About UNESCO World Heritage

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted at the XVII session of the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972 and entered into force on December 17, 1975. Its main goal is to attract the forces of the world community to preserve unique objects of culture and nature. In 1975, 21 States ratified the Convention, over the 42 years of its existence, 172 more States have acceded to them, and by mid-2017 the total number of States Parties to the Convention has reached 193. In terms of the number of States Parties, the World Heritage Convention, among others international programs UNESCO 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.

The first cultural and natural objects were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List two years after the program was established. Of the natural areas, the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) received heritage status, National parks Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Seamen (Ethiopia). 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-2017, it included 206 natural, 832 cultural and 35 mixed natural and cultural objects in 167 countries of the world. Italy, Spain, Germany, France and China have the largest number of cultural properties on the List (more than 30 each), while the United States, Australia, China, Russia and Canada have the largest number of natural World Heritage sites (more than 10 properties each). Under the protection of the Convention are such world-famous natural monuments as the Great Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian and Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Baikal.

Of course, to be on a par with the universally recognized world pearls of nature and culture for any object is honorable and prestigious, but at the same time, this is a great responsibility. To receive World Heritage status, a property must represent an outstanding universal value, go through a thorough expert assessment and meet at least one of the 10 selection criteria. At the same time, the nominated natural object must comply with at least one of the following four criteria:

vii) include unique natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic value;

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

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

X) include natural habitats great importance to save them biodiversity, including areas of endangered species that represent outstanding global heritage from the point of view of science or nature conservation.

The protection, management, authenticity and integrity of the object are also important factors, which are taken into account in its evaluation before inclusion in the List.

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 development alternative species nature management, provides priority in attracting financial resources.

World Heritage Project

In 1994, Greenpeace Russia began work on the World Heritage project, aimed at identifying and protecting unique natural complexes that are threatened by serious Negative influence human activity. Giving natural areas the highest international conservation status to further guarantee their safety is the main goal of the work carried out by Greenpeace.

The first attempts to include Russian protected natural areas to the UNESCO World Heritage List were undertaken in the early 1990s. In 1994, an all-Russian meeting " Contemporary Issues creation of a system of objects of the world and Russian natural heritage”, which presented a list of promising territories. At the same time, in 1994, Greenpeace Russia experts prepared Required documents for inclusion in the UNESCO List of natural complex, called "Virgin forests of Komi". In December 1995, he was the first in Russia to receive the status of a world natural heritage site.

At the end of 1996, "Lake Baikal" and "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" were included in the List. In 1998, another Russian natural complex, the Golden Mountains of Altai, was included in the List; in 1999, a decision was made to include the fifth Russian natural site, “ Western Caucasus". At the end of 2000, the Curonian Spit became the first international site in Russia (together with Lithuania) to receive the status of a World Heritage site in terms of "cultural landscape". Later, the UNESCO List included "Central Sikhote-Alin" (2001), "Ubsunur Basin" (2003, jointly with Mongolia), "Natural Complex of the Wrangel Island Reserve" (2004), "Putorana Plateau" (2010) , " Natural Park"Lena Pillars" (2012) and "Landscapes of Dauria" (2017, jointly with Mongolia).

Nominations for consideration by the World Heritage Committee must first be placed on a national Tentative List. At present, it contains such natural complexes as the Commander Islands, the Magadan Reserve, the Krasnoyarsk Pillars, the Great Vasyugan Swamp, the Ilmensky Mountains, the Bashkir Urals, the Reserved Kenozero, the Oglakhty Ridge and Bikin River Valley. Work is underway to expand the territory of the Golden Mountains of Altai (by including the adjacent territories of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan). Negotiations are underway with Finland and Norway on the joint nomination "Green Belt of Fennoscandia".

Russia is certainly rich in unique, unaffected economic activity natural complexes. According to rough estimates, there are more than 20 territories in our country worthy of the status of a world natural heritage site. Among the promising areas, the following natural complexes can be noted: Kurile Islands”, “Lena Delta”, “Volga Delta”.

