Natural heritage of the world. unesco treasures

Currently, there are 26 World Heritage Sites on the territory of the Russian Federation:
16 cultural sites (they have the letter C - cultural in the World Heritage List) and 10 natural sites (they are marked N - natural) heritage.

Three of them are cross-border, i.e. located on the territory of several states: Curonian Spit (Lithuania, Russian Federation), Ubsunur Hollow (Mongolia, Russian Federation), Struve Geodetic Arc (Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Estonia)

The first objects - "Historical Center Petersburg and related 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 Petersburg and related groups of monuments

Criteria (i) (ii) (iv) (vi)
"Northern Venice", with its many canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of the greatest urban development project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. The city turned out to be closely associated with the October Revolution of 1917, and in 1924-1991. he bore the name of Leningrad. Its architectural heritage combines such diverse 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:

№С544 - Kizhi churchyard

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 of the 18th century, as well as an octagonal bell tower, built of wood in 1862. These unusual structures, which are the pinnacle of carpentry, represent an example of an ancient church parish and are harmoniously combined with the surrounding natural landscape.
Information about the object:
on the site of the museum-reserve "Kizhi"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№С545 - 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. Starting from the XIII century. The Moscow Kremlin, created in the period from the XIV century. according to the 17th century outstanding Russian and foreign architects, was the grand ducal, and then the royal residence, as well as a religious center. St. Basil's Cathedral, a true masterpiece of Russian Orthodox architecture, rises on Red Square, which is located near the walls of the Kremlin.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Moscow Kremlin Museums
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

16th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1992 (Santa Fe, USA)

№С604 - 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 Theophan the Greek (teacher Andrei Rublev), dating from 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 Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№С632 - 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 sq. km. They were settled in the 5th century. BC, but the very first evidence of human presence here dates back to the 3rd-2nd millennium 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 of the XVI-XIX centuries.
Information about the object:
on the website of the FGBUK "Solovki State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve"
on the site "Museums of Russia"

№С633 - 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 Dmitrievsky Cathedrals (Vladimir) stand out.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

17th session of the World Heritage Committee -1993 (Cartagena, Colombia)

№С657 - The architectural ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad

Criteria: (ii)(iv)
This is a vivid example of an active Orthodox monastery with the features of a fortress, which is quite consistent with the spirit of the time of its formation - the XV-XVIII 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 icon "Trinity" by Andrey Rublev.
Information about the object:
on website of the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

18th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1994 (Phuket, Thailand)

№С634rev- Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye (Moscow)

Criteria: (ii)
This church was built in 1532 in the royal estate of Kolomenskoye near Moscow to commemorate the birth of an heir - the future Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. The Church of the Ascension, which is one of the earliest examples of the tent completion traditional for wooden architecture in stone, had a great influence on the further development of Russian church architecture.
Information about the object:

on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

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 the lowland tundra, mountain tundra of the Urals, as well as one of the largest tracts of primary boreal forests that have survived in Europe. The vast territory with swamps, rivers and lakes, where conifers, birch and aspen grow, 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 Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

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) and deepest (about 1700 m) lake on the planet. The reservoir stores approximately 20% of all 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 lasting importance for understanding the evolution of life on Earth.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

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 sections: the Altai Reserve with the water protection zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Reserve plus the Belukha Natural Park, and the Ukok Plateau. The total area is 1.64 million hectares. The area demonstrates the widest range of altitudinal belts 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 Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

23rd session of the World Heritage Committee - 1999 (Marrakesh, Morocco)

№ N900 - Western Caucasus

Criteria: (ix) (x)
This is one of the few large alpine massifs in Europe where nature has not yet undergone 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 lowland to the subalpine zone, are also unique in Europe. The area is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems, highly endemic flora and fauna, and is an area where the mountain subspecies of the European bison once lived, and was later re-acclimatized.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

24th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2000 (Cairns, Australia)

№С980 - Historical and architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin

Criteria: (ii) (iii) (iv)
Having emerged on the territory inhabited since very 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 has largely preserved the layout of the ancient Tatar fortress and has become 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 Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№С982 - 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.е. 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 original and complete. In the interior of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, magnificent wall frescoes by Dionysius, the greatest Russian artist of the late 15th century, have been preserved.
Information about the object:
on the website of the FGBUK "Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve"
on the website of the Museum of frescoes of Dionysius
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№С994 - Curonian Spit
Transboundary facility: Lithuania, Russian Federation

Criterion: (v)
The 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 the ongoing struggle of man against erosion processes (dune fixation, forest plantations).
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 Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

25th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2001 (Helsinki, Finland)

№ N766rev - Central Sikhote-Alin

Criteria: (x)
Far Eastern coniferous-broad-leaved forests grow in the Sikhote-Alin mountains, which are recognized as one of the richest and most original in terms of species composition among all forests in the temperate zone of the Earth. In this transitional zone, located at the junction of 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 is home to many endangered species, including the Amur tiger.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Sikhote-Alin Reserve
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

27th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2003 (Paris, France)

№ N769 rev - Ubsunur hollow
Transboundary facility: Mongolia, Russian Federation

Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site (with an area of ​​1,069 thousand hectares) is located within the northernmost of all drainless 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 lot of migratory, waterfowl and near-water birds accumulate. The object consists of 12 disparate plots (including seven plots in Russia, with an area of ​​258.6 thousand hectares), which represent all the main types of landscapes characteristic of Eastern Eurasia. A wide variety of birds is noted in the steppes, and rare species of small mammals live in desert areas. In the highlands, such animals, rare on a global scale, as the snow leopard and argali mountain sheep, as well as the Siberian ibex, have been noted.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Tuva Republican Branch of the Russian Geographical Society
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№С1070 - 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 stretched east and west from the Caspian Sea. 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 was formed between these two walls and has retained its medieval character to this day. It continued to be a strategically important site well into the 19th century.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Derbent State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

28th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2004 (Suzhou, China)

№С1097 - Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent (Moscow)

Criteria: (i) (iv) (vi)
The Novodevichy Convent, located in the south-west 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, which contain valuable collections of paintings and works of arts and crafts, are distinguished by rich interior decoration.
Information about the object:
on the site of the Bogoroditse-Smolensky Novodevichy Convent
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

№ 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), together with the adjacent waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. Since this area was not covered by a powerful Quaternary glaciation, a very high biodiversity is noted 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 birth dens in the world. The area is important as a feeding ground for gray whales migrating here from California and as a breeding ground 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, 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 Natural Reserve "Wrangel Island"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

29th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2005 (Durban, South Africa)

№С1187 - Struve geodetic arc
Transboundary facility: 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 the territory of ten European countries from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. These reference observation points were laid 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. It was an exceptional example of cooperation in the scientific field 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 sites (the best surviving 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.

Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The historic city of Yaroslavl, located approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow at the confluence of the Kotorosl River with the Volga, was founded in the 11th century. and subsequently developed into a large shopping center. It is known for its numerous churches of 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 on the basis of a radial master plan. It also preserved belonging to the sixteenth century. buildings 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 site of the official portal of the city of Yaroslavl
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

34th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2010 (Brazilia, Brazil)

№ N1234rev - Putorana Plateau

Criteria: (vii) (ix)
This object coincides with its borders with the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 km above the Arctic Circle. The World Heritage part of this plateau has 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 a pristine cold water lake and river systems. Through the site runs the main migration route of reindeer, which is an exceptional, majestic and increasingly rare phenomenon of nature.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Joint Directorate of Taimyr Reserves"
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

36th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2012 (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation)

№ N1299 - Lena Pillars Natural Park

Criteria: (viii)
The Lena Pillars Natural Park is formed by rock formations of rare beauty, which 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 originated in a sharply continental climate with a difference in annual temperature 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 frosted rock fragments. The penetration of water from the surface accelerated the process of freezing 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 course are dangerous factors for the pillars. On the territory of the object there are remains of many different species of the Cambrian period.
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 Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

38th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2014 (Doha, Qatar)

№С981rev- 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 existence of the medieval city of Bolgar, an ancient settlement of the Volga Bulgar people, which existed from the 7th to the 15th centuries. and was in the thirteenth century. the first capital of the Golden Horde. Bolgar demonstrates the historical and cultural interrelations and transformations in Eurasia over several centuries, which played a decisive role in the formation of civilizations, customs and cultural traditions. The object is an important evidence of historical continuity and diversity of cultures. It is a symbolic reminder of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars in 922 and remains a sacred place of pilgrimage for 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 Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center

World heritage sites included in the special list of UNESCO are of great 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 possibilities of the human mind.

As of July 6, 2012, there are 962 sites on the World Heritage List (including 745 cultural, 188 natural and 29 mixed), located in 148 countries of the world. Among the objects there are individual architectural structures and ensembles, for example - the Acropolis, the cathedrals in Amiens and Chartres, the historical centers of cities - Warsaw and St. Petersburg, the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square; and there are whole cities - Brasilia, Venice, along with the lagoon and others. There are also archaeological reserves - for example, Delphi; national parks - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Yellowstone (USA) and others. The states on whose territory the World Heritage sites are located undertake obligations to preserve them.

In this photo selection you will see 29 objects from different parts of our planet that are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

1) Tourists inspect 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 the Buddhas, as well as 2,800 inscriptions on the rocks near the Yishui River, a kilometer long. For the first time Buddhism in China was introduced 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 over 1,000 temples in the Angkor region, ranging 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 (I century BC - I century AD), as well as a system of hydraulic structures dated 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 Donabatean period. (Hassan Ammar/AFP - Getty Images)

4) The waterfalls "Garganta del Diablo" ("Devil's Throat") are located on the territory of 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 varieties of plants and 400 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 the 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 by the Bafang Pavilion in the Summer Palace, Beijing's famous classical imperial garden. The Summer Palace, built in 1750, was destroyed in 1860 and rebuilt in 1886. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. (China Photos/Getty Images)

7) The Statue of Liberty at sunset in New York. "Lady Liberty", which was presented 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 the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. She is now approximately 60-90 years old. The Galapagos Islands were originally inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, but in 2007 they were marked as endangered. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP - Getty Images)

9) People skate on the ice of the canals in the Kinderdijk Mills area, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Rotterdam. Kinderdijk has the largest collection of historic windmills in the Netherlands and is one of the top attractions in South Holland. Decoration with balloons of the holidays passing here gives a certain flavor to this place. (Peter Dejong/AP)

10) View of the Perito Moreno Glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park, in the southeast of the Argentinean province of Santa Cruz. This place was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1981. The glacier is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentinean 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, the founder of the Baha'i faith. Here is the world administrative and spiritual center of the Baha'i religion, the number of professing which in the world 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. According to the World Heritage website, this small state contains 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 hosts the world's largest collection of coral reefs, including 400 coral species and 1,500 fish species. 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, supposedly the tomb of a Nabataean king carved out of sandstone. This city, located between the Red and Dead Seas, is at the crossroads of Arabia, Egypt, and Phoenicia. Petra was added to the World Heritage List in 1985. (Thomas Coex/AFP - Getty Images)

15) Sydney Opera House - one of the most famous and easily recognizable buildings in the world, which is a symbol of Sydney and one of the main attractions of Australia. The Sydney Opera House was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2007. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP - Getty Images)

16) Rock paintings made by the San people in the Dragon Mountains, located in the east of South Africa. The San people lived in the Drakensberg area for thousands of years until they were destroyed in clashes with the Zulus and white settlers. They left behind incredible rock paintings in the Dragon Mountains, which were inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000. (Alexander Joe/AFP - Getty Images)

17) General view of the city of Shibam, located in the east in the province of Hadhramaut. Shibam is famous for its incomparable architecture, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program. All houses here are built of clay bricks, about 500 houses can be considered multi-storey, as they have 5-11 floors. Shibam is often referred to as "the oldest city of skyscrapers in the world" or "Desert Manhattan", it is also the oldest example of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. (Khaled Fazaa/AFP - Getty Images)

18) Gondolas near 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 listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. (AP)

19) Some of the 390 abandoned huge statues of compressed volcanic ash (moai in the Rapa Nui language) at the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano on Easter Island, 3700 km from 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 in order to defend against the 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 at 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 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP - Getty Images)

