10 UNESCO sites on the map. Fifteen Most Famous World Heritage Sites - UNESCO's Untouchable Trust
World Heritage refers to various natural or man-made sites that should be preserved for future generations because of their special cultural, historical or environmental significance. As of 2012, there are 962 points on this list, 754 of them are cultural monuments, 188 are natural and 29 are mixed.
UNESCO was established in 1945 and its purpose is to protect and preserve places of special value or physical significance for all mankind. In 1954, during the construction of the Aswan Dam, Abu Simbel, a man-made temple carved into the rock, was flooded. The responsible organization allocated money so that the structure could be dismantled and moved to a higher place. This unprecedented action took four years, and for its implementation in short term Highly qualified specialists from 54 countries were attracted.
Today on the pages of Forum-Grad we will discuss a rather interesting topic - the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Aldabra Atoll
The atoll consists entirely of corals and is a group of four islands separated by narrow straits. It is located north of Madagascar in Indian Ocean. Belongs to the state of Seychelles.
Aldabra is considered the second largest in the world after Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Kiribati archipelago. Its dimensions are: 34 km long and 14.5 km long, height above sea level up to 8 m. The area of the internal lagoon is 224 sq. m. km.
Since the 17th century, it was used by the French to hunt giant sea turtles, as their meat was considered an exquisite delicacy. For a long time, pirates also ruled these places, because the atoll is located far from populated areas.
In 1982, this piece of paradise was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as unique monument nature. This is one of the few islands on our planet that has not been touched by civilization. Currently, it is home to a huge population of giant sea turtles (more than 152 thousand) and two completely unique species of bats. Entry into this nature reserve is strictly controlled, and all approaches by sea are guarded.
Giant statue in China
The huge Maitreya Buddha is carved into a rock at the confluence of three rivers - Minjiang, Qingyijiang and Daduhe near the city of Leshan in China. According to ancient legend A famous monk named Haithong of the Tang Dynasty, concerned about the frequent shipwrecks and deaths of people in the whirlpool just opposite this rock, vowed to carve a stone statue of a seated Buddha. He raised funds and began construction, and his followers completed the work. The largest monument in the world was built over 90 years - from 713 to 803.
For the convenience of visitors, a special “Nine Turns” path has been built here, consisting of 250 steps. Next to the path there is a pavilion where tourists can relax and admire the face of the giant up close.
Almost until the middle of the 13th century, a huge seven-story wooden structure protected the statue from the weather, but over time it collapsed, and the structure remained defenseless against the natural elements. Garbage left by tourists began to accumulate at the foot, and the waters of three rivers washed away the base in the shape of a lotus.
The local department hired 40 workers to restore the unique statue to its former glory. About $700,000 was invested in the project and another $730,000 was invested in improving security systems.
Every year, more than 2 million travelers from all over the world come to see the seated Buddha and add about $84 million to the budget of the Leshan tourism department.
Hatra, or El-Khadr
This is an ancient destroyed city as part of the Parthian kingdom, the ruins of which are still located in Northern Iraq in the province of Nineveh, northwest of the country's capital, Baghdad. It was founded in the 3rd century, and its heyday was in period II-I centuries BC.
total area was about 320 hectares, in shape it resembled an oval, surrounded by a double line of high stone walls with four gates oriented to the cardinal points. The most powerful defensive wall, two meters high, was made of stone, behind which there was a deep ditch up to 500 meters wide. There were 163 defensive towers at a distance of 35 meters from each other.
The city belonged to the Arab princes, who regularly paid tribute to the warlike Persians, and was located at the crossroads of the main trade routes that time. In the center there was a palace and temple complex with an area of about 12,000 square meters. meters. Due to its transit location, El-Khadr included religious buildings of different directions; it was even called the “House of God.”
Thanks to good defensive structures and vigilant 24-hour security ancient city resisted even the attacks of the legionnaires of the Roman Empire in 116 and 198 AD, but in 241 Hatra fell under siege by the Persian ruler Shapur and was soon destroyed and consigned to oblivion.