Russian cultural objects, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, include such recognized monuments of history and architecture as the historical center of St. Novgorod, Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Derbent, Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, the Struve geodetic arc (together with Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova).

Work is underway to submit to the List of the following natural objects: Volga Delta, Lena Delta, Green Belt of Fennoscandia, Kurile Islands, Valdai - Great Watershed, Western Sayan, Beringia and the Solovetsky Islands.

Natural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List
	Square	State
Virgin forests of Komi	3.279 million ha	Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1995) Criteria - N ii, iii
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Pechora-Ilychsky"	721 322
2. National Park "Yugyd Va"	1 891 701
3. Reserve zone	666 000
Lake Baikal	8.8 million hectares	Listed (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv
1. Baikalsky State Biosphere Reserve	165 724
2. State Biosphere Reserve "Barguzinsky"	374 322
3. State Nature Reserve "Baikal-Lensky"	660 000
4. National Park "Pribaikalsky"	418 000
5. Zabaikalsky National Park	246 000
6. Reserve "Frolikhinsky"	910 200
7. Reserve "Kabansky"	18 000
8. Tunkinsky National Park (partially)
Volcanoes of Kamchatka	3.996 million ha	Included in the List (1996). Expanded in 2001 Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Kronotsky"	1 147 619,37
2. Natural park "Bystrinsky"	1 368 592
3. Natural park "Nalychevskiy"	286 025
4. Natural park "South Kamchatsky"	500 511
5. Reserve of federal importance "South Kamchatsky"	322 000
6. Natural park "Klyuchevskoy"	371 022
Golden Mountains of Altai	1.509 million ha	Listed (1998) Criterion - N iv
1. Altai State Biosphere Reserve	881 238
2. State Biosphere Reserve "Katunsky"	150 079
3. Belukha Mountain Natural Park	131 337
4. Natural park "Ukok"	252 904
5. Buffer zone "Teletskoe Lake"	93 753
Western Caucasus	0.301 million ha	Listed (1999) Criteria - N ii, iv
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Kavkazsky" with a buffer zone	288 200
2. Natural park "Big Thach"	3 700
3. Monument of nature "Upper reaches of the rivers Pshekha and Pshekhashkha"	5 776
4. Monument of nature "Upper reaches of the river Tsitsa"	1 913
5. Monument of nature "Ridge Buiny"	1 480
Curonian Spit(jointly with Lithuania)	0.031 million ha	Listed (2000) Criterion - Cv
1. Curonian Spit National Park (Russia)	6 600
2. National Park "Kursiu Nerijos" (Lithuania)	24 600
	1.567 million ha	Included in the List (2001). Expanded in 2018 Criterion - N iv
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Sikhote-Alinsky"	401 600
2. Bikin National Park	1 160 469
3. Reserve "Goralovy"	4 749
Ubsunur Hollow(shared with Mongolia)	0.883 million ha	Listed (2003) Criteria - N ii, iv
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Ubsunurskaya Kotlovina" (Russia)	73 529
2. Biosphere Reserve "Uvs Nuur" (Mongolia)	810 233,5
Wrangel Island	2.226 mln ha	Listed (2004) Criteria - N ii, iv
State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island"
Putorana Plateau	1.887 million ha	Listed (2010) Criteria - vii, ix
State Nature Reserve "Putoransky"
Lena Pillars	1.387 million ha	Listed (2012) Criteria - viii
Natural Park of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Lena Pillars"
Landscapes of Dauria(shared with Mongolia)	0.913 million ha	Included in the List (2017) Criteria - (ix), (x)
1. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky"	49 765
2. Protected zone of the State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky"	117 690
3. Reserve of federal significance "Valley of Dzeren"	111 568
Total area in the Russian Federation:	279 023
4. Strictly protected area "Mongol Daguur"	110 377
5. Buffer zone of the Mongol Daguur Strictly Protected Area	477 064
6. nature reserve"Ugtam"	46 160
Total area in Mongolia:	633 601