22) A Tibetan pilgrim rotates prayer mills on the grounds of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet's capital. The Potala Palace is a royal palace and Buddhist temple complex, which 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) The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian city of Cusco. Machu Picchu, especially after receiving the 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 to reduce the number of tourists per day to 800. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP - Getty Images)

24) Buddhist pagoda Kompon-daito on Mount Koya, in the province of Wakayama, Japan. Mount Koya, located east of Osaka, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In 819, the Buddhist monk Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school, an offshoot of Japanese Buddhism, was the first to settle 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 sides of the tower crowning it, "Buddha's eyes" inlaid with ivory are depicted. Kathmandu valley with a height of about 1300 m is a mountain valley and a 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)

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27) Located in northeast Wales, the 18km Pontcysillte Aqueduct is an Industrial Revolution civil engineering feat completed in the early years of the 19th century. More than 200 years after its opening, it is still in use and is one of the busiest sections of the UK canal network, handling around 15,000 boats a year. In 2009, the Pontkysilte aqueduct was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "a milestone 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 moose grazes in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park. Mount Holmes, on the left, and Mount Dome are visible in the background. In the 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 in Havana. UNESCO inscribed Old Havana and its fortifications on the World Heritage List in 1982. Although Havana has expanded and has 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 patios. (Javier Galeano/AP)

During the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is taking place these days in Cambodia, the UNESCO World Heritage List was replenished with 19 new items - these are 14 cultural and 5 natural sites. In addition, the boundaries of three objects were expanded.

To date, the World Heritage List has 981 sites in 160 member countries of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage - 759 cultural, 193 natural and 29 mixed sites. During the 37th session, which will last until June 27, 5 natural objects of Europe, Asia, South America and Africa were added to the list.

Natural objects:

Tajik National Park "Pamir Mountains" (Tajikistan)

"Pamir Mountains" is the first natural site of Tajikistan in the World Heritage List. The total area of ​​the park is over 2.5 million hectares. It is located in the east of Tajikistan, in the center of the so-called Pamir mountain junction, from which the highest mountain ranges of Eurasia diverge. Alpine plateaus are located in the eastern part of the object, and pointed peaks are located in the western part, the height of some of them exceeds 7 thousand meters. There are 170 rivers, over 400 lakes and at least 1,085 glaciers, including the longest mountain valley glacier outside the polar regions. The park also serves as a habitat for rare and endangered species of birds and mammals in Tajikistan.

For example, the Marco Polo mountain sheep (Ovis ammon polii), the snow leopard irbis and the Siberian mountain goat live here. Since strong earthquakes are not uncommon in this area, the territory of the park is sparsely populated and practically does not experience the influence of agriculture and permanent settlements. The park provides unique opportunities for studying the overlay and plate tectonics of the earth's crust.

El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and Gran Desierto de Altar (Mexico)

The object with a total area of ​​714,566 hectares consists of two separate parts. To the east is a rocky desert and a hardened volcanic plateau formed by black and red lava flows, to the west is the Gran Desierto de Altar desert with a variety of dunes constantly changing shape, some of which reach 200 m in height. Dunes of various shapes wandering here - linear, star-shaped and domed - are adjacent to dry granite massifs up to 650 m high, which, like islands, rise against the background of the sandy sea, enhancing the amazing contrasts of this area. The massifs contain astonishingly diverse communities of plants and animals, including some endemic species, such as the pronghorn Antilocapra americana sonoriensis, which lives only in the north of the Sonoran Desert and in the southwest of Arizona, USA.

Another distinctive feature of the object, emphasizing its exceptional beauty, are 10 huge deep craters, almost perfectly round, formed, presumably, as a result of eruptions and collapses. The unique combination of the characteristics of the object determines not only its beauty, but is also of great scientific interest.

Mount Etna (Italy)

The 19,237 hectare site includes an uninhabited area located at the highest point of Mount Etna on the east coast of Sicily. Etna is the highest island mountain in the Mediterranean and the most active stratovolcano in the world. It has been established that the history of the eruptions of this volcano is 500 thousand years old, and there is documentary evidence of the volcanic activity of Etna for at least the last 2700 years. The almost continuous volcanic activity of Etna continues to influence the development of volcanology, geophysics and other earth sciences. The volcano determines the basis for the existence of important terrestrial ecosystems and some endemic plant and animal species.

Etna's activity has turned it into a natural laboratory for the study of ecological and biological processes. With a range of diverse and observable volcanic features, such as summit craters, ash cones, a lava sheet, and a caldera known as the Valley of the Buffaloes (Valle de Bove), the site has become an important site for research and educational activities.

Namib Desert (Namibia)

The site, which is the only coastal desert in the world, includes an area of ​​more than 3 million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares. There are extensive dune fields formed under the influence of fogs, and two dune systems stand out: on top of the old, semi-fixed sands, there are younger mobile dunes. The peculiarity of the object is that its dunes are formed by sand brought by rivers, ocean currents and wind from areas located thousands of kilometers away from the coast.

The property also contains coastal lowlands and pebbly fields, rocky hills rising above the sands, coastal lagoons, dry rivers and other landscapes that combine to create an exceptionally beautiful spectacle. The main source of water in the Namib Desert is fog, which has created a completely unique environment in which endemic species of invertebrates, reptiles and mammals live, able to adapt to constant changes in the microclimate and ecological niches.

Xinjiang - Tien Shan (China)

The object with a total area of ​​606,833 hectares includes several parts: Tomur Peak (Pobeda Peak), Kalajun Steppe, Syuelin Ridge, Bayanbruk Nature Reserve and Bogdo-Ula. They are part of the world's largest mountain system, the Tien Shan, located in Central Asia. Xinjiang - Tien Shan has unique physical and geographical characteristics and is distinguished by picturesque landscapes, including amazing mountain peaks crowned with snow and ice, forests and meadows that have not been touched by a human hand, transparent rivers and lakes, red rock canyons. Next to them are vast desert areas, which creates a vivid visual contrast between the zones of heat and cold, dry and humid climate, desert and abundance of life.