House Schröder by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
This house was specially built in 1924 for the 35-year-old widow Truus Schröder-Schrader and her three children in the small Dutch town of Utrecht. The building is distinguished by innovative solutions in the original and unusual for those times exterior design, as well as the appearance of spacious balconies and huge windows.
The project and the entire internal layout were developed by the novice architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld. The widow proposed a number of unusual innovations, which it was also decided to implement. So, an elevator was built in the kitchen on the ground floor, in which ready-made dishes were served upstairs directly to the set table. All the interiors of the first level are quite traditional for that time. The walls are made of antique bricks.
But on the second floor, according to the owner of the house, the entire space remained completely open, and it can be divided into several rooms at any time using sliding walls. All wardrobes and beds are transformable, assembled during the day and unfolded at night. Instead of the usual curtains, like all the neighbors, multi-colored plywood panels were used.
Currently unique house belongs to the Central Museum of Utrecht and offers guided tours that take about an hour.
This building is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List because it had a significant influence on further architectural trends, and also became the first open-plan house in the world history of architecture.
Krak des Chevaliers
Krak des Chevaliers (or Krak de l'Hospital) is a unique crusader structure located in the state of Syria on the top of a cliff 650 meters high. The nearest city of Homs is 65 km east of the castle.
This is one of the well-preserved fortresses of the Order of Hospitallers in the world. In the 10th century, this castle became his headquarters, where during the crusade a garrison of 2,000 soldiers and 60 knights could be accommodated.
In addition to the powerful walls, many buildings in gothic style. These included a large conference hall, water storage tanks, a chapel, an internal aqueduct, storage areas and two stables that could house up to 1,000 horses. In the rock mass under the building there were underground storage facilities for food and water supplies, which could have been enough during a long siege for 5 years.
At the end of the 12th century, during the next crusade, King Edward I of England saw the impregnable fortress, and soon his castles appeared in Wales and England, very similar in structure to Krak.
Monastery of Alcobaça
The Cistercian monastery “de Santa Maria de Alcobaça”, located in the Portuguese city of Alcobaça, was founded by King Afonso Henriques in 1153 and for two centuries served as a tomb for the rulers of Portugal. The cathedral is the first building in the Gothic style built on the territory of the ancient state.
Architecture is historically valuable. The two wings of the main facade are made in the Baroque style, and between them there is a church, the facade of which seems to connect these two directions. At the top there is a balcony supported by four statues - they symbolize the main virtues: justice, fortitude, prudence and sobriety.
In 1755, the whole country was shaken by the great Lisbon Earthquake, which was very destructive, but the temple survived - only the sacristy and part of the service buildings were damaged. However, the original appearance of the historical place could not be restored. Near the entrance to the church is the Hall of the Kings, where there are statues of all the monarchs of Portugal, and the history of this place is written on the walls using blue and white azulejos tiles from the 18th century.
After viewing this masterpiece of early Gothic architecture, other interiors of famous cathedrals in Europe seem gloomy and not so aesthetic. These buildings demonstrate the perfect skills and dedication of medieval craftsmen. And the entire ensemble of “de Santa Maria de Alcobaça” is one of the most beautiful monuments of Portuguese art.
Monte Alban
According to prominent world-famous scientists, this is a fairly large settlement of ancient people in the southeast of Mexico, the state of Oaxaca. Just 9 km from the state capital, on a low ridge of a mountain range passing through the valley, lies a man-made plateau. It was the site of the very first city in the entire historical region, which played a significant role as the socio-political and economic center of the Zapotec civilization.
In the early 30s, the ruins of this ancient settlement were discovered by the Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso. Many pundits equate this discovery to the sensational discovery of the true location of the legendary Troy.
“Mexican Troy” turned out to be a city of high culture; local craftsmen could already process rock crystal and make unique gold jewelry back in 200 BC.
During the excavations, 150 four-chamber crypts, palaces and pyramids very similar to those built by the Mayans, an ancient observatory, a giant amphitheater with 120 rows for spectators, powerful stone stairs 40 meters wide, a structure resembling a stadium and much more were discovered.
