Russian World Heritage Sites. The most impressive unesco natural monuments

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 (designated by the letter N - natural) heritage.

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

The first objects - "Historical Center St. 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.

43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee - 2019 (Baku, Azerbaijan)

# С1523 - Monuments of ancient Pskov

Criteria: (ii)

"Monuments of Ancient Pskov" include 10 objects of architecture of medieval Russia XII - early XVII centuries. Among them are the Cathedral of John the Baptist of the Ivanovsky Monastery (XIII century), the ensemble of the Spaso-Mirozhsky Monastery: the Transfiguration Cathedral (XII century), the ensemble of the Snetogorsk Monastery: the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin (XVI century), the Church of Archangel Michael with a bell tower (XIV century). ), Church of the Intercession from Prolom (XV-XVI centuries), Church of Cosma and Damian from Primostye (XV-XVII centuries), Church of St. George from Vzvoz (XV century), Church of the Epiphany with a belfry (XV century), - ( XVI century), Basil's Church on Gorka (XV century).

Object information:

14th Session of the World Heritage Committee - 1990 (Banff, Canada)

No. С540 - Historical center St. Petersburg and related groups of monuments

Criteria (i) (ii) (iv) (vi)
The Venice of the North, 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 Leningrad. Its architectural heritage combines such different styles as baroque and classicism, which can be seen in the example of the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage.
Object information:

No. С544 - Kizhi Pogost

Criteria: (i) (iv) (v)
The 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 octahedral bell tower, built of wood in 1862. These unusual structures, which are the pinnacle of carpentry skills, represent an example of an ancient church parish and harmoniously blend with the surrounding natural landscape.
Object information:
on the website of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

No. 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. Since the XIII century. The Moscow Kremlin, created in the period from the XIV century. to the XVII century. outstanding Russian and foreign architects, was a grand ducal, and then a royal residence, as well as a religious center. St.Basil's Cathedral, a true masterpiece of Russian Orthodox architecture, rises on Red Square, which stretches along the walls of the Kremlin.
Object information:
on the website of the Moscow Kremlin Museums
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

# С604 - Historical Monuments of Veliky Novgorod and its Suburbs

Criteria: (ii) (iv) (vi)
Novgorod, favorably 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 Theophanes the Greek (teacher of Andrei Rublev), dating from the 14th century, clearly illustrate the outstanding level of architectural and artistic creativity.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

No. 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 \u200b\u200bmore than 300 sq. km. They were settled in the 5th century. BC, however, the very first evidence of human presence here dates back to the 3rd-2nd millennia BC. The islands, starting from the 15th century, became the place of creation and active development of the largest monastery in the Russian North. There are also several churches from the 16th-19th centuries.
Object information:
on the website of the FGBUK "Solovetsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve"
on the website "Museums of Russia"

No. 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 XII-XIII centuries, among which the Assumption and Dmitrievsky Cathedrals (Vladimir) stand out.
Object information:
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

No. 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 fully corresponded to the spirit of the time of its formation - 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 lavra's treasures is the famous Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev.
Object information:
onthe website of the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

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

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

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

19th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1995 (Berlin, Germany)

N719 - Virgin Komi forests

Criteria: (vii) (ix)
The heritage site, covering an area of \u200b\u200b3.28 million hectares, includes 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 bogs, rivers and lakes, where conifers, birch and aspen grow, has been studied and protected for over 50 years. Here you can trace the course of natural processes that determine the biodiversity of the taiga ecosystem.
Object information:

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

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 occupying an area of \u200b\u200b3.15 million hectares, Baikal is recognized as the oldest (25 million years) and the deepest (about 1,700 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", thanks to its ancient age and isolation, a freshwater ecosystem, unique even by world standards, has been formed, the study of which is of enduring importance for understanding the evolution of life on Earth.
Object information:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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 sites: Altai nature reserve with a water protection zone of Lake Teletskoye, Katunsky nature reserve plus Belukha natural park, Ukok plateau. The total area is 1.64 million hectares. The area demonstrates the widest range of altitudinal zones within Central Siberia: from steppes, forest-steppe and mixed forests to subalpine and alpine meadows and glaciers. The area is home to endangered animals such as the snow leopard.
Object information:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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 \u200b\u200bthe object is about 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 on the local alpine and subalpine meadows, and the vast untouched mountain forests, stretching from the low-mountain zone to the sub-alpine, 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.
Object information:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

No. С980 - Historical and architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin

Criteria: (ii) (iii) (iv)
Emerging on a territory inhabited since 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 largely preserved the layout of the ancient Tatar fortress and became 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.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

