded in 996.

16. Pirin National Park, Bulgaria.

National park with an area of ​​403 square meters. km, located on three vegetation zones: mountain-forest, subalpine and alpine.

17. Grand Place, Brussels. 18. Old Bridge area historical center city ​​of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Old Bridge, built in the 16th century during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, is one of the most significant architectural monuments in the Balkans.

19. Glacial fjord Ilulissat, Denmark.

A fjord located in western Greenland, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle. It includes the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, moving at a speed of 19 meters per day, one of the fastest glaciers in the world.

20. Palace of Catalan Music, Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Famous concert hall, representing one of the best examples of Catalan Art Nouveau. It is also the only concert hall in Europe with natural light.

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 Abu Simbel temples and treasures were located Egyptian civilization. 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

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 carry out 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 collaboration with most countries of the world, is working to identify natural and cultural monuments worthy of being called sites world heritage, contributing to 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 Office acted as UNESCO's representative office in 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 for 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 relief measures 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 the natural sites, the first to receive World Heritage status Galapagos Islands, National parks Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Simen (Ethiopia).

Over the following years, the List became very representative both in relation to various 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 and cultural objects from 134 countries of the world.

Under the protection of the Convention are such well-known natural attractions as Niagara Falls, Great Barrier Reef, Hawaiian Islands, Kamchatka volcanoes, Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, 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

Because the different countries are presented in the List in different ways, the overall picture is quite varied. 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 were 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 Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Hawaiian Islands (USA), Iguazu Falls (Brazil and Argentina), Danube Delta (Romania), Belovezhskaya Pushcha(Belarus and Poland), Mount Chomolungma, or Everest (Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal), Komodo Island and Krakatoa Volcano (Indonesia), Mount Kilimanjaro and 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 on Seychelles, occupying 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 . ha), Galapagos Islands (about 8.77 million hectares, including 8 million hectares of adjacent waters), Air and Tenere reserves in Niger (7.7 million hectares), national marine park Great Barrier Reef (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 at once (for example, within the boundaries of a valuable mountain forest area located in the north- east coast Australia, includes 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 forests of Komi"

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”, “ Kurile Islands", "Valdai - the great watershed", "Steppes of Dauria", " Green belt 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 territories was determined during a 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 property "Virgin Komi Forests". 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 there have not yet been any significant attempts 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.

	Name nominations	Specially protected natural areas (SPNA) included in composition of the nomination	Status of protected areas		Notes
	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. Natural 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:	Listed (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. You should strive to ensure that when selecting objects for the List, you reflect the most different types landscapes, and not just predominantly mountainous ones, as 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). This category also includes New Earth, since only a few of the most valuable areas of the archipelago should obviously be included in the World Heritage Site here.

5. It is advisable to work on the issue of nominating a number of transboundary protected areas as objects of natural resource conservation, since it is absolutely clear that it is effective to preserve a single natural complex, divided administrative boundaries, is possible only 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 protective 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 monuments and cultural heritages are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Now we will introduce you to some of them.

All these monuments and places are under strict protection of the UN, UNESCO and a number of other organizations related to culture, science and education.

Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

Any resident of Russia knows what the Kremlin and Red Square are. Any tourist and resident of our vast homeland, the first thing he does when he comes to Moscow is to visit these memorable places. UNESCO took these sites under protection in 1990.

This monument reflects the entire centuries-old history of Moscow and Russia in general. Also on the territory of the Kremlin there are unique objects of Russian foundry art: the Tsar Bell, which weighs more than 200 tons and has a diameter of 6.6 m, and the Tsar Cannon with its mass of 40 tons.

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 reserves fresh water planets. 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.

Lake Baikal is one of the most picturesque

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.

"Lena Pillars" - a unique natural monument

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.

Kizhi Pogost is the embodiment of Russian architecture

The Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum is located here with many objects of wooden religious architecture, including an eight-winged windmill 1929 and the Transfiguration Church, built without a single nail.

Novgorod historical monuments

Architectural complexes Veliky Novgorod and its surroundings 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.

Monuments of Veliky Novgorod - a UNESCO heritage site

Nature Reserve Wrangel Island

The reserve was included in the UNESCO list in 2004. Unique protected area known for its virtually untouched natural ecosystem dominated by the largest population of polar bears, walruses, and more than 50 species of birds.

Wrangel Island is famous for its untouched ecosystem

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 Arctic waters, more than 400 plant species predominate.

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 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.

Curonian Spit serves as a resting place for migratory birds

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 has been one of the defensive structures of Moscow. In 1926, a historical museum was founded on the site of the monastery, and in 1980, the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomensky was located. In 1994, the convent was officially approved.

Previously in Novodevichy Convent there was a historical museum.

Komi forest

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.

The Komi forest area is famous for its virgin forests

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 are especially impressive with unique nature and biological diversity.