The walls of the buildings are decorated with frescoes, relief images of human figures and stone mosaics. Original funeral ceramic urns in the form of gods and various animals were discovered.
Impressive ruins of the center ancient civilization Monte Alban are located in such a way that they are visible from anywhere in the central part of the Oaxaca Valley
Lalibela
It is a small town in northern Ethiopia, located in the Ahmara region at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level. It is a center of pilgrimage for the entire population of the country, because almost all the residents of the town are Christians of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Lalibela was built as the New Jerusalem in response to the Muslim takeover of the Christian holy site in the State of Israel, so many historical buildings have names and architecture similar to the ancient buildings of Jerusalem.
According to 2005 data, the population of the city was 15 thousand people, of which most of(about 8,000) - women. This medieval religious center is famous for its monolithic, three-nave churches carved into volcanic tuff, built at the turn of the 11th - 13th centuries. The bas-reliefs and wall paintings of these ancient structures mix Christian and pagan symbols and motifs.
Thirteen temples seem to grow out of the ground. “Bete Mariam” is considered the oldest, and “Bete Medhane Aleyem” is considered the most big church in a world carved into the rock. According to legend, the ashes of King Lalibela rest in the last of the rock-cut churches, Bete Golgotha.
These unique works of architecture by ancient craftsmen are also monuments of the engineering thought of medieval Ethiopia - near many of them there are wells that are filled with water using a complex system based on the use of artesian wells.
Eight hundred years ago people could supply water to a height of 2500 meters!
Ellora
It is a simple village in the state of Maharashtra, India, near the city of Aurangabad. It is famous for the fact that nearby cave temples of different religions are carved into the rocks, the creation of which dates back to the 6th – 9th centuries of the new era. Of the 34 caves in Ellora, 12 in the south are Buddhist, 17 in the center are dedicated to Hindu gods, and 5 to the north are Jain.
Most of the ancient shrines have their own names, the most famous is “Kailas”. This beautiful, perfectly preserved example of ancient architecture is considered one of the most precious monuments in India. In the granite canopy above the entrance to this place, sacred to all Hindus, colossal statues of Shiva, Vishnu and other gods revered in the country are carved.
Next comes the huge goddess Lakshmi - she reclines on lotus flowers, and majestic elephants stand around. On all sides the temple is surrounded by monumental lions and vultures, they are frozen in different poses, and guard the peace of the heavenly kings.
One of the legends says that this piece of paradise was built by one Rajah - Edu of Elichpur - in gratitude for healing with water from a spring located on the territory of the temple.
Vishvakarma has a multi-storey entrance and a large hall in which there is a sculpture of Buddha giving a sermon.
"Indra Sabha" is a two-level monolithic Jain temple.
"Kailasanatha" is the central place of the entire sacred complex, and during the construction of this miracle in the town of Ellora, more than 200,000 tons of rock were removed.
Ancient Building Complex in Wudang Mountains
The Wudang Mountains in China are famous for their ancient monasteries and temples. Once upon a time, a university was founded here to study medicine, pharmacology, nutrition, meditation and martial arts.
Back during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the first religious center was opened in this area - the Temple of the Five Dragons. Major construction on the mountain began in the 15th century, when the Yongle Emperor summoned 300 thousand soldiers and built complexes. At that time, 9 monasteries, 36 hermitages and 72 shrines, many gazebos, bridges and multi-tiered pagodas were built, forming 33 architectural ensembles. Construction lasted 12 years, and the complex of structures covered the main peak and 72 small peaks - the length was 80 km.
The “Golden Hall” is one of the most famous; its production required 20 thousand tons of copper and about 300 kg of gold. According to scientists, it was forged in the capital of China, Beijing, and then transported piece by piece to the Wudang Mountains.
The Purple Cloud Temple consists of several halls – “Dragon and Tiger Hall”, “Purple Sky Hall”, “East”, “West” and “Parent”. The shrines of Wu Zhen have been kept here since its founding.