# С982 - Ensemble of Ferapontov Monastery

Criteria: (i) (iv)
The Ferapontov Monastery is located in the Vologda region, in the north of the European part of Russia. This is an exceptionally well-preserved Orthodox monastic complex of the 15th-17th centuries, i.e. 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 unique and holistic. The interior of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin contains magnificent wall frescoes by Dionysius, the greatest Russian artist of the late 15th century.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

No. С994 - Curonian Spit
Cross-border facility: Lithuania, Russian Federation

Criterion: (v)
Human development of this narrow sandy peninsula, which is 98 km long and 400 m to 4 km wide, began in prehistoric times. The scythe was also exposed to natural forces - wind and sea waves. The preservation of this unique cultural landscape to this day has become possible only due to the incessant struggle of man against the processes of erosion (fixing of dunes, forest planting).
Object information:
on the site of the National Park "Curonian Spit" (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 World Heritage Center website

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

№ N766rev - Central Sikhote-Alin

Criterion: (x)
The Sikhote-Alin mountains are home to the Far Eastern coniferous-deciduous forests, which are recognized as one of the richest and most original in terms of species composition among all the forests of the temperate zone of the Earth. In this transition zone, located at the junction of the taiga and the subtropics, there is an unusual mixture of southern (tiger, Himalayan bear) and northern species of animals (brown bear, lynx). The territory stretches from the highest peaks of the Sikhote-Alin to the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, and serves as a refuge for many endangered species, including the Amur tiger.
Object information:
on the site of the Sikhote-Alin nature reserve
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

№ N769 rev- Ubsunur Basin
Cross-border facility: Mongolia, Russian Federation

Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site (with an area of \u200b\u200b1,069 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 \u200b\u200bwhich a lot of migratory, waterfowl and near-water birds accumulate. The object consists of 12 scattered sites (including seven sites in Russia, with an area of \u200b\u200b258.6 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. Globally rare animals such as the snow leopard and the argali mountain sheep, as well as the Siberian ibex were recorded in the highlands.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

# С1070 - Citadel, Old Town and fortifications of Derbent

Criteria: (iii) (iv)
Ancient Derbent was located on the northern borders of Sassanid Persia, which at that time stretched east and west from the Caspian Sea. The 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 until the 19th century.
Object information:
on the website of the State Budgetary Institution "Derbent State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

No. С1097 - Novodevichy Convent Ensemble (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 here and buried. The ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent is one of the masterpieces of Russian architecture (“Moscow Baroque” style), and its interiors, where valuable collections of paintings and works of decorative and applied art are kept, are distinguished by rich interior decoration.
Object information:
on the website of the Theotokos-Smolensk Novodevichy Convent
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

№ N1023rev - Natural complex of the Wrangel Island reserve

Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site, located beyond the Arctic Circle, includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7.6 thousand sq. Km) and the 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 famous for its huge walrus rookeries (some of the largest in the Arctic), as well as the largest density of polar bear ancestral dens in the world. The area is important as a feeding ground for gray whales migrating from California and as a nesting site for over 50 bird species, many of which are considered endangered and rare. More than 400 species and varieties of vascular plants have been recorded on the island, that is, 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 have been identified as endemic.
Object information:
on the website of the FGBU State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

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

No. С1187 - Struve Geodetic Arc
Cross-border site: 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 that stretches for 2820 km across ten European countries from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. These reference points of observation 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 allowed us to accurately establish 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 scientific cooperation between scientists from different countries and between ruling monarchs. Initially, the "arc" consisted of 258 geodetic "triangles" (polygons) with 265 main triangulation points. The World Heritage Site includes 34 such points (the most well-preserved to date), which are marked on the ground in a variety of ways, such as hollows carved in the rocks, iron crosses, cairns or specially installed obelisks.
Object information:
on the site St. Petersburg Society of Geodesy and Cartography
on the website of the Land Department of the Ministry of the Environment of Estonia
on the website of the Finnish Cartography Department
on the Norwegian World Heritage site
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

No. С1170 - Historical center of Yaroslavl

Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The historic city of Yaroslavl, located approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow at the confluence of the Kotorosl River into the Volga, was founded in the 11th century. and subsequently developed into a major 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 the order of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763 throughout Russia. Although the city has preserved a number of remarkable historical buildings, it was later reconstructed in the classicism style based on a radial master plan. It also has preserved from the 16th 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.
Object information:
on the website of the Official portal of the city of Yaroslavl
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the World Heritage Center website

34th Session of the World Heritage Committee - 2010 (Brasilia, Brazil)