The relief and ecosystems of the object have come down to us since the Pliocene epoch and represent a unique monument of continuous biological and ecological evolutionary processes. The site also includes part of one of the largest highland deserts in the world, Takla Makan, known for its giant dunes and violent sandstorms. In addition, Xinjiang - Tien Shan serves as an important habitat for endemic and relic plant species, some of which are rare and endangered.

Russia is a unique country. In terms of territorial area, it ranks first in the world, in terms of population - ninth. As of 2012, there are 25 specially protected objects in Russia. Fifteen of them have the status of a cultural landmark, the remaining ten are of a natural nature. Six out of fifteen UNESCO cultural sites in Russia are labeled "i", that is, they belong to the masterpieces of human civilization. Four out of ten natural sites have the highest aesthetic criterion "vii".

The nature of the country is distinguished by a variety of plant and animal forms: northern mosses and lichens coexist in it with southern palm trees and magnolias, the coniferous forests of the taiga make up a striking contrast with the steppe crops of wheat and sunflower.

Climatic, natural and cultural diversity has led to interest in it from both domestic and foreign citizens. Natural and man-made attractions, river cruises and rail travel, beach and health, sports and extreme tourism make the country attractive for all categories of tourists.

The main sights of Russia are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Anyone who wants to discover a great country can start by getting acquainted with twenty-five natural and man-made objects that have a cultural, historical or ecological degree of world significance. and is compiled in order to preserve and show to modern man the full depth of our common civilizational heritage.

UNESCO sites in Russia — PHOTO

The northern capital of Russia was included in the UNESCO List as part of 36 monuments located not only in St. Petersburg itself, but also in its neighboring cities - Pushkin and Shlisselburg. The palace and park ensembles of the villages of Gatchina and Strelna, the Koltuvskaya and Yukkovskaya uplands, the Lindulovskaya grove and the Komarovskoye village cemetery - all this makes up one huge cultural and natural formation, territorially and historically connected with the northern capital of Russia. It is represented on the UNESCO List by the historical center and the old part of the city, the Pulkovo Observatory and the palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, the Shuvalovsky Park and the Vyazemsky estate, local fairways and numerous city highways.

Built in the 18th-19th centuries in Kizhi, two wooden churches and a bell tower were included in the UNESCO List in 1990. The cultural heritage of Karelia is known throughout the world for the Church of the Transfiguration, built, according to legend, without a single nail. Since the middle of the 20th century, the Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum has been functioning on the basis of the Kizhi Pogost. Along with the ancient primordial buildings, it includes objects of wooden religious architecture brought in and built in the immediate vicinity - for example, an eight-winged windmill built in 1928. The wooden fence of the ensemble of the Kizhi churchyard was reconstructed in 1959 in accordance with the principles of organizing traditional churchyard fences.

The symbols of the whole country and era - the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square - are among the most significant cultural sights of Russia and the whole world. It seems that there is no person on Earth who does not know what they look like. Most foreigners visiting Russia first go to Red Square. The Moscow Kremlin is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Russia. Its majestic walls and numerous towers, its Orthodox cathedrals and palace buildings, its squares and gardens, the Armory and the Kremlin Palace of Congresses reflect the centuries-old history of the country. Adjacent to the northeastern wall of the Kremlin, Red Square is known not only for the Mausoleum and the Eternal Flame, but also for the numerous events organized on it recently. Victory parades, concerts dedicated to the Independence Day of Russia, New Year's skating rinks - all this can be afforded by one of the largest pedestrian areas in Moscow.

Veliky Novgorod and its surroundings were included in the UNESCO list with more than ten cultural sites of a predominantly religious nature. Znamensky, Zverin, Antoniev and, the Church of the Nativity on the Red Field, the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, John the Merciful and the Annunciation on Myachina and many other Orthodox buildings belong to the ancient periods of Russian history and are unique architectural complexes. The Novgorod citadel (that is, the Kremlin) and the part of the city related to it are interesting from the point of view of historical and architectural heritage.

The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was built in the 20-30s of the 15th century. It is spread over four islands of the Solovetsky archipelago. The Solovetsky Islands cultural and historical ensemble includes the main monastery, Voznesensky and Savvatievsky skete, St. Isaakovskaya, Makarievskaya and Filippovskaya hermitages on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, Sergievsky skete on Bolshaya Muksalma island, Trinity and Golgotha-Crucifixion skete and Eleazarova hermitage on Anzer and Andreevskaya deserts and stone labyrinths on the Big Zayatsky Island. In Soviet times, the Solovetsky Special Purpose Correctional Camp, the largest in the USSR, operated on the monastery territory. Monastic life became possible here only at the end of 1990.

Eight architectural monuments of ancient Russian architecture, mostly of a white stone character, were included in the UNESCO list in 1992. All of them are located on the territory of the Vladimir region and belong to the Orthodox culture of Russia. There are three objects protected by UNESCO in Vladimir: erected in the 12th century and the Demetrius Cathedral, as well as the Golden Gate. In Suzdal, there is the 12th-century Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral and the Spaso-Efimievsky Monastery built in the 16th-17th centuries. The village of Bogolyubovo is known to Orthodox pilgrims for the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky and the magnificent one. The Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha is the first white stone building in northeastern Rus'.

Built in the 16th century, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord is the first stone Orthodox church to use a tent instead of a classic dome. According to legend, it was erected on the occasion of the birth of Ivan the Terrible. The place for the temple was chosen on the right bank of the Moskva River, famous for its miraculous key. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord has the appearance of a centric tower temple, rising above the ground to a height of 62 meters. The architectural design of the church shows features of the early Renaissance. In a circle, the temple is surrounded by a two-tiered gallery-gullbishche.

The Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra was founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1337. Currently, it is the largest Orthodox male monastery in Russia. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is located in the center of Sergiyev Posad, a city in the Moscow region. The designation "lavra" indicates the crowdedness, multi-population of the monastery. The architectural ensemble of the monastery consists of fifty buildings of various functional purposes. Among them there are Orthodox cathedrals, and numerous bell towers, and royal palaces. In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Boris Godunov and members of his family found their last shelter.