During the troubled times of the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976), many places of worship were destroyed, but later restored, and now the complex is visited by tourists from all over the world.
The architecture of the ancient Wudang Mountains complex combines the most best achievements Chinese traditions over the last fifteen hundred years.
"Valley of the Whale" in Egypt
40 million years ago, “Wadi Al-Hitan” was the bottom of the World Ocean, which is why hundreds of skeletons of ancient mammals were preserved here. This unique valley is located 150 km southwest of the capital of Egypt - Cairo. Many whale remains belong to the extinct suborder Archaeoceti, representing one of the the most important stages evolution: the degeneration of terrestrial multi-ton monsters into marine mammals.
Fossil skeletons clearly show the appearance and lifestyle of these giants during their transitional period. In addition, they are all located in an area convenient for study and, importantly, vigilantly guarded.
In addition, there are remains of sea cows "Sirenia" and elephant seals "Moeritherium", as well as prehistoric crocodiles, sea snakes and turtles. Some specimens are so well preserved that the contents of their large stomachs can be studied.
All together helps scientists unravel the still existing mystery of the evolution of these largest mammals on the planet.
Pristine exotic tropical forests
Kerchin-Seblat National Park is the largest nature reserve on the island of Sumatra, its area is about 13.7 thousand square meters. km. Here you can see more than 4,000 species of plants, including the world's largest flower - Rafflesia Arnolda, its diameter is 60-100 cm, and its weight reaches up to 8 kg. In addition, this area is home to about 370 species of birds and rare animals (Sumatran tigers, elephants and rhinoceroses, Malayan tapir). There are also hot springs, the highest caldera lake and the highest peak on the island. And recently a muntjac deer was seen here, a species that was considered extinct back in the 30s of the last century.
The second largest is Gunung Löser, with an area of 7927 square meters. km. Located in the Aceh region and around the town of Bukit Lawang. This small town is considered the best starting point for exploring an exotic place. Tours are only permitted with a trained guide and special permission.
The most interesting thing in this reserve is the large population of great apes - orangutans. Translated from Malay, it means “forest man”.
The third largest is Bukit Barisan Selatan with an area of 3,568 square meters. km, covering the provinces of Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra. Here you can find very rare animals - the Sumatran elephant and the striped rabbit.
Tourists value Sumatra for its tropical forests with preserved nature in its original form, for its strange plants and amazing representatives of exotic fauna. In addition, there are many beautiful and still active volcanoes.
"The Sistine Chapel of Primitive Painting"
“Lascaux” is located in France, 40 km from the city of Périgueux and is considered one of the most important Paleolithic monuments in terms of the quantity, quality and preservation of ancient cave paintings. The cave was discovered by chance in 1940 by four teenagers who noticed a narrow hole in the rock caused by a falling tree. After examination, scientists determined that the age of the rock paintings is more than 17,300 years.
The cave is quite small in size, the totality of all its galleries is about 250 meters, and the average height is 30 meters. Visitors were allowed in from 1948 to 1955, but then it was closed because the ventilation systems could not cope carbon dioxide, accumulating inside from the breath of numerous tourists, and the rock paintings could have been damaged.
Air conditioning systems were changed several times in the last century, but they were all ineffective, and the historical heritage was periodically closed for maintenance work. And only in the 21st century were powerful units installed that successfully coped with the task.
To preserve the wall paintings, they decided to copy all the images and made a concrete copy, where almost all the rock paintings are presented in the same sequence as the original. The cave was called “Lascaux II”, it is located only 200 meters from the present one and was first opened to travelers in 1983.
Takht-e Jamshid
Takht-e Jamshid in Greek “Persepoles” is the ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. This place is considered one of the most beautiful monuments in the history of the state of Iran. It is located on the Marvdasht plain at the foot of Mount Ramhat and was founded by the Great Persian King Darius I in 515 BC.