№ N1234rev - Putorana Plateau

Criteria: (vii) (ix)
This site coincides with its borders with the Putorana State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 km beyond the Arctic Circle. A part of this plateau, included in the World Heritage List, has preserved a full set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems preserved in an isolated mountain range, including untouched taiga, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as a pristine lake with cold water and river systems. The main route of reindeer migration runs through the site, which is an exceptional, majestic and increasingly rare natural phenomenon.
Object information:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "United 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 World Heritage Center website

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

№ N1299 - Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

Criteria: (viii)
The natural park "Lena Pillars" 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 an annual temperature difference 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 frost-covered fragments of rock. The penetration of water from the surface accelerated the freezing process and contributed to frosty weathering. This led to the deepening of the ravines between the posts and their dispersal. The proximity of the river and its course are dangerous factors for the pillars. The site contains the remains of a wide variety of Cambrian species.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

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

No. С981rev - Bulgarian Historical and Archaeological Complex

Criteria: (ii) (vi)
The facility is located on the banks of the Volga River to the south of the confluence of the Kama River and to the south of the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan. It contains evidence of the existence of the medieval city of Bolgars, an ancient settlement of the people of the Volga Bulgars, which existed from the 7th to the 15th centuries. and was in the XIII century. the first capital of the Golden Horde. Bolgar demonstrates historical and cultural relationships and transformations in Eurasia over several centuries, which played a decisive role in the formation of civilizations, customs and cultural traditions. The site is an important testament to the 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 the Muslim Tatars.
Object information:
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 World Heritage Center website

37th sessionWorld Heritage Committee - 2013 (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Cambodia)

№C1411 - The ancient city of Tauric Chersonesos and its choir

Criteria: (ii) (v)

The object represents the ruins of an ancient city founded by the Dorian Greeks in the 5th century BC. e. on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The site consists of six elements, including the ruins of a city and farmland, divided into several hundred rectangular areas of equal size, used for growing grapes; vineyard products were intended for export and ensured the prosperity of Chersonesos until the 15th century. On the territory of the object there are several complexes of public buildings, residential areas and monuments of early Christianity. There are also ruins of settlements from the Stone and Bronze Ages, Roman and medieval tower fortifications and water systems, as well as exceptionally well-preserved vineyards and dividing walls. In the III century A.D. e. Chersonesus was known as the most successful wine-making center on the Black Sea and served as a link between Greece, the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the peoples of the northern Black Sea coast. Chersonesos is an outstanding example of the democratic organization of agriculture in the vicinity of the ancient city, reflecting the urban social structure.

Object information:

41st session of the World Heritage Committee - 2017 (Krakow, Poland)

№N1448rev - Landscapes of Dauria

Criteria: (ix) (x)

Located in Mongolia and the Russian Federation, this site is a unique example of the Daurian steppe ecosystem, which begins in eastern Mongolia and stretches across Russian Siberia to the northeastern border of China. The cyclical climate, with alternating wet and dry periods, has produced a wide variety of species and ecosystems important to the world. The various types of steppes represented here, such as wet meadows, forest and lake areas, are home to such rare species of fauna as the Daurian crane and bustard, as well as millions of rare and vulnerable migratory birds that are endangered. The park is also an important site on the migration route of Mongolian Dresden.

Object information:

# C1525 - Cathedral of the Assumption and the Monastery of the island town of Sviyazhsk

Criteria: (ii) (iv)

The Assumption Cathedral is located on the island town of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Located at the confluence of the Volga, Sviyaga and Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk Road and the Volga River, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that Ivan the Terrible began the conquest of the city of Kazan. The location and architecture of the Assumption Monastery testifies to the existence of a political and missionary program developed by Tsar Ivan IV in order to expand the territory of the Moscow state. The frescoes of the cathedral are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox wall paintings.

Object information:

Among the most important tourist and recreational resources, which often determine the choice of a travel route by a tourist, are unique natural and cultural landscapes, historical and cultural monuments, which are designated as "natural and cultural heritage" and are declared by many countries to be national treasures. Of particular importance are the sites included by UNESCO in the list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites began in 1972, when the Convention on the Protection of Outstanding Cultural and Natural Sites was adopted. This includes archaeological sites, unique cultural landscapes, historical city centers and individual architectural monuments that have become the property of all mankind, monuments that represent an example of the traditional way of life, monuments associated with teachings and beliefs of global importance, reserves, etc.

At the beginning of 2010, the list of cultural and natural heritage sites included 890 sites, incl. 689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed (natural and cultural). In fact, there are much more of them (over a thousand), tk. some of them include entire complexes and architectural ensembles such as the castles of the Loire Valley or palaces and temples in the historic center of St. Petersburg. UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in 148, the top twenty of which are presented in table. 4.

Table 4.

