Unesco heritage monuments. Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

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 that include 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 paths, 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 necessary 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 the conservation of their 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 the 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 value here: rock massifs, picturesquely standing out among the taiga, waterfalls, lakes and rapids, reefs, sandy bays of 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 mounds 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 waving sands-tukulans - 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.

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World heritage of Russia. Book 2. Monuments of nature, Sirotkina Alla. The books tell about the cultural and natural monuments of Russia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The second volume - 12 natural objects. Their description and history is given. Everyone…
World heritage of Russia. Book 1. Architecture, Sirotkina Alla. The book tells about the cultural monuments of Russia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Their description and history are given. Each object is represented by at least 25-30 photographs,…

SECO is the specialized agency of the United Nations for education, science and culture. The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites includes the most valuable objects (both natural and man-made) in terms of their cultural, historical or environmental significance. Here are twenty unique UNESCO sites located in Europe.

20 PHOTOS

1 Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.

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

2 Red Square, Moscow, Russia.

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

3 Vlkolinec village, Slovakia.

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

4 Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.

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

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

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

6 Monastery of Alcobaça, Portugal.

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

7 Budapest: The banks of the Danube, the castle hill in Buda and Andrássy Avenue.

The central part of the Hungarian capital boasts such stunning masterpieces of architecture as the Parliament building, the opera house, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Market Hall.

8 Peace Churches in Jawor and Swidnica, Poland.

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

9. Stave Church in Urnes, Norway.

The stave church, located in western Norway, is an excellent example of traditional Scandinavian architecture.

10. Pavement of giants, Ireland.

A monument of nature, consisting of approximately 40,000 interconnected basalt columns, formed as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

11. Pont du Gard Aqueduct, France

The highest surviving ancient Roman aqueduct. It is 275 meters long and 47 meters high.

12. Pilgrimage Church in Wies, Germany

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

13. Fjords of Western Norway, Norway.

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

14. Vatican, Italy.

The center of Catholic Christianity, and the residence of the Pope. Also in the Vatican Museums are stored many of the world's artistic masterpieces.

15. Millennial Benedictine monastery in Pannonhalma, Hungary.

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

16. Pirin National Park, Bulgaria.

National park with an area of 403 sq. km, located on three belts of vegetation: mountain-forest, subalpine and alpine.

17. Grand Place, Brussels. 18. Old Bridge area in the historic center of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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

19. Glacial fjord Ilulissat, Denmark.

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

20. Palace of Catalan Music, Barcelona, Spain.

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

In Russia, many priceless natural and cultural monuments have been recognized as World Heritage Sites.

They are under the scrutiny of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). We offer you the most protected UNESCO sites in Russia.

Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

The real symbols of Russia, which are known throughout the world and are considered the main cultural attractions of the planet. Moscow Kremlin and Red Square - included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1990.

Almost the oldest monument in Russia with numerous buildings reflects the centuries-old history of the Russian people. On the territory of the Moscow Kremlin, unique examples of Russian foundry art are exhibited - the Tsar Cannon weighing 40 tons and the Tsar Bell weighing over 200 tons and 6.6 m in diameter.

Lake Baikal

Baikal, a unique natural monument of Eastern Siberia, was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1996. The lake is the deepest in the world and contains 19% of the planet's fresh water reserves. When viewed from a height, the lake resembles a crescent moon, covers an area of over 3 million hectares and is fed by more than 300 rivers and streams.

The water in the lake has a high oxygen content, and due to its transparency, it is possible to see a depth of up to 40 m. The age of the ancient lake is especially impressive - more than 25 million years, the complete isolation of which contributed to the development of a unique ecosystem in it.

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

Included in the UNESCO National Heritage List in 2012, Lena Pillars Park is a place where priceless finds of the inhabitants of the Cambrian period were discovered. The park is located in the center of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) near the coast of the Lena River, occupying 1.27 million hectares.

The park is inhabited by 12 species of fauna listed in the Red Book. Due to its antiquity, the park is of particular interest for geology: the natural monument is distinguished by its relief, dotted with caves, stone spiers, towers and niches.

The architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost

The unique architectural complex of wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990 and is an ensemble of two wooden churches and a bell tower in Karelia.

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

Novgorod historical monuments

The architectural complexes of Veliky Novgorod and its environs were included in the UNESCO National Heritage List in 1992. The cultural objects include such significant Orthodox buildings of antiquity as the Znamensky, Antoniev, Yuryev, Zverin monasteries, as well as the churches of the Nativity of Christ, the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, the Novgorodsky Detinets Kremlin.

Nature Reserve Wrangel Island

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

The territory of the reserve is located beyond the Arctic Circle, including Wrangel and Gerald Islands and the waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. Despite the harsh conditions of the Arctic waters, you can see more than 400 plant species here.

curonian spit

The famous sand spit stretches for 98 km with a maximum width of up to 3.8 km, located on the dividing line between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. The natural attraction was included in the UNESCO heritage list in 2000 and is interesting for its unique anthropogenic landscape, which is represented by a variety of reliefs - from deserts to swampy tundras.

The spit is of great importance during the migration of 10 to 20 million birds and serves as a haven for them during their rest. Only here you can find dunes up to 68 m in height, the width of which sometimes reaches 1 km.

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

Since 2004, the monastery has been included in the UNESCO list, which since 1524 was one of the defensive structures of Moscow. In 1926, a historical and domestic and historical museum was founded in the building of the monastery, and in 1980 the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna was placed. In 1994, the convent was officially approved. There are more than eight hundred monasteries in Russia. You can read about the most beautiful temples in our article.