The virgin forests of Komi are known as the largest untouched forests growing in Europe. They occupy an area of ​​32,600 square kilometers in the north of the Ural Mountains, within the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve and the Yugyd Va National Park. According to their composition, the Komi forests belong to the taiga ecosystem. They are dominated by coniferous trees. The western part of the forests falls on the foothills, the eastern part - on the mountains themselves. The forest area of ​​Komi is distinguished by the diversity of not only flora, but also fauna. More than two hundred species of birds live here, rare species of fish are found. Many forest plants are protected.

For the whole world, Baikal is a lake, for the people of Russia, who are in love with a unique natural object, Baikal is a sea! Located in Eastern Siberia, it is the deepest lake on the planet and, at the same time, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water in terms of volume. The shape of Baikal has the shape of a crescent. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 meters with an average depth of 744. Baikal contains 19 percent of all fresh water on the planet. The lake is fed by more than three hundred rivers and streams. Baikal water is distinguished by a high content of oxygen. Its temperature rarely exceeds plus 8-9 degrees Celsius even in summer near the surface. The water of the lake is so clean and transparent that it allows you to see in depth at a distance of up to forty meters.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka are part of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire - a large chain of the main active volcanoes of the planet. Unique natural sites were included in the UNESCO List in 1996, along with adjacent territories, characterized by scenic views and biological diversity. The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is unknown. Scientists talk about several hundred and even thousands of objects. About thirty of them are classified as active. The most famous Kamchatka volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest volcano in Eurasia and the most active on the peninsula. The volcanoes of Kamchatka are of different volcanic origin and are divided into two superimposed belts - Sredinny and East Kamchatka.

A large biosphere reserve in Primorsky Krai was originally created to preserve the sable population. At present, it is the most convenient place for observing the life of the Amur tiger. A huge number of plants grow on the territory of the Sikhote-Alin Reserve. More than a thousand higher species, more than a hundred - mosses, about four hundred - lichens, more than six hundred species of algae and more than five hundred - fungi. The local fauna is represented by a large number of birds, marine invertebrates and insects. Many plants, birds, animals and insects are among the protected objects. Schisandra chinensis and Palibina edelweiss, spotted deer and Himalayan bear, black kite and Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon and Swallowtail butterfly - all of them found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve.

The three most significant areas of the Altai Mountains - the Altai and Katunsky Reserve and the Ukok plateau - were included in 1998 in the UNESCO list under the name "Golden Mountains of Altai". Mount Belukha and Lake Teletskoye also fell into the number of protected geographical objects. The Altai Mountains received the natural criterion "x" for the most complete picture of alpine vegetation. In this area, one after another, in turn, five belts follow: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed, subalpine and alpine. On the territory of the golden mountains of Altai, rare species of animals live - the snow leopard, the Siberian mountain goat and others.

The Ubsu-Nur lake basin, located in the Tyva Republic, belongs to both Russia and Mongolia. On the part of the Russian Federation, it is represented by the biosphere natural reserve "Ubsunur Hollow", which includes both the waters of the lake itself and the land areas adjacent to it. On the latter, there is a unique and, in many respects, diverse ecosystem of the region - here you can find both glaciers and the northernmost deserts in Eurasia. On the territory of the Ubsunur basin there are taiga zones, forest and classical steppes, alpine tundra and meadows. The area of ​​the reserve is replete with several tens of thousands of unexcavated mounds of ancient nomadic tribes.

The natural biosphere reserve located in the Western Caucasus belongs to the category of state ones. It is a large natural formation belonging to two climatic zones - temperate and subtropical. More than 900 species of vascular plants and 700 species of mushrooms grow on the territory of the reserve. Initially, the Caucasian Reserve was called the bison. Nowadays, it was decided to abandon this definition, since, in addition to bison, a large number of other mammals live in the Western Caucasus, each of which needs state protection. Today on the territory of the reserve you can meet wild boars and roe deer, the West Caucasian tur and brown bear, Caucasian mink and bison.

Not only the Moscow and Novgorod Kremlin are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Kazan Kremlin was also among the culturally significant objects of world importance. Its historical and architectural complex, consisting of a white-stone Kremlin, temples and other buildings, is a monument of three historical periods: XII-XIII, XIV-XV and XV-XVI centuries. The Kremlin territory of Kazan has the shape of an irregular polygon, coinciding in outline with the hill on which the ancient settlement is located. Initially, the Kazan Kremlin was a Bulgar fortress. Then he came under the rule of the Kazan Khanate. After the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the first Orthodox churches appeared on the Kremlin territory. In 2005, in honor of the millennium of Kazan, the main mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan - Kul Sharif - was built within the Kazan Kremlin.

Currently, the Ferapontov Monastery is one of the inactive. The Ferapontovsky branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve located in it and the unique Dionysius Frescoes Museum became a stumbling block between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2000, the Ferapontov Monastery was included in the UNESCO List, which finally gave it the status of not so much a religious as a cultural heritage of mankind. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is represented by the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, painted by the famous Moscow icon painter of the XV-XVI centuries - Dionysius, the monumental Church of the Annunciation, the state chamber and outbuildings.

The Curonian Spit is a long, narrow strip of sandy land that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. According to its geographical status, this natural object is sometimes referred to as peninsulas. The Curonian Spit is 98 kilometers long and 400 to 4 kilometers wide. The saber-shaped strip of land belongs half to Russia, half to Lithuania. On Russian territory, the Curonian Spit contains the national park of the same name. The original peninsula was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its biological diversity. Numerous landscapes, ranging from deserts to tundra, a large number of flora and fauna, as well as the ancient migratory route of birds, make the Curonian Spit a unique natural complex that needs protection.

Derbent, the southernmost city in Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The first settlements on its territory arose at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The city acquired its modern look in 438. In those distant times, Derbent was a Persian fortress, consisting of the Naryn-Kala citadel and double walls descending to the Caspian Sea. The ancient fortress, the old city and fortifications of Derbent were included in the UNESCO List in 2003. Naryn-kala has survived to this day in the form of ruins, an ancient temple of fire worshipers, a mosque, baths and water reservoirs located on its territory.