There is a clear disproportion in the distribution of World Cultural and Natural Heritage sites by parts of the world: 44% of UNESCO sites are in Europe, and another 23.5% - in Asia (Table 5). The noted contrast is even more noticeable in the distribution of cultural monuments - 3/4 of the world cultural heritage is concentrated (50% - in Europe and 25% -). This phenomenon is explained by the Eurocentricity of modern world culture, and the preserved heritage of the ancient civilizations of the East, on the one hand, and the youth of European civilization in America, Australia, and the almost non-preserved heritage of ancient African civilizations, on the other hand.

Table 5.

Leadership in natural monuments in the world is held by America, which is significantly ahead of Europe in this regard. At the expense of natural monuments in the general list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Africa and Australia also noticeably "catch up".

It should also be noted that in the distribution of UNESCO World Heritage sites by three structural elements, there is no such disproportion as in the geography of international tourism. World Heritage sites are divided approximately in equal proportions between the post-industrial “core”, the industrial “semi-periphery” and the agrarian “periphery” (Table 6).

Table 6.

Distribution of UNESCO World Heritage Sites by structural
elements of the world economic hierarchy

However, additional (relative) indicators of the spread of UNESCO-recognized natural and cultural monuments still indicate their greater concentration in the post-industrial “core”. In terms of the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites per unit area, the "core" is almost twice the world average, and in terms of the number of natural and cultural monuments in proportion to the population, it is almost three times.

By the density of UNESCO World Heritage sites (ie, by their number per unit area), the leading positions in the world are occupied by small in area, but densely populated:, etc. (Table 7, Fig. 4). In most cases, it is these countries that act as the most famous centers of attraction for foreign tourists in Europe and the world.

Table 7.

Top 20 countries and Russia by the number of World Heritage sites
UNESCO per unit area and proportion to population

It is quite natural that large countries, such as Russia, USA, Brazil, Australia, etc., occupy rather low positions in the density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. For this reason, we propose a different relative indicator characterizing the location of natural and cultural monuments in the world: the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in proportion to the population of states (Table 7, Fig. 5).

Figure: 5. The number of UNESCO World Heritage sites per 10 million inhabitants.

Apparently, the relatively more even distribution of UNESCO World Heritage sites across countries and continents in comparison with the current world tourist flows should in the near future affect the increase in the weight of the "semi-periphery" in the tourism industry of the world economy, and in the more distant perspective - and "periphery". Tourism can play the role of a locomotive of post-industrial development in the countries of "semi-periphery" and "periphery".

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 natural. Six out of fifteen UNESCO cultural sites in Russia are marked with “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 with southern palms and magnolias, the coniferous forests of the taiga are in stark contrast to the steppe crops of wheat and sunflowers.

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 tourism, sports and extreme tourism make the country attractive for all categories of vacationers.

The main sights of Russia are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Anyone who wants to discover a great country can start by familiarizing themselves with twenty-five natural and man-made objects of cultural, historical or ecological degree of global 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 - PHOTOS

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 the neighboring ones - 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 constitutes one huge cultural and natural formation, territorially and historically connected with the northern capital of Russia. Itself is represented in 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 Shuvalov park and the Vyazemsky estate, local fairways and numerous city highways.

Two wooden churches and a bell tower, built in the 18th-19th centuries in Kizhi, were included in the UNESCO List in 1990. The cultural heritage of Karelia is known throughout the world for the Transfiguration Church, erected, according to legend, without a single nail. Since the middle of the XX century, the State Historical and Architectural Museum "Kizhi" 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 erected in the immediate vicinity - for example, an eight-winged windmill, built in 1928. The wooden fence of the Kizhi churchyard ensemble 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 of all 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 country's long history. The Red Square adjacent to the northeastern wall of the Kremlin is known not only for the Mausoleum and the Eternal Flame, but also for the numerous events organized there 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 the surrounding environs entered the UNESCO list with more than ten cultural sites that are predominantly religious in nature. Znamensky, Zverin, Antoniev and, the Church of the Nativity of Christ on Red Field, the Savior on Nereditsa, John the Merciful and the Annunciation on Myachin and many other Orthodox buildings belong to the ancient periods of Russian history and are unique architectural complexes... Novgorodsky Detinets (that is, the Kremlin) and the part of the city related to it is interesting from the point of view of historical and architectural heritage.