The area of this stone structure is 135 thousand square meters. meters, it includes the “Gateway of All Nations”, “Apadana Palace”, “Throne Room”, the tomb of the “King of Kings”, an unfinished palace and a treasury. Construction lasted about 45 years and was completed during the reign of Xerxes the Great, the eldest son of Darius.
In Persepolis, mainly the remains of the palace complex and religious buildings have been preserved. The most famous of them is “Apadana” with a ceremonial hall and 72 columns. Five kilometers away is the royal tomb of Naqshe-Rustam and the rock reliefs of Naqshe-Rustam and Naqshe-Rajab.
Here in those distant times there already existed water supply and sewerage, and slave labor was not used during construction. The walls of this unique complex were more than five meters thick and up to 150 centimeters high. One could ascend to the city via the grand staircase, consisting of two flights of 111 steps each made of white limestone. Then it was necessary to pass the “Gate of All Nations”.
But the powerful walls did not help, and in 330 the great conqueror Alexander the Great stormed the fortified complex and, during a feast in honor of the victory, burned the capital of the Persian kingdom to the ground, perhaps in retaliation for the Acropolis destroyed by the Persians in Athens.
Cradle of Humankind
The historical monument is located 50 km northwest of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa in the south of the African continent. Its area is 474 square meters. km, the complex includes limestone caves, including a group called Sterkfontein, where in 1947 Robert Bloom and John Robinson discovered the fossil remains of an ancient man - "Australopithecus africanus" aged 2.3 million years.
"Taung Rock Fossil Site" - it was here that the famous Taung skull, belonging to an ancient man, was discovered in 1924. The Macapan Valley is famous for the abundance of archaeological traces found in the local caves, confirming the existence of people about 3.3 million years ago.
Fossils discovered here have helped scientists identify ancient hominid specimens dating back to between 4.5 and 2.5 million years ago. These same finds fully confirm the theory that our distant ancestors began to use fire about a million years ago.
Perhaps some of the readers will think that our topic contains a lot of numbers, but this is the story, and not of any individual person, but of our entire civilization.
Surely you have at least once seen majestic mountains and peaceful valleys, winding rivers and endless forests that will take 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 in Russia. It just seems that this is quite a bit: among all countries, Russia ranks fourth in the number of objects after China, America and Australia.
World Heritage areas include state nature reserves and national parks. Landscapes change from high-mountain lakes, glaciers, arctic tundras 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 Daurian crane. Some plants on the territory of natural monuments are hundreds of years old. The age of cedar in the Pritelets taiga is more than six centuries.
An object is included in the list if it meets at least one of the criteria:
(VII) represents a natural phenomenon or area 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 relief or its features
(IX) reflects ecological or biological processes in the evolution of animals, plants and other organisms
(X) includes significant natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity 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 all over the world strive to see them.
Read the mini-guide to all UNESCO natural heritage sites in Russia to see them in person someday.
1. Virgin Komi forests
The largest intact forests in Europe cover an area of 32,600 km². This is approximately 3 km² larger than the area of Belgium. The Komi Forests are the first Russian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is home to brown bear, sable, elk, more than 200 species of birds, including those listed in the Red Book, and valuable fish species - palia char and Siberian grayling.
In the thicket of virgin forests and on the banks of rivers you can see stone sculptures of bizarre shapes, unusual remains and other forms of weathering, reminiscent of either the ruins of castles or mythical creatures.
Lush taiga stretches to the Ural Mountains, flowing into the tundra, where there are almost no plants, and crystal rivers descend from the ridges and merge into Pechora, giving birth to amazing landscapes.
2. Lake Baikal
A slightly smaller area, 31,722 km², is occupied by the deepest lake on the planet. All of Malta, even enlarged 100 times, would fit on its surface. This is one of the largest World Heritage sites. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 meters. This means that if the Eiffel Tower was installed at the bottom, and four more were placed on top, the last one would still not appear from the water.
The reservoir of Russia's largest lake contains almost 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. 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 ensured 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, cirques and canyons. There are more than 800 species of higher plants here.