Located in the Arctic Ocean, Wrangel Island was discovered in 1849. In 1926, the first polar station was established on it, in 1948, the island was inhabited by domestic reindeer, and in 1975, by musk oxen. The last event led to the fact that the authorities of the Magadan region decided to establish a nature reserve on Wrangel Island, which also included the neighboring Herald Island. At the end of the 20th century, the adjacent water areas joined the Wrangel Island Reserve. The flora of the island consists mainly of ancient plant species. The fauna of the area is poorly developed: most often, birds and walruses are found here, which have set up their main Russian rookery on Wrangel Island.

The Novodevichy Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery was founded in 1524 in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria. The location of the women's Orthodox monastery is the Maiden's Field of Moscow. In the center of the monastery is the five-domed Smolensk Cathedral, from which the creation of the entire architectural ensemble of the religious monument of the Russian capital began. In the 17th century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a bell tower, a refectory, Lopukhinsky, Mariinsky and Burial Chambers were built around it.

The historical center of Yaroslavl, consisting of the Chopped City (the local Kremlin) and the Earthen City, was awarded by UNESCO in 2005 as an outstanding architectural example of the urban reform carried out under Catherine II. The buildings of the classicism period were carried out near the parish church of Elijah the Prophet, in front of which there was a semicircular square. Streets-rays were drawn to it, each of which ended with an architectural monument earlier in time of construction - the Assumption Cathedral on the Strelka, the Znamenskaya and Uglich towers, the church of Simeon the Stylite.

A network of 265 reference geodetic points, created in the first half of the 19th century to study terrestrial parameters, is currently found in many European cities. On the Russian territory, it is represented by two points - "Point Mäkipyallus" and "Point Z", located on the island of Gogland. Of the more than two hundred objects of the Struve arc, only 34 have survived to this day, which served as the basis for the inclusion of a unique scientific monument of mankind in the List of Especially Valuable Cultural Objects of Our Time.

Like many natural objects of Russia included in the UNESCO List, the Putarana Plateau was included in it because of the unique combination of different ecological systems. Located within an isolated mountain range, the Putorana State Nature Reserve combines the subarctic and arctic belts, taiga, forest tundra and the arctic desert within its territory. The Putoran subspecies of the snow leopard, listed in the Red Book of Russia, lives on the territory of the reserve. Winters on the plateau and the world's largest population of wild reindeer.

Located on the territory of the Republic of Sakha, the Lena Pillars are the latest Russian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. The geological formation, located on the banks of the Lena, is a multi-kilometer complex of vertically elongated rocks. The unique natural monument is based on Cambrian limestone. Scientists attribute the beginning of the formation of the Lena Pillars to the early Cambrian - a time removed from ours by 560 million years. The relief form of the Lena Pillars was formed much later - only 400 thousand years ago. Near the Lena Pillars there is a natural park of the same name. On its territory there are fluttering sands and the site of an ancient man. There are also fossilized remains of mammoths.

At present, the human environment is changing rapidly and at an increasing rate. The task of mankind is to maintain nature on the globe in a condition necessary for life, health and well-being. It is also necessary to preserve, as far as possible, at least the most unique places in nature that are of special value from a scientific point of view, areas that make up areas of valuable or endangered species of plants and animals. There are many unique places in nature, the disappearance of which would be an irreparable loss not only for the country in which they are located, but for all mankind as a whole.In most countries of the world, networks of so-called "specially protected natural areas" (SPNA) have been created for these purposes. These include the following natural objects:

Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve, Leningrad Region

Reserves are created with the aim of preserving or restoring some or all of the components of nature and to maintain the overall ecological balance. Some types of economic activity are limited in these territories.

Gladyshevsky reserve, Leningrad region

Natural monuments are small territories, including objects of natural value: caves, rocks, waterfalls, groves of rare tree species, river valleys, lakes, etc.

Natural monument "Hawk Lake", Leningrad region

Natural parks serve to protect natural complexes of ecological, historical and aesthetic value. They are staffed with special staff.

Veppsky Forest Nature Park, Leningrad Region

B Have you ever visited one of the protected areas? What do you remember about this place?

In these territories, people preserve both rare, unique and typical areas of forests, swamps, meadows, reservoirs and other natural ecosystems, rare and common species of plants and animals in their natural habitat, bird flight routes, fish spawning routes and others. natural objects and processes.

All the nature of our planet is priceless and unique. Of course, it is difficult to single out some of the most outstanding and valuable corners of nature of “exceptional importance” from the natural areas subject to special protection, which are vitally important to preserve for the present and future generations. This is the subject of a special UNESCO program, which is the so-called World Heritage List.

The UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage entered into force in 1975. Its main goal is to attract the forces of the world community to preserve unique objects of culture and nature. By mid-2012, the total number of countries participating in the Convention had already reached 189. Among the international programs of UNESCO, this program is the most representative. In order to improve the efficiency of the work of the Convention, the Committee and the World Heritage Fund were formed in 1976.

World natural heritage is made up of mountains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, islands, forests, caves, reefs, national parks, nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries.

Of course, being on a par with the universally recognized world pearls of nature and culture is honorable and prestigious, but at the same time it is a great responsibility. To receive World Heritage status, an object must be of outstanding universal value, undergo a thorough expert assessment. At the same time, the nominated natural object must meet at least one of the following four criteria:

Include unique natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic value;

Present outstanding examples of the main stages of the history of the Earth, including traces of ancient life, serious geological processes that continue to occur in the development of the forms of the earth's surface, significant geomorphological or physiographic features of the relief;

Present outstanding examples of important ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

Include natural areas of great importance for their conservation of biological diversity, including areas of endangered species that are of outstanding scientific or conservation value.

The status of a world natural heritage site provides additional guarantees for the safety and integrity of unique natural complexes, increases the prestige of territories, promotes the popularization of objects and the development of alternative types of nature management, and ensures priority in attracting financial resources.

The first cultural and natural sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List two years after the creation of the program. Of the natural areas, the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), the national parks Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Seamen (Ethiopia) received heritage status. Over the past years, the List has become very representative both in terms of the regions of the planet represented and in terms of the number of objects: by mid-2012, it already included 188 natural objects. Most of them are located in the USA and Australia (more than 10 objects in each country). Under the protection of the Convention are such world-famous natural monuments as the Great Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian Islands, the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro. Video 62.