The Savior Transfiguration Solovetsky Monastery was built in the 20-30s of the 15th century. It is spread over four islands of the Solovetsky archipelago. The cultural and historical ensemble "Solovetsky Islands" includes the main monastery, the Voznesensky and Savvatievsky hermitage, the Isaakovskaya, Makarievskaya and Filippovskaya hermitages on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, the Sergievsky hermitage on the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, the Troitsky and Golgotha-Crucifix hermitage and the Eleazarevsky hermitage and the St.Andrew deserts and Stone labyrinths on the Big Zayatsky Island. In Soviet times, the largest corrective labor camp in the USSR, the Solovetsky special-purpose camp, operated on the monastery territory. Monastic life became possible here only at the end of 1990.

Eight architectural monuments of ancient Russian architecture, mainly of 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. In Vladimir, there are three UNESCO-protected sites: erected in the XII century and the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, as well as the Golden Gate. In Suzdal there is the Kremlin of the XII century with the Nativity Cathedral and the Spaso-Efimievsky Monastery built in the XVI-XVII centuries. The village of Bogolyubovo is known to Orthodox pilgrims for the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky and its magnificent. The Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha is the first white stone building in northeastern Russia.

The Church of the Ascension of the Lord, built in the 16th century, 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 looks like a centric temple-tower, towering above the ground to a height of 62 meters. The architectural design of the church traces the features of the early Renaissance. In a circle the temple is surrounded by a two-tiered gallery-gulbische.

The Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra was founded by the Monk Sergius of Radonezh in 1337. It is currently the largest Orthodox male monastery in Russia. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is located in the center of Sergiev Posad, a city in the Moscow region. The designation "laurel" indicates a large population, a large 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 his family members found their last shelter.

The virgin Komi forests are known as the largest intact forests in Europe. They occupy an area of \u200b\u200b32.600 square kilometers in the north of the Ural Mountains, within the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve and the Yugyd Va National Park. By their composition, Komi forests belong to the taiga ecosystem. They are dominated by conifers. The western part of the forests falls on the area of \u200b\u200bthe foothills, the eastern part - on the mountains themselves. The Komi forest is distinguished by a variety of not only flora, but also fauna. More than two hundred species of birds live here, there are rare species of fish. Many forest plants are protected.

For the whole world, Baikal is a lake, for residents of Russia who are in love with a unique natural object, Baikal is the 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. Baikal is shaped like 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 characterized by a high oxygen content. Its temperature rarely exceeds plus 8-9 degrees Celsius, even in the 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.

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are part of the Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire - a large chain of the planet's main active volcanoes. Unique natural sites were included in the UNESCO List in 1996, along with the adjacent territories characterized by scenic species and biological diversity. The exact number of the peninsula's volcanoes is unknown. Scientists talk about several hundred or even thousands of objects. About thirty of them belong to the current category. The most famous Kamchatka volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest volcano in Eurasia and the most active on the peninsula. Volcanoes of Kamchatka have different volcanic origins and are divided into two superimposed belts - Sredinny and East Kamchatka.

A large biosphere reserve in the Primorsky Territory was originally created to preserve the sable population. Currently, 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 Nature Reserve. More than a thousand of the highest species, more than one hundred - mosses, about four hundred - lichens, more than six hundred species of algae and more than five hundred - mushrooms. The local fauna is represented by a large number of birds, marine invertebrates and insects. Many plants, birds, animals and insects are protected. Schisandra chinensis and edelweiss Palibina, sika deer and Himalayan bear, black kite and Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon and Machaon butterfly - they all found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin nature reserve.

The three most significant areas of the Altai Mountains - the Altai and Katunsky nature reserves and the Ukok plateau - were included in 1998 in the UNESCO list under the name "Golden Mountains of Altai". Mount Belukha and Lake Teletskoye are also among the protected geographical objects. The natural criterion "x" Altai mountains received for the most complete picture of alpine vegetation. In this area, one after another, alternately, five belts follow: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed, subalpine and alpine. Rare species of animals live on the territory of the golden mountains of Altai - snow leopard, Siberian ibex and others.

Located in the Tyva Republic, the basin of Lake Ubsu-Nur belongs to both the territory of Russia and Mongolia. On the part of the Russian Federation, it is represented by the Ubsunurskaya Kotlovina Biosphere Natural Reserve, which includes both the waters of the lake itself and the adjacent land areas. On the latter, a unique and, in many ways, diverse ecosystem of the region is located - here you can find 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 \u200b\u200bthe 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 bison. Nowadays, it was decided to abandon this definition, since, in addition to bison, a large number of other mammals are found in the Western Caucasus, each of which needs state protection. Today, on the territory of the reserve you can find wild boars and roe deer, West Caucasian tur and brown bear, Caucasian mink and bison.

Not only the Moscow and Novgorod Kremlin were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Kazan Kremlin is 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 among the inactive. The Ferapontovsky branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve located in it and the unique Museum of Dionisy's frescoes 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 15th-16th centuries - Dionysius, the monumental Church of the Annunciation, the treasury chamber and service buildings.