The number of volcanoes in Kamchatka totals more than a thousand

Surely you have seen at least once majestic mountains and peaceful valleys, winding rivers and endless forests that took your breath away? There are many such places on Earth. Unique territories, which are important to preserve in their original form, are included in the World Natural Heritage List. Now it has 203 objects, 11 of which are in Russia. It just seems that this is quite a bit: among all countries, Russia ranks fourth in the number of objects after China, America and Australia.

World Heritage areas include state nature reserves and national parks. Landscapes change from high-mountain lakes, glaciers, arctic tundras to alpine meadows, taiga, endless steppes and even volcanoes.

It's not only incredible Beautiful places, but also home to many species of animals and plants, rare and even endemic - those that are not found anywhere else in the world. One example is the Amur tiger and the Daurian crane. Some plants on the territory of natural monuments are hundreds of years old. The age of cedar in the Pritelets taiga is more than six centuries.

An object is included in the list if it meets at least one of the criteria:

(VII) represents a natural phenomenon or area of ​​exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

(VIII) reflects the main stages of the history of the Earth, symbolizes geological processes in the development of relief or its features

(IX) reflects ecological or biological processes in the evolution of animals, plants and other organisms

(X) includes significant natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity and endangered species of exceptional global value

4 out of 11 sites in Russia were selected according to criterion VII: Komi forests, Lake Baikal, Kamchatka volcanoes and the Putorana plateau. Therefore, travelers all over the world strive to see them.

Read the mini-guide to all UNESCO natural heritage sites in Russia to see them in person someday.

1. Virgin forests of Komi

The largest intact forests in Europe cover an area of ​​32,600 km². This is approximately 3 km² larger than the area of ​​Belgium. The Komi Forests are the first Russian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is home to brown bear, sable, elk, more than 200 species of birds, including those listed in the Red Book, and valuable fish species - palia char and Siberian grayling.

In the thicket of virgin forests and on the banks of rivers you can see stone sculptures bizarre shapes, unusual remains and other forms of weathering, reminiscent of the ruins of castles or mythical creatures.

Lush taiga stretches to the Ural Mountains, flowing into the tundra, where there are almost no plants, and crystal rivers descend from the ridges and merge into Pechora, giving birth to amazing landscapes.

2. Lake Baikal

A slightly smaller area, 31,722 km², occupies the most deep lake on the planet. All of Malta, even enlarged 100 times, would fit on its surface. This is one of the largest World Heritage sites. Maximum depth lakes - 1642 meters. This means that if the Eiffel Tower was installed at the bottom, and four more were placed on top, the last one would still not emerge from the water.

The reservoir itself big lake Russia has almost 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. The water in Baikal is so clean that some stones at the bottom are visible even at a depth of 40 meters. In many ways, cleanliness is ensured by epishura, a unique crustacean that consumes organic matter. In general, about 2,600 animals live in Baikal, more than half of which are endemic. On the banks of the reservoir there are forests and swamps, glacial lakes, cirques and canyons. There are more than 800 species of higher plants here.

A special phenomenon and a real attraction of Lake Baikal is ice. At the end of winter in the bays its thickness reaches two meters. On different parts of the surface it freezes in different ways: sometimes it is covered with a web of cracks, sometimes it is dotted with bubbles, sometimes it looks like a mirror, sometimes like frosted glass. Ice splashes formed by frozen waves several meters high and grottoes that are not accessible in summer are striking. You can skate on a huge lake, raft on an ice floe and fill your camera’s memory with cool shots.

Baikal is also interesting in summer: you can go around it natural monument or arrange it with rafting, jeeping and trekking.

3. Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Kamchatka resembles a cake with candles: there is so much here, and 28 out of 29 are in the eastern part. Klyuchevskoy - highest volcano not only Russia, but throughout Eurasia (4750 m), Mutnovsky is famous for its smoking fumarole fields, and in the Maly Semyachik crater there is a piercing lake, like a blue eye wide open into the sky. That is why six separate areas of Kamchatka were included in the UNESCO list.

Another unique place— Uzon caldera. 40,000 years ago, due to several eruptions in a row, a huge volcano collapsed, and in its place a caldera with a diameter of 10 km was formed. It is located on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and combines rivers, hot springs, tundra, forests and lakes in one landscape.

See also:

4. Golden Mountains of Altai

World Heritage Sites include the Altai Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Mount Belukha, as well as the Ukok Plateau. Their territory includes taiga, steppe, mountain tundra and glaciers, meadows and plateaus. If in one trip to Altai you want to see all the most scenic spots, then choose . Especially suitable for those who love comfort, because you will spend the night in hotels.

Altai is no less interesting in winter. Going to, you will see mountain lakes, snow-covered passes, tracts and cedar forests. After spending time here, recharge your batteries for many months to come. And having walked around this UNESCO natural site, you will photograph panoramas of the North Chuya Range and see a unique turquoise lake that does not freeze even at very low temperatures.

5. Western Caucasus

The Western Caucasus was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. This definition includes Krasnodar region, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and part of the Main Caucasian Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus. On the territory of the object there are “three-thousander” mountains, bizarre rocks, deep gorges, caves, glaciers and alpine lakes.