In Russia, the initiator of the inclusion of natural objects in the World Heritage List is primarily Greenpeace. By joining this UNESCO program, a new page was opened in the field of nature protection in Russia.

Russian World Natural Heritage Sites

There are inaccuracies on the map, since at the moment 11 objects are already included in the list, including the Putorana Plateau and the Lena Pillars Natural Park. The first in our country to receive the status of a world natural heritage site in 1995 was a natural complex called "Virgin Komi Forests".

The territory of this object is the largest of the remaining massifs of primary forests in Europe, the appearance of which is almost not changed by human influence. Video 63.

The virgin forests of Komi are a real taiga treasury. There are more than 40 species of mammals here (including brown bear, sable, elk), 204 species of birds (including the white-tailed eagle and osprey listed in the Red Book of Russia), 16 species of fish, the most valuable of which are considered glacial relics - char palia and Siberian grayling.

This territory stretches along the western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals for more than 300 km. The Ural mountain system has a significant impact on the climate. In places, natural complexes form a complex mosaic: along narrow river valleys, taiga vegetation rises high into the mountains.

The main tree species - spruce and fir - are accompanied by Siberian cedar. Here it originates and receives the crystal clear tributaries of the Pechora. Now the territory of the World Heritage Site "Virgin Komi Forests" is in danger due to illegal gold mining unfolding here (1).Greenpeace Russia and other non-governmental organizations will fight to stop any nature-destroying activity on its territory.

Lake Baikal

Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on the planet, a lake of "superlatives": the deepest (1637 meters), the oldest (about 25 million years), with the most diverse flora and fauna among fresh water bodies. Video 64.

The lake has a unique fresh water supply in terms of volume and quality - more than 20% of the world's reserves). The Baikal depression is the central link of the Baikal rift zone, one of the largest ancient fault systems on Earth. The lake, together with its entire basin, is a peculiar and very fragile natural ecosystem that provides the natural process of formation of the purest waters. For Siberia, the climate of the Baikal coasts is comparatively mild. For example, the number of sunny days a year here is higher than in many Black Sea resorts.One of the richest and most unusual freshwater fauna in the world, which is of exceptional value for studying evolutionary processes, has formed in the isolated Baikal depression since ancient times.

Of the more than 2,630 species and subspecies of animals and plants found so far in the lake, more than 80% are found nowhere else in the world. Who has not heard of the famous Baikal omul or Baikal sturgeon? Two unique species of viviparous fish, representatives of the family endemic (2) for Baikal, the big and small golomyanka, are known to ichthyologists all over the world. The pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a mammal of typically marine origin - the seal, or the Baikal seal.

Unfortunately, the unique nature of Baikal is under threat (3).

WITH Have you heard about the actions that the public is taking to protect Lake Baikal from pollution by the pulp and paper mill?

Another danger for Baikal is the planned development of deposits, illegal logging, forest fires, poaching, and oil spills.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka Peninsula is located at the junction of tectonic plates in a zone of active volcanism, where modern natural processes and the history of our planet are inseparable. Video 65.

Here, in a limited area, 30 active and about 300 extinct volcanoes are concentrated, as well as more than 150 groups of thermal and mineral springs. Dozens of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (4), cascades of waterfalls, sharp peaks of ridges, mud pots and turquoise lakes, carpets of colorful algae give a fabulous look to the famous Valley of Geysers

The richest life is represented in the seas washing the coast of Kamchatka. Here are the growth zones of king crab larvae, salmon spawning places and their juveniles rolling into the sea. From summer to the beginning of winter, an amazing natural phenomenon can be observed on the rivers of the peninsula: millions of salmon in a continuous mass move along the rivers against the current to their spawning grounds.

Golden Mountains of Altai

The nature of this mountainous territory, located at the junction of Central Asia and Siberia, is distinguished by its bright originality. There are few places in the world with such a contrasting combination of different landscapes in such a small space. Video 66.

The flora and fauna of the region are diverse and in many ways unique. Here, the most significant subalpine and alpine meadows in terms of area in the mountains of Siberia. The color of the vegetation of the Southern Altai, where semi-deserts, steppes and tundra coexist, is also unique. The diversity of landscapes contributed to the emergence and preservation of endemics in Altai, often occupying very small areas. Among the rare species of mammals, the snow leopard should be singled out; this is one of the most beautiful cats in the world fauna. Very few of these animals have survived in Altai.

The geological history of the region is unique, “recorded” in the rocks of different ages that make it up and imprinted in unusual landforms. Such, for example, are the high terraces of the Katun River, striking in their grandeur. The grandiose Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia (4506 meters). The Altai river valleys are narrow deep canyons.

The diversity of nature has left its mark on the culture and religion of the indigenous population of this territory - the Altaians. The achievements of Altai traditional medicine are highly valued. As the outstanding philosopher, writer, traveler H.K. Roerich, "many peoples passed through Altai and left traces: Scythians, Huns, Turks." Gorny Altai is called an open-air museum.

Western Caucasus

The western part of the Greater Caucasus in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna, their preservation is unparalleled not only in the Caucasus region, but also among other mountainous regions of Europe and Western Asia. Video 67.

This is an area where a large number of endangered rare, endemic and relict species of plants and animals are concentrated. It is especially important that the little-altered habitat of the most vulnerable large mammals has been preserved here: bison, Caucasian red deer, Western Caucasian tur, chamois, Caucasian subspecies of brown bear, wolf and others.

The Caucasian reserve is practically the only habitat of the mountain bison in the world; outside this territory, it is almost completely exterminated by poachers.

The territory is rich in picturesque objects: powerful waterfalls, pointed mountain peaks (up to 3360 meters), turbulent mountain rivers with clear water, clear mountain lakes, huge trees (majestic firs up to 85 meters high and more than 2 meters in diameter), rare plants (orchids, etc.). .) and many others. An invaluable unique natural complex has been preserved in the Western Caucasus.

curonian spit

The relief of this territory, located in the Kaliningrad region, is unique. A continuous strip of sand dunes 0.3 - 1 km wide, some of which are close to the highest in the world (up to 68 m), stretches along the peninsula for 70 km. Video 68.