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 site is sometimes referred to as peninsulas. The length of the Curonian Spit is 98 kilometers, the width is from 400 to 4 kilometers. The saber-shaped strip of land is half owned by Russia and half by Lithuania. On Russian territory, the Curonian Spit contains the eponymous national park... The original peninsula was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its biological diversity. Numerous landscapes, 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.

The southernmost city of Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan, Derbent, is one of the oldest cities in the world. The first settlements on its territory appeared at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The city acquired its present appearance in 438. In those distant times, Derbent was a Persian fortress, consisting of the citadel of Naryn-Kala and double walls descending to the Caspian Sea. The ancient fortress, old town 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 created 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, having arranged their main Russian rookery on Wrangel Island.

The Novodevichy Mother of God-Smolensk Monastery was founded in 1524 in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God "Odigitria". The location of the Orthodox women's monastery is the Maiden Field of Moscow. In the center of the monastery is the five-domed Smolensk Cathedral, from which the creation of all architectural ensemble religious monument of the Russian capital. 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, the bell tower, the refectory, the Lopukhinsky, Mariinsky and Burial chambers were built around it.

The historical center of Yaroslavl, consisting of the Rubleny Gorod (local Kremlin) and the Zemlyanoy Gorod, was marked by UNESCO in 2005 as an outstanding architectural example of the urban planning reform carried out under Catherine II. Buildings from the time of classicism were carried out near the parish church of Elijah the Prophet, in front of which there was a semicircular square. Streets-rays were led to it, each of which ended with an earlier architectural monument - the Assumption Cathedral on the Strelka, the Znamenskaya and Uglich towers, the Church of Simeon the Stylite.

A network of 265 geodetic control points, created in the first half of the 19th century to study earth parameters, is now found in many European cities. On the Russian territory, it is represented by two points - "Point Myakipyally" and "Point Z", located on the island of Gogland. Of more than two hundred objects of the Struve arc, only 34 points 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 sites in Russia included in the UNESCO List, the Putarana plateau was included in it due to 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 arctic desert within its territory. The Putorana subspecies of the snow leopard, included in the Red Book of Russia, lives on the territory of the reserve. The largest population of wild reindeer in the world hibernates on the plateau.

The Lena Pillars, located on the territory of the Republic of Sakha, are the last 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 remote from ours by 560 million years. The relief form of the Lena Pillars was formed much later - only 400 thousand years ago. There is a natural park of the same name near the Lena Pillars. On its territory there are fluttering sands and an ancient man's site. Fossilized remains of mammoths are also found here.

Natural Monuments Protected by UNESCO The United Nations Specialized Agency for Education, Science and the Arts monitors the preservation of cultural heritage sites around the world. This category includes both the most outstanding architectural structures created by man and natural reserves - in the second case, UNESCO specialists have to exert a lot of effort to protect the unique phenomena of nature from being plundered and destroyed by our freedom-loving race. Especially for you, we have collected 10 of the most beautiful natural monuments, which are among the special protected ones.

St Kilda

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

Wulingyuan Mountains

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

Wadden sea

Water area of \u200b\u200bthe North Sea Watt is a shallow sea area, of which there are dozens. Natural processes function here without the slightest human intervention, almost the entire territory of this unusual sea is covered by three national parks.

Giant's Road

Northern Ireland A unique area with over 40,000 basalt columns. They united with each other as a result of a volcanic eruption, and the ancient tribes have already come up with a legend that trolls will go to Ragnarok along these pillars.

Rapanui National Park

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

Ecuador

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

Socotra Archipelago

Yemen Four islands and a pair of rocks: one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world, located near the pirate Somalia, boasts an abundance of endemic species of fauna and flora that are not found anywhere else in the world.

Yosemite National Park

USA Three thousand square kilometers of unique mountain landscapes, granite cliffs, waterfalls and sequoias: Yosemite is rightfully considered one of the best National Parks in the country.

Tongariro National Park

New Zealand Local mountains are deified by the Maori peoples living here: they connect people and the whole nature of the island.

Halong Bay

Vietnam There are over 3,000 islands in this bay, which is half the number of people living here. Tourists from all over the world come every year to experience the majestic nature of this place.

In 1994, Greenpeace Russia began work on the World Heritage project aimed at identifying and protecting unique natural complexes threatened by a serious negative impact of human activities. Giving natural areas the highest international conservation status for additional guarantees of their safety is the main goal of the work carried out by Greenpeace.