Natural properties included in the Tentative List
Objects and their territories	Square	State
Valaam archipelago	0.026 million ha	Included in the Tentative List of the Russian Federation on May 15, 1996.
Natural Park "Valaam Archipelago"
Magadan Reserve	0.884 million ha	Nomination prepared
State natural reserve "Magadansky"
Commander Islands	3.649 million ha	Included in the Tentative List of the Russian Federation on February 7, 2005. Nomination prepared
State Natural Reserve "Komandorsky"
Big Vasyugan swamp	0.4 million ha
State complex reserve Tyumen region"Vasyugan"
Krasnoyarsk pillars	0.047 million ha	Included in the Tentative List of the Russian Federation on March 6, 2007.
State Nature Reserve "Stolby"
Ilmensky mountains	0.034 million ha	Included in the Tentative List of the Russian Federation on August 11, 2008. Nomination prepared
State Natural Reserve of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Ilmensky"
Bashkir Ural	0.045 million ha	Included in the Tentative List of the Russian Federation on January 30, 2012.

Natural properties promising for inclusion on the Tentative List
Objects and their territories	Square	State
Beringia	2.911 million ha	Recommended by the IUCN for inclusion in the List
1. Beringia National Park (RF)	1,819,154 ha
2. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (USA)	1,091,595 ha
Volga Delta	0.068 million ha	criterion N iv. Nomination prepared
State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Astrakhansky"
Lena Delta	1.433 million ha	Recommended by the IUCN for inclusion in the List in accordance with criterion N iv. Nomination prepared
State Nature Reserve "Ust-Lensky"
Kurile Islands	0.295 million ha	Nomination prepared
1. Kurilsky State Nature Reserve and its buffer zone	65 365 and 41 475
2. Biological reserve "Small Kuriles"	45 000
3. Reserve regional significance"Urup Island"	143 000
Green Belt of Fennoscandia(shared with Finland and Norway)	0.541 million ha	The Russian part of the nomination is ready
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Laplandsky"	278 436
2. State Nature Reserve "Kostomukshsky"	47 457
3. State Nature Reserve "Pasvik"	14 727
4. Paanajärvi National Park	104 354
5. Kalevalsky National Park	95 886
Valdai - Great Watershed	0.183 million ha	Nomination prepared
1. Valdaisky National Park	158 500
2. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Central Forest"	24 447

Natural objects not included in the List
Objects and their territories	Square	State
Vodlozersky National Park	0.58 million ha
1. National Park "Vodlozersky"	404 700
2. Reserve "Kozhozersky"	178 600
Bashkir Ural	0.2 million ha	Not included in the List (1998)
1. Shulgan-Tash State Biosphere Reserve	22 531
2. State natural reserve "Bashkir"	49 609
3. National Park "Bashkiria" (strictly protected area)	32 740
4. Reserve "Altyn Solok"	93 580
Teberdinsky Reserve(expansion of the object "Western Caucasus")	0.085 million ha	Not included in the List (2004)
State Biosphere Reserve "Teberdinsky"

Russia, of course, is rich in unique and, which is very important, natural complexes not affected by economic activity. According to rough estimates of scientists, there are about 20 territories in our country worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage Site. The list of the most promising territories was determined during joint project UNESCO and International Union Nature Conservancy and natural resources(IUCN) on boreal forests.

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 separate architectural structures and ensembles, for example - the Acropolis, cathedrals in Amiens and Chartres, historical city centers - 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 Chinese province 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 Eastern Dynasty Han. (China Photos/Getty Images)

2) The 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 temple. 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 is located in northern regions Saudi Arabia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 6, 2008. The complex includes 111 rock burials (1st century BC - 1st century AD), as well as a system hydraulic structures dated to the ancient Nabatean 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) Mysterious Stonehenge 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. 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, within this small state is 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 ancient city Petra in front of Jordan's main monument, Al-Khazneh or the Treasury, believed to be the sandstone tomb of a Nabataean king. This city, located between Red and dead seas, is located 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 the houses here are built from clay bricks, approximately 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 - former capital 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 royal palace and a 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 are depicted the "eyes of the Buddha", inlaid ivory. The Kathmandu Valley, about 1300 m high, is a mountain valley and historical area Nepal. There are many Buddhist and Hindu temples here, from the Boudhanath stupa to tiny street altars in the walls of houses. locals It is said 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 to over 2 million people, its old center preserves 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)

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

The World Heritage area includes state nature reserves and national parks. Landscapes change from high mountain lakes, glaciers, arctic tundra to alpine meadows, taiga, endless steppes and even volcanoes.

