The world has many beautiful buildings, natural phenomena and other unique objects that delight people. And the task of each generation is to preserve this wealth and pass it on to descendants. The most valuable sights are on a special list.
About World Heritage Sites
It is scary to think that descendants will not see, for example, the Acropolis or the Solovetsky Islands. Meanwhile, this may happen, if not in the near future, then in several generations. That is why one of the primary tasks of mankind is to preserve and increase the cultural and natural wealth of the planet.
For this purpose, a special list has been created, which includes World Heritage sites located in various countries and regions. There are many, they are diverse, and each is unique in its own way.
List Overview
The idea of listing the most valuable objects in the world was first realized in 1978, after the UN Convention was adopted six years earlier, proclaiming a common responsibility for the preservation of the most significant cultural and natural monuments.
At the end of 2014, the list contains 1, 007 items. The top ten in terms of the number of World Heritage sites are Italy, China, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, India, Great Britain, Russia and the USA. In total, there are 359 items in the list on their territory.
There are a number of criteria according to which the list is expanding. They include the uniqueness or exclusivity of a particular place or building from different points of view: its inhabitants, construction, evidence of an important stage in the development of civilizations, etc. Therefore, sometimes on the list you can find quite unexpected objects for someone.
Categories and examples
The entire diversity of World Heritage is divided into three conditional groups: cultural, natural and cultural-natural. The first category is the most numerous, it includes 779 items, for example, the building of the Opera House in Sydney. The second group contains 197 objects, including Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Grand Canyon. The last category is the smallest - only 31 monuments, but they combine both natural beauty and human intervention: Machu Picchu, Meteora monasteries, etc.
For some reason, people are used to first admiring the buildings and creations of their own efforts, forgetting about the natural beauties. But in vain, because in fact it is also a World Cultural Heritage.
In Russia
On the territory of the Russian Federation there are 26 monuments included in the UNESCO list. Of these, 15 are classified as cultural, and the remaining 11 are natural. They are located throughout the country and include actually unique UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Russia.
For the first time, the Russian Federation added to the list of countries on the territory of which there are monuments to human and natural genius, in 1990, when the list was replenished with the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square, as well as the Kizhi graveyard and the historical center of St. Petersburg. In the future, the World Heritage of Russia was regularly replenished and still continues to expand. The list includes reserves, monasteries, geological monuments and many other objects. So, in 2014, the historical and archaeological complex “Bulgar”, which is located in Tatarstan, was included in the World Heritage List of Russia.
Full list
Monuments of World Heritage of Russia are mostly known to many citizens. But someone will find for themselves unfamiliar points that they might want to visit, so it’s better to give a complete list:
- historical center and monuments of St. Petersburg;
- Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow;
- Kizhi Pogost;
- Veliky Novgorod and its environs;
- white monuments of Suzdal and Vladimir;
- Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye;
- Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius;
- Komi forests;
- Lake Baikal;
- Kamchatka volcanoes;
- Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve;
- Golden Altai mountains;
- Ubsu-Nur Lake basin;
- Western Caucasus;
- Kazan Kremlin;
- Ferapontov Monastery;
- Curonian Spit;
- old city of Derbent;
- Wrangel Island;
- Novodevichy Convent;
- historical center of Yaroslavl;
- Struve Arc;
- Putorana Plateau;
- Lena Pillars;
- complex "Bulgar".
Another point related to the political events of 2014 - the ancient city of Khersones, which is also included in the World Cultural Heritage, is located on the Crimean peninsula. Russia actually has something to strive for, because there are much more unique objects on the territory of the country, and each of them may eventually be included in the UNESCO list. In the meantime, it’s worthwhile to learn more about those monuments that are already on this list. After all, it was not in vain that they were included there?
Natural
Russia is a huge country, the largest on the planet in terms of territory. 9 time zones, 4 climatic and a huge number of different zones. It is not surprising that the World Natural Heritage of Russia is quite numerous and diverse - 11 objects. Huge forests, clean and deep lakes, natural phenomena of amazing beauty are located here.