The first attempts to include Russian protected natural areas on the UNESCO World Heritage List were made in the early 1990s. In 1994, an all-Russian meeting "Modern problems of creating a system of objects of the world and Russian
natural heritage ”, which presented a list of promising territories. At the same time, in 1994, experts from Greenpeace Russia prepared the necessary documents for inclusion in the UNESCO List of a natural complex named "Virgin Forests
Komi ". In December 1995, it was the first in Russia to receive the status of a World Natural Heritage Site.

At the end of 1996, Lake Baikal and the Volcanoes of Kamchatka were added to the List. In 1998, another Russian natural complex, the Golden Mountains of Altai, was added to the List; in 1999, a decision was made to include the fifth Russian natural site, the 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 according to the criterion of "cultural landscape". Later, the "Central Sikhote-Alin" (2001), "Ubsunur Basin" were included in the UNESCO List
(2003, jointly with Mongolia), “Wrangel Island Nature Reserve” (2004) and “Putorana Plateau” (2010).

Virgin Komi forests
2.

Location: western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals, Komi Republic
Square: 3.28 million ha

The virgin forests of Komi are a real taiga treasure. There are more than 40 species of mammals (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 glacial relics - char palia and Siberian grayling.

3.

The territory stretches in the meridional direction 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. On the eastern slopes, the typical Siberian flora abruptly replaces the European species and forms of plants, characteristic of the humid western slopes of the Urals. In places, natural complexes form a complex mosaic: along narrow river valleys, taiga vegetation rises high into the mountains.

4.

The main tree species - spruce and fir - are accompanied by Siberian cedar (cedar pine), which is located here at the northwestern limit of its distribution. The middle and northern taiga are replaced by forest-tundra. Large areas are occupied by mountain tundra and almost devoid of
vegetation of the curum of the alpine zone. This is where the crystal clear tributaries of the Pechora originate and receive.

5.

The territory consists of two protected areas (the Pechero-Ilych biosphere reserve, the Yugyd Va national park and their buffer zones), together making up the largest of the remaining massifs of primary forests in Europe, whose appearance is almost unchanged by human impact.

6. National Park "Yugyd Va"

One of the main activities of the park is the development of nature tourism. The most popular tourist routes have long passed through its territory: mountain, hiking, water, ski.

7.

8. Animals of the Yugyd Va National Park

Reindeer herds, quartz deposits, and the splendor of flowering tundras and meadows are objects of attention. Visitors to the park are offered ethnographic routes introducing them to the sacred places of the ancient Komi and Mansi and cultural and economic traditions of hunters and fishermen, geological tours dedicated to the history of the development of the resources of the Ural Mountains.

9. Pechora-Ilych biosphere reserve

Since June 1, 1973, a nature museum has been opened in the Pechora-Ilychsky reserve. The museum consists of two departments, one of which presents the fauna of the reserve, the other (local history) reflects the history of the region, the life of local residents, the history of the reserve.

10.

The reserve has 3 ecological routes in the lowland and foothill landscape areas with a length of 10 km.

11..

Natural and cultural heritage: Uninskaya cave, Paleolithic site, remains of old villages, traces of nomadic small peoples, non-Christian religious monuments.

Lake Baikal
12.

Location: in the south of Eastern Siberia; Irkutsk region, Republic of Buryatia.
Square: 8.8 million ha

Included in the World Heritage List in 1996.
Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on the planet, the deepest (1637 m), the oldest (about 25 million years), with the most diverse flora and fauna among fresh water bodies. The lake has a unique in terms of volume and quality reserve of fresh water (23.6 thousand cubic km - more than 20% of the world's reserves).

13.

Of the more than 2,630 species and subspecies of animals and plants found so far at 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 a family endemic for Lake Baikal, - large and small golomyanka - are known to ichthyologists all over the world. The pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned with a mammal of a typical marine origin - the seal, or the Baikal seal.

14. Baikal seal

Component objects: Barguzinsky and Baikalsky biosphere reserves; Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve; Zabaikalsky, Pribaikalsky, Tunkinsky (partially) national parks; Kabansky, Frolikhinsky federal reserves.

15. Barguzinsky Biosphere Reserve

16. Baikal Biosphere Reserve

17. Tunkinsky National Park occupies the Irkut river valleys.

18. Reserve "Frolikhinsky"

Volcanoes of Kamchatka
19.

Location: in the mountains and on the coast of the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kamchatka Territory
Square: 4.3 million ha

Included in the World Heritage List in 1996.
The natural complex "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" consists of 6 sections, allowing you to get the most complete picture of the variety of manifestations of volcanic activity in the region.

20. Volcanic eruption in Kamchatka

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

21. Valley of geysers of Kamchatka

22. Waterfall, Kamchatka

Rare geological objects are accompanied by a kind of wild wildlife that has practically not experienced human impact. Of the 1168 plant species of Kamchatka, 10% are found only here. The peninsula is home to about half of the world population of the Steller's sea eagle, over
10 thousand brown bears (Kamchatka subspecies is one of the largest in the world fauna), as well as bighorn sheep, wild reindeer, sea lion, sea otter.

23. Flora of Kamchatka

24. Kamchatka brown bear

25. Bighorn sheep

26. Steller's sea eagle

Component objects: Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, South Kamchatka Federal Reserve, natural parks "Bystrinsky", "Nalychevo", "Yuzhno-Kamchatsky" and "Klyuchevskoy".

27. Kronotsky biosphere reserve

28. South Kamchatka Federal Reserve

29. Natural Park "Nalychevo". Bear tundra

Golden Mountains of Altai
30.

Location: in the southeast of Western Siberia in the Altai mountains, the Altai Republic
Square: 1.64 million ha

Included in the World Heritage List in 1998
The nature of this mountainous area, located at the junction of Central Asia and Siberia, is distinguished by its striking originality. There are few places in the world with such a contrasting combination of different landscapes in such a small space.

31.

The flora and fauna of the region are diverse, in many respects unique. In the basin of Lake Teletskoye, Altai cedar forests are still preserved - forests of Siberian cedar pine, which provide food to numerous representatives of the animal world. Here are the most significant meadows in the Siberian mountains.
The color of the vegetation of the Southern Altai is also unique, where semi-deserts, steppes and tundra coexist.
32. Southern Altai. Steppe in the valley of the river. Narym

33. Teletskoye Lake - the largest lake in Altai Mountains

It is home to about 60 species of mammals, 11 species of amphibians and reptiles, 20 species of fish. Among the rare species of mammals, the snow leopard, or snow leopard, should be distinguished - this is one of the most beautiful cats in the world fauna. In Altai, very few of these animals have survived.

34. Irbis or snow leopard

The geological history of the region is unique, “recorded” in its uneven-aged rocks and captured in extraordinary relief forms. Such are, for example, the high terraces of Katun, striking in their grandeur. Mount Belukha is grandiose - the highest peak in Siberia (4506 m).

35. Terraces of Katun

36. Mount Belukha

Crowned with glaciers and snowfields, it rises almost 1000 m above the nearby ridges. The valleys of the Altai rivers, primarily the Katun and Chulyshman, are narrow deep canyons. The Chulyshman valley is picturesque, decorated with numerous waterfalls of side tributaries. The true pearl of Altai is Lake Teletskoye. For its clear waters, majestic mountain setting and rich fauna, it is called Small Baikal.

37. River valley Chulyshman

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

Component objects: Katunsky Biosphere Reserve, Altai Nature Reserve, natural parks "Belukha Mountain" and "Peace Zone" Ukok Plateau ".

38. Altai State Natural Reserve

39. View of the Ukok plateau

Western Caucasus
40.

Location: the western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals;
Krasnodar Territory, Republic of Adygea, Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia
Square: 0.30 million ha

Included in the World Heritage List in 1999
The western part of the Greater Caucasus in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna, their safety is unmatched not only in the Caucasus region, but also among other mountainous regions of Europe and Western Asia. This is an area where a large number of threatened
extinction of rare, endemic and relict species of plants and animals. It is especially important that little changed habitat of the most vulnerable large mammals has been preserved here: bison, Caucasian red deer, West Caucasian tur, chamois, Caucasian subspecies of brown bear, wolf, etc.

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.

41. Caucasian mountain bison (bison)

42. Caucasian red deer

43. West Caucasian tur, or Caucasian stone goat

44. Caucasian brown bear

There are 967 species of vascular plants growing in the alpine zone alone.
Ancient and modern mountain glaciers played an important role in the formation of the relief of the Western Caucasus. Trough valleys, tarn lakes, moraines are widespread here.
In the limestone massifs of the northern part of the territory, numerous caves and cavities, including some of the longest and deepest in Russia (up to 600 m depth and 15 km length), form complex underground systems with rivers, lakes and waterfalls.

45. Noise waterfall in the Western Caucasus

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

46. Mountains and lakes of the Western Caucasus

Component objects: Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, Bolshoi Tkhach Natural Park, 3 natural monuments.

47. Caucasian biosphere reserve

48. Natural Park "Bolshoi Tkhach"

Russia, of course, is rich in unique natural complexes not affected by economic activity. According to rough estimates, there are more than 20 territories in Russia worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage Site. Among the promising territories are the following natural complexes: "Kuril Islands", "Lena Delta", "Volga Delta".