Komi Forest

The Komi forest area is recognized as the most virgin forests in Europe with a total area of 32,600 sq. km, which belong to the territory of the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve and occupy part of the YugydVa National Park. The number of volcanoes in Kamchatka is more than a thousand

The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is still unknown. The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka with a height of 4835 m. The editors of the site also invite you to learn more about the most beautiful places in Russia.
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Every year on March 3, World Wildlife Day is celebrated. The date was not chosen by chance: on this day in 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was adopted. World Wildlife Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the diversity and beauty of the world around us.

In order to preserve and increase not only the cultural, but also the natural wealth of the planet, in 1972 UNESCO created the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the main goal of which is to make known and protect objects that are unique in their kind. Now there are more than a thousand objects in the list.

All the diversity of the world heritage is divided into three conditional groups: cultural, natural and cultural-natural objects. There are currently 26 monuments on the territory of Russia, 10 of which are unique natural objects.

Virgin forests of Komi

The virgin Komi forests were the first to be included in the list of world natural heritage in Russia. This is a huge and almost untouched natural massif, located in the north-east of the Komi Republic. The local forests mainly grow spruce, pine, fir, as well as several species of birch, larch and cedar.

The structure of this object includes one of the oldest in Russia, the Pechora-Ilych nature reserve, located on the western slopes of the Northern Urals, and the national park "Yugyd va". In general, this entire long protected belt plays a huge role in stabilizing the state of the natural environment. In addition, the virgin nature of the reserve and the park is of interest to archaeologists and paleontologists.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Volcanoes of Kamchatka are six separate areas that are located in the east, in the center and in the south of the peninsula. Together they reflect almost all the main landscapes of Kamchatka, but at the same time each of them has a bright personality. In total, there are about 30 active and 300 extinct volcanoes.

The boundaries of this UNESCO monument include the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve (this is a unique picturesque mountainous area that includes 26 volcanoes), the underdeveloped high-mountainous Bystrinsky Natural Park, the Klyuchevskoy Natural Park with Klyuchevskaya Sopka - the highest active volcano in Eurasia - and the Nalychevo Nature Park. The latter includes the well-known Nalychevo resort area, where there are about 200 healing springs of thermal and mineral waters.

Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is one of the largest natural heritage sites in the world. This is the oldest freshwater reservoir on our planet - its age is usually estimated at 25 million years, as well as the deepest lake in the world - its maximum depth is 1620 meters. In addition, about 20% of the world's fresh water reserves are contained in Baikal. The beauty of the lake and its surroundings attract tourists from all over Russia and from many countries of the world.

Golden Mountains of Altai

In the area where the territories of the four largest states of Eurasia converge - Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, there are the Golden Mountains of Altai, one of the most significant mountain systems in Central Asia and South Siberia.

Here you can see a wide variety of landscapes - from steppes and taiga to mountain tundra and glaciers. The area is dominated by the two-headed mountain Belukha, covered with a cap of eternal snow and ice. It reaches 4506 meters in height and is the highest point not only in Altai, but throughout Siberia. And to the west of Belukha there are dozens of mountain glaciers.

Western Caucasus

The Western Caucasus is a natural massif located in the western part of the Greater Caucasus, about 50 kilometers northeast of Sochi. More than 6 thousand species of plants and animals have been recorded in this territory, which makes it a unique center of biodiversity not only on the scale of the Caucasus, but also of Eurasia.

Several tourist routes have been laid along the territory of the reserve, observation platforms have been equipped, and a museum of nature has been created. The most visited place is the area of Krasnaya Polyana, located at the southern borders of the reserve.

Central Sikhote-Alin

This most valuable mountain and forest region is located in the south of the Russian Far East. Here you can see narrow intermountain valleys, through which small but fast rivers flow; mountains rising up and rocky cliffs, sometimes sheerly leaving in the waters of the Sea of Japan. Due to the local humid climate, dense forests have formed here, recognized as one of the richest and most original in terms of species composition in the entire Northern Hemisphere.

Ubsunur hollow

Ubsunur is a rather large shallow salt lake located in the western part of a vast and closed intermountain basin. The northern part of this basin is located on the territory of Russia (Tuva), and the southern part is on the territory of Mongolia. The World Heritage Site itself consists of 12 scattered sites, seven of which are located in Russia.

All sites are located in different parts of the drainage basin of Lake Ubsunur, so they differ markedly from each other in terms of natural conditions and, in general, represent all the main types of landscapes characteristic of Central Asia. In addition, monuments of cultural heritage were found in the basin: ancient burials, rock paintings, stone statues.

Wrangel Island

The area of Wrangel Island is the northernmost among the world natural heritage sites, it is located about 500 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, at 71 degrees north latitude. In addition to Wrangel Island, the site includes Herald Island, located 70 kilometers to the east, as well as the adjacent waters of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas.

The island itself is valuable in that it is a pronounced autonomous ecosystem that has developed in conditions of complete isolation for the last 50 thousand years - since the time when the island began to separate from the mainland. In addition, this area is characterized by exceptional biodiversity for the Arctic; a number of rare and endangered species can be found here.

Putorana Plateau

The boundaries of this object coincide with the boundaries of the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 kilometers above the Arctic Circle. The World Heritage Listed portion of this plateau features the full range of subarctic and arctic ecosystems preserved within an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic deserts, as well as a pristine cold water lake and river systems.

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

The Lena Pillars are rock formations of rare beauty that reach a height of about 100 meters and are located along the banks of the Lena River in the central part of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The pillars are separated from each other by deep and steep ravines, partially filled with rock fragments. On the territory of the object there are remains of many different species of the Cambrian period.

The material was prepared by the editors of the site

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