A special phenomenon and a real attraction of Lake 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, sometimes it looks like a mirror, sometimes like frosted glass. Ice splashes formed by frozen waves several meters high and grottoes that are not accessible in summer are striking. You can skate on a huge lake, raft on an ice floe and fill your camera’s memory with cool shots.
In summer, Lake Baikal is also interesting: you can go around this natural monument or arrange it with rafting, jeeping and trekking.
3. Volcanoes of Kamchatka
Kamchatka resembles a cake with candles: there is so much 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 open to the sky. That is why six separate areas of Kamchatka were included in the UNESCO list.
Another unique place is the Uzon caldera. 40,000 years ago, due to several eruptions in a row, a huge volcano collapsed, and in its place a caldera with a diameter of 10 km was formed. It is located on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and combines rivers, hot springs, tundra, forests and lakes in one landscape.
4. Golden Mountains of Altai
World Heritage Sites include the Altai Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Mount Belukha, as well as the Ukok Plateau. Their territory includes 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 time here, recharge your batteries for many months to come. And having walked around this UNESCO natural site, you will photograph 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. This definition includes the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and part of the Main Caucasus Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus. On the territory of the object there are “three-thousander” mountains, bizarre rocks, deep gorges, caves, glaciers and alpine lakes.
Adygea probably has the largest number of natural beauties in 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 practice different types active rest, and even . Rock climbing and hiking, horseback riding - why not do it this way, 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 relict yews grow, carpets of Red Book lotuses bloom and rhododendrons—the local sakura—bloom. Protected bays with white beaches hide starfish and schools of colorful fish. At high altitudes the tundra extends, while in the lowlands the grass grows up to 3.5 meters.
Sikhote-Alin is the homeland of Amur tigers. Over the past 100 years, their number in the world has decreased by 25 times. Moreover, 95% of the entire population lives in the Far East, and 5% in China. There, killing a tiger is a crime punishable by death. And the Far Eastern leopard remained only in Primorye.
V.K. traveled through the local taiga. Arsenyev is a researcher of the Far East. On the expedition he was with his friend and guide Dersu Uzala, a local hunter. Today you can follow in their footsteps during
7. Ubsunur Basin
This object includes Lake Uvsu-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. There are contrasting landscapes here - highlands, mountain taiga massifs, forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert areas. There is even a real sandy desert. The surrounding area of the lake was inhabited several thousand years ago. This is evidenced by petroglyphs on the rocks, stones and mounds, of which there are about 40,000.
8. Wrangel and Herald Islands
In the very north of Russia, where the Chukchi Sea meets the Arctic Ocean, are the gloomy and mountainous Wrangel Islands (7.6 thousand km²) and Herald Islands (11 km²). In a harsh environment where thriving 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 set up nesting grounds. Gray whales swim through these waters during their migrations. Wragnel Island is called the “maternity hospital of polar bears” - there are so many of his ancestral dens here. And in Chukchi it’s called Umkilir, “the island of polar bears.”
It’s worth visiting here at least once to see truly rare animals. For example, musk oxen, which, like reindeer, survived the Late Pleistocene extinction. Their wool is eight times warmer than sheep's wool! , you can also try whale meat, learn an Eskimo dance and walk along the alley of whale bones.
Cultural heritage is an important part of the life of every nation. For this reason, you should know what cultural heritage is and why its preservation is so important. It helps to better learn and understand the history of the formation of modern society.
What is cultural heritage
Nature and culture together form the human environment. The skills and knowledge acquired by humanity since the beginning of time accumulate and multiply over the centuries, forming a cultural heritage. There is no single definition of what cultural heritage is, since this term is viewed from different points of view.
From the point of view of cultural studies, this is the main way of existence of culture. Heritage objects preserve and transmit to subsequent generations values that carry an emotional aspect. History considers cultural heritage primarily as a source of information about the development and formation of modern society. The legal point of view does not take into account emotional value, but determines the degree of information content and demand for a particular object, as well as its ability to influence society.
If we combine these concepts, then cultural heritage can be defined as a set of tangible and intangible values created by nature and man during previous historical eras.
Social memory
Social memory should be understood as the basis of social cognition. The experience and knowledge accumulated by humanity are passed on from generation to generation. The development of modern man is possible only by relying on the knowledge of his ancestors.
Cultural heritage and social memory are concepts that always accompany each other. Heritage sites are the primary means of transmitting knowledge, thoughts and worldviews to future generations. This is irrefutable evidence of the existence of certain people, events and ideas. In addition, they guarantee the reliability of social memory, preventing it from being distorted.
Social memory is a kind of library where all useful knowledge is stored that can be used and improved by society in the future. Unlike the memory of one person, social memory has no end and belongs to every member of society. Ultimately, heritage determines the basic elements of social memory. Those values that are not part of the cultural heritage sooner or later lose their meaning, are forgotten and excluded from social memory.
UNESCO Organization
UNESCO is a UN agency dedicated to education, science and culture (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). One of the goals of UNESCO is to unite countries and peoples to preserve world cultural values.
The organization was formed in November 1945 and is based in Paris. Today, more than two hundred states are members of UNESCO.
In the field of culture, the organization is engaged in the preservation and protection of the cultural and natural heritage of humanity. The basis for this area of activity was the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972. During the first session, the main provisions and tasks of the World Heritage Committee were adopted.
The Committee also determined natural and cultural criteria for assessing objects, according to which they were included or not included in the list of protected areas. Preservation of cultural heritage is an obligation assumed by the state that owns this or that object, with the support of UNESCO. Today the register includes more than a thousand protected objects.
World Heritage
The 1972 Convention gave a clear definition of what cultural heritage is and divided it into categories. Cultural heritage should be understood as:
- monuments;
- ensembles;
- places of interest.
Monuments include all works of art (painting, sculpture, etc.), as well as objects of archaeological significance (rock inscriptions, burials) created by man and valuable for science, history and art. Ensembles are architectural groups that are harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape. Places of interest are understood as human creations separately from nature or together with it.
The Convention also outlined criteria for natural heritage. It includes natural monuments, places of interest, geological and physiographic formations.
Cultural heritage of Russia
To date, twenty-seven objects located on Russian territory are included in the World Heritage Register. Sixteen of them were selected according to cultural criteria and eleven were natural objects. The first sites were designated a World Heritage Site in 1990. Twenty-three more sites are on the candidate list. Of these, eleven are cultural, three are natural-cultural, nine are natural objects.
Among UNESCO member states, the Russian Federation is in ninth place in terms of the number of World Heritage sites.
Days of cultural heritage in Moscow - International Day for the Preservation of Monuments and Sites (celebrated on April 18) and International Museum Day (May 18). Every year on these days in Moscow free access to heritage sites is opened, excursions, quests, and lectures are organized. All these events are aimed at popularizing cultural values and familiarizing them with them.
Legal aspect
The Federal Law (FL) on cultural heritage objects was adopted State Duma Russian Federation in 2002. This law defines the preservation of cultural heritage as a priority task of the authorities. The law also establishes the procedure for identifying heritage sites and including them in the register.
This register includes tangible and intangible cultural values that have undergone expert verification. Each object included in the register is assigned registration number and passport. The passport indicates detailed characteristics object: name, date of origin, photographic materials, description, location information. The passport also reflects data on the expert assessment of the object and the conditions for protecting the object.
According to the Federal Law on Cultural Heritage Objects, cultural values are recognized as the property of the state. In this regard, the need has been declared for their preservation, as well as the popularization and provision of accessibility to heritage sites. The law prohibits alteration and demolition of objects. Cultural heritage management is a set of measures aimed at controlling, preserving and developing cultural objects.
Natural objects of Russia
In the territory Russian Federation There are ten sites included in the World Heritage Sites. Six of them, according to the UNESCO classification, should be considered a phenomenon of exceptional beauty. One of these objects is Lake Baikal. This is one of the oldest freshwater formations on the planet. Thanks to this, a unique ecosystem has formed in the lake.
The volcanoes of Kamchatka are also natural phenomena. This formation