- Komi virgin forests. Considered the largest untouched forest in Europe. Included in the World Heritage of Russia in 1995. Many rare species of flora and fauna grow and live on their territory.
- Lake Baikal. It is the deepest on the planet. Entered the list in 1996. Many species living in the lake are endemic.
- Volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula. They are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Included in the World Heritage Sites of Russia in 1996.
- Golden mountains of Altai. In the list since 1998. Includes habitats of rare representatives of flora and fauna.
- Caucasian reserve. Located in three constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea. On the list since 1999.
- Central Sikhote-Alin. Nature reserve located in the Primorsky Territory. Many rare animal species live on its territory. Entered the UNESCO list in 2001.
- Curonian Spit. This unique object is a sandy body stretching along the Baltic Sea for almost 100 kilometers. On the territory of the spit there are a large number of interesting places, for example, the famous "Dancing Forest", also through it lies the path of seasonal migration of many birds. Listed in 2000.
- Ubsu-Nur pool. Located on the border of the Russian Federation and Mongolia. The hollow was listed in 2003 according to the criteria of international scientific importance and the conservation of biological and landscape diversity.
- Wrangel Island. Divided into almost equal halves between the Western and Eastern hemispheres. Most of its territory is occupied by mountains. Rare plants grow here, which also became the reason for the inclusion of the object in the UNESCO list in 2004 under the number 1023.
- Putoransky reserve. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010. There are migration routes of large reindeer populations, as well as a unique combination of ecosystems.
- Lena pillars. At the moment, the last World Heritage Site in Russia. It was listed in 2012. In addition to the aesthetic importance, this object is valuable for the uniqueness of the geological processes occurring here.
Man-made
The objects of the World Cultural Heritage of Russia, of course, include not only natural monuments, but the results of human labor.
- The historical center of St. Petersburg. Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. The hearts of both capitals entered the list at the same time - in 1990 - and immediately according to four criteria.
- Kizhi. This unique ensemble of wooden buildings was included in the UNESCO list in 1990 as well. This real wonder of the world not only demonstrates the genius of mankind, but also surprisingly harmonizes with the surrounding nature.
- In 1992, UNESCO accepted 3 more sights on its list: monuments of Novgorod, Suzdal and Vladimir, as well as the Solovetsky Monastery.
- The Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, listed in 1993 and 1994, respectively, are known for their beauty to everyone - many residents of Moscow and the Moscow region regularly visit it.
- The Ferapontov Monastery in the Vologda Oblast entered the list in 2000, as did the Kazan Kremlin.
- Monuments of the city of Derbent in Dagestan - 2003.
- Novodevichy Convent in Moscow - 2004.
- The historical center of Yaroslavl - 2005.
- Struve geodetic arc (2 points), which helped establish the shape, size and some other parameters of the planet - 2005.
- The architectural and historical complex Bulgar - 2014.
As you can see, the objects of the World Cultural Heritage of Russia are mostly concentrated in the European part, which is due to the peculiarities of the development of the territory.
Applicants
The list of World Heritage of Russia in the coming years may expand significantly. The Government of the Russian Federation regularly offers the UN all new applicants, unique and beautiful in their own way. Now there are 24 more objects that can be included in the main list of UNESCO.
Threat of extinction
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to preserve the World Heritage. Fortunately, this is not yet threatening Russia, all of its monuments on the list are in relative safety. UNESCO regularly edits and publishes a special list of unique sites at risk. Now it consists of 38 points. Natural and cultural monuments fall into this “alarming” list for various reasons: poaching, deforestation, construction and reconstruction projects that violate historical appearance, climate change, etc. In addition, the most terrible enemy of the World Heritage Site is time that is impossible to win. And yet, from time to time, monuments are removed from this list, most often due to an improvement in the situation. But there are sad examples when the situation deteriorated so much that the objects simply ceased to be part of the World Heritage Site. Russia has nothing to fear so far, although the environmental situation in some parts of the country can affect many natural monuments. And then, perhaps, for the Russian Federation the “alarming” list will become relevant.