Adygea probably has the largest number natural beauty per square meter. There are only two cities in the republic, and the rest of the territory is mountains and waterfalls, alpine meadows and untouched forests, deep canyons and raging rivers. This makes it possible to engage in different types of active rest, and even . Rock climbing and hiking, horseback riding - why not do it this way, for example?

6. Central Sikhote-Alin

Sikhote-Alin in eastern Russia is a mix of coniferous and broad-leaved trees, taiga and subtropics, southern and northern animal species. Here, for example, you can meet both Himalayan and brown bears. Primorye is a whole world of relics and endemics, where groves of relict yews grow, carpets of Red Book lotuses bloom and rhododendrons—the local sakura—bloom. Protected bays with white beaches hide starfish and schools of colorful fish. At high altitudes the tundra extends, while in the lowlands the grass grows up to 3.5 meters.

Sikhote-Alin is the homeland of Amur tigers. Over the past 100 years, their number in the world has decreased by 25 times. Moreover, 95% of the entire population lives in the Far East, and 5% in China. There, killing a tiger is a crime punishable by death. And the Far Eastern leopard remained only in Primorye.

V.K. traveled through the local taiga. Arsenyev is a researcher of the Far East. On the expedition he was with his friend and guide Dersu Uzala, a local hunter. Today you can follow in their footsteps during

7. Ubsunur Basin

This object includes Lake Uvsu-Nur, which belongs simultaneously to Mongolia and Russia (Republic of Tuva). On the territory of Mongolia, this lake is the largest, and its Russian part is only 0.3% of the total area. There are contrasting landscapes here - highlands, mountain taiga massifs, forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert areas. There is even a real sandy desert. The surrounding area of ​​the lake was inhabited several thousand years ago. This is evidenced by petroglyphs on the rocks, stones and mounds, of which there are about 40,000.

8. Wrangel and Herald Islands

In the very north of Russia, where the Chukchi Sea meets the Arctic Ocean, are the gloomy and mountainous Wrangel Islands (7.6 thousand km²) and Herald Islands (11 km²). In a harsh environment where vibrant life seems impossible, there are hundreds of plant species - more than on any other Arctic island. Among the blackened rocks, walruses settled in the largest rookery in the Arctic, and thousands of birds set up nesting grounds. Gray whales swim through these waters during their migrations. Wragnel Island is called the “maternity hospital of polar bears” - there are so many of his ancestral dens here. And in Chukchi it’s called Umkilir, “the island of polar bears.”

It’s worth visiting here at least once to see truly rare animals. For example, musk oxen, which, like reindeer, survived the Late Pleistocene extinction. Their wool is eight times warmer than sheep's wool! , you can also try whale meat, learn an Eskimo dance and walk along the alley of whale bones.

Ecology of life: Especially for you, we have collected the 10 most beautiful monuments nature, which are among the specially protected...

The UN Specialized Agency for Education, Science and the Arts oversees the conservation of cultural heritage sites around the world. This category includes the most outstanding architectural structure, created by man, and natural reserves - in the second case, UNESCO specialists have to make a lot of effort to protect unique phenomena nature from plunder and destruction by our freedom-loving race.

Especially for you, we have collected 10 of the most beautiful natural monuments, which are among the specially protected.

St Kilda

Scotland

This unique, isolated archipelago was inhabited by a small Gaelic population - all evacuated during the Second World War. Now home to a militarized base and several teams of scientists, St Kilda is home to rare species of birds and animals.

Wulingyuan Mountains

China

This mountain system located in the north of Hunan Province. The mountains owe their appearance to the weathering of sandstones. It was here that Cameron filmed his “Avatar” - one of the peaks was subsequently renamed by the provincial authorities to “Hurray, Avatar!”

Wadden Sea

North Sea area

Wattom is the name given to the shallow sea area, of which there are dozens. Natural processes function here without the slightest human intervention; almost the entire territory of this unusual sea is covered by three national parks.

Giant's Causeway

Northern Ireland

The unique area consists of more than 40,000 basalt columns. They connected with each other as a result of a volcanic eruption, and the ancient tribes had already come up with a legend that trolls would follow these pillars to Ragnarok.

Rapa Nui National Park

Chile

The whole world knows this place thanks to unique statues moai: Easter Island is considered almost the most mysterious place of our planet.

Galapagos Islands

Ecuador

It was here that Charles Darwin first thought about the theory of evolution: the abundance of flora and fauna still makes the Galapagos a place of pilgrimage for every self-respecting natural scientist.

Socotra Archipelago

Yemen

Four islands and a couple of rocks: one of the world's most isolated archipelagos, located near pirate Somalia, boasts an abundance of endemic fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world.

Yosemite National Park

USA

Three thousand square kilometers unique mountain landscapes, granite rocks, waterfalls and redwood trees: Yosemite is rightfully considered one of the best National parks countries.