These are not only incredibly beautiful places, but also home to many species of animals and plants, rare and even endemic - those that are not found anywhere else in the world. One example is the Amur tiger and the Dahurian crane. Some plants on the territory of natural monuments are more than one hundred years old. The age of the cedar in the Teletsk taiga is more than six centuries old.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Virgin forests of Komi

The largest untouched forests in Europe stretch over an area of ​​32,600 km². It is about 3 km² more area Belgium. Komi forests - the first Russian object which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Brown bear, sable, elk, more than 200 species of birds, including those listed in the Red Data Book, and valuable fish species such as palia char and Siberian grayling live here.

In the thicket of virgin forests and on the banks of rivers, one can see bizarre stone statues, unusual remnants and other forms of weathering, reminiscent of the ruins of castles, or of mythical creatures.

The lush taiga stretches towards Ural mountains, flowing into the tundra, where there are almost no plants, and crystal rivers descend from the ridges and merge into the Pechora, giving rise to amazing landscapes.

2. Lake Baikal

A slightly smaller area, 31,722 km², is occupied by the deepest lake on the planet. The whole of Malta, even magnified 100 times, would fit on its surface. This is one of them largest facilities World Heritage. Max Depth lakes - 1642 meters. This means that if you install the Eiffel Tower at the bottom, and put four more on top, the latter would still not appear out of the water.

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

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

Summer on Baikal is also interesting: you can go around this natural monument or arrange with rafting, jeeping and trekking.

3. Volcanoes of Kamchatka

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

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

4. Golden Mountains of Altai

The Altai Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Belukha Mountain, as well as the Ukok Plateau, have become World Heritage Sites. On their territory there are taiga, steppe, mountain tundra and glaciers, meadows and plateaus. If you want to see all the most picturesque places in one trip to Altai, then choose. Especially suitable for those who love comfort, because you will spend the night in hotels.

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

5. Western Caucasus

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

In Adygea, probably, the largest number of natural beauties on square meter. There are only two cities in the republic, and the rest of the territory is mountains and waterfalls, alpine meadows and untouched forests, deep canyons and raging rivers. This makes it possible to engage in various types of outdoor activities, and even. Rock climbing and hiking, horseback riding - why not spend it like this, for example?

6. Central Sikhote-Alin

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

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

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

7. Ubsunur basin

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

8. Wrangel and Herald Islands

In the very north of Russia, where the Chukchi Sea meets the North Arctic Ocean, the gloomy and mountainous islands of Wrangel (7.6 thousand km²) and Herald (11 km²) are located. AT harsh conditions, where fast paced life seems impossible, there are hundreds of plant species - more than on any other arctic island. Among the blackening rocks, walruses settled in the largest rookery in the Arctic, and thousands of birds made their nests. Gray whales swim in the local waters during migrations. Vragnel Island is called the "maternity hospital of polar bears" - there are so many of its ancestral lairs here. And in Chukchi it is called Umkilir - "the island of polar bears."

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

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 traditional features Central European village: log buildings, stables with haylofts and a wooden bell tower.

4 Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.

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

5 Natural-historical complex 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.

central part the Hungarian capital boasts such stunning masterpieces of architecture as the Parliament building, Opera theatre, 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 Peace of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War.

9. Stave Church in Urnes, Norway.

wooden 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.

Monastic community and one of the oldest historical monuments 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.

old bridge, built in the 16th century during the reign of Ottoman Empire- one of the most important architectural monuments in the Balkans.

19. Glacial fjord Ilulissat, Denmark.

A fjord located in western Greenland, 250 km north of 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.