Due to its geographic location and orientation from northeast to southwest, the spit serves as a "guide line" for birds of many species migrating from the northwestern regions of Russia, Finland and the Baltic countries to the countries of Central and Southern Europe. Every year in spring and autumn 10 - 20 million birds fly over the spit, a significant part of which stops here for rest and feeding. Among the birds flying here are many rare and endangered species listed in the Red Books of Russia, Europe and the world.

It is especially interesting that the spit is rich in cultural heritage sites. These are defensive structures unique in their scale, extremely valuable from the point of view of history, science and art; fishermen's settlements harmoniously integrated into the landscape; archaeological sites and monuments of religious architecture. The many-sided dune relief of the Curonian Spit, combined with the greenery of forests, the whiteness of sandy beaches and the boundless blue of the Baltic Sea, has a high aesthetic value.

Central Sikhote-Alin

This territory, located in the south of the Far East within Russia, is one of the largest and least human-modified centers of preservation of communities of ancient coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests. Video 69.

It presents a lot of rare and endangered animal species, a significant part of which is preserved only within its boundaries. The mountainous country of Sikhote-Alin is the last large integral territory in the world inhabited by the Amur tiger. Many other rare and endangered plant and animal species endemic to the region also need protection.

Picturesque landforms, full-flowing rivers, combined with an exceptional variety of flora and fauna, the presence of exotic plants and animals reminiscent of the tropics, give the nature of Sikhote-Alin completely unique features. There are many objects of aesthetic and recreational significance here: rock massifs, picturesquely standing out among the taiga, waterfalls, lakes and rapids, reefs, sandy bays on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan.

Ubsunur basin

The Ubsunur basin, located on the territory of Mongolia and Russia, is one of the most original and unusual places in Central Asia. Video 70.

This region has preserved a unique complex of neighboring, closely interacting, extremely contrasting ecosystems - from the taiga to the desert. Glaciers, snowfields, mountain tundra of the alpine belt and subalpine meadows turn into a vast mountain taiga belt, which gives way to forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert and even loose sandy ridges, creating a natural phenomenon of exceptional beauty and diversity. It is impossible to see such diverse landscapes in such close proximity anywhere else in Eurasia. An unusually high species richness for temperate latitudes reigns in this territory.

Relative sparsely populated territory, the absence of industrial facilities make it possible to preserve the basin as a natural laboratory for the study of biospheric processes

However, the value of the territory lies not only in the unique nature of the Ubsunur basin. Of great importance are the objects of cultural heritage located here - archaeological monuments, many of which have not been studied so far. Nowhere else in Central Asia are barrows found in such a concentration as here (according to a rough estimate, there are up to 20 thousand of them); most of them are older than the Egyptian pyramids. Thousands of rock paintings and stone sculptures, the remains of medieval settlements and Buddhist chapels form a unique natural and cultural landscape.

The natural system of the reserve "Wrangel Island"»

The Wrangel Island Reserve is located on the border of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas on the Wrangel and Herald Islands with a 12-mile sea area adjacent to them. Video 71.

The 180th meridian passes through Wrangel Island, so that the island lies in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres. The relief is predominantly mountainous, strongly dissected, with coastal lowlands in the north and south. There are 1400 rivers and streams on the island, about 900 small lakes. A unique combination of natural-historical and landscape-climatic conditions, as well as inaccessibility, have led to a large number of endemic, rare and relict plant species on the islands. On the islands, as parts of the ancient land that once united the Eurasian and North American continents, both Euro-Asian and American species of flora and fauna are widely represented.

Putorana Plateau

The plateau is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is a large basaltic plateau, located on the northern limit of the taiga and almost completely unaffected by human economic activity. Video 72. Unusual and extremely interesting are the trap relief forms (5), crossed by huge canyons. The scale and number of waterfalls are impressive (the highest concentration in Russia). Here is a 108 m high waterfall - one of the highest in our country. There are many lakes on the plateau with depths up to 400 m, lake fjords are very picturesque.More than 1300 plant species have been recorded on the Putorana Plateau. Here is the northern limit of the distribution of flying squirrel, lynx, sable, stone capercaillie. The migration route of the world's largest population of wild reindeer, the Taimyr one, runs through the plateau. A little-studied, extremely interesting local form of the bighorn sheep also lives here.

Lena Pillars

The Lena Pillars Natural Park is located in Central Yakutia, in the middle reaches of the Lena River. Video 73.

The park got its name because of the unique ridge of rocks - fabulous stone sculptures in the form of pillars and towers stretch along the banks of the Lena for tens of kilometers. Some are up to 100 meters high. This natural monument is composed of Cambrian limestones - a rock that was formed more than 500 million years ago.

In addition, in the park there are small areas of the desert landscape - unique permafrost ecosystems, as well as fluttering tukulan sands - isolated and independently developing sandy ridges with slopes practically not fixed by vegetation. In the area of ​​the Lena Pillars, scientists discovered burials of bone remains of ancient fauna: mammoth, bison, Lena horse, woolly rhinoceros.

21 species of rare and endangered "Red Book" plants grow in the park. In the basin of the middle reaches of the Lena River, the fish fauna includes 31 species. Nesting of 101 species of birds has been established in the park. Animals such as sable, brown bear, squirrel, elk, red deer, chipmunk, musk deer, mountain-forest form of wild reindeer are common here.

Work to continue the inclusion of new areas in the World Heritage List continues. According to the rules, nominations for consideration by the World Heritage Committee must first be included in the national Tentative List. They are presented on the World Natural Heritage map of Russia (see above).

Obviously, the effective protection of such territories is impossible without the active involvement of public organizations, as many citizens of the country as possible. Let us remember that we have an individual and collective responsibility for the preservation of natural complexes.

Read the resolution of the International NGO Forum on World Heritage Sites (6).

What can we, the people of Russia, do to support the conservation and development of specially protected natural areas?

Each of these places is unique in its own way, and all together they function, making up the unity and integrity of the life support system on the Planet. They create its unique, still far from fully unraveled and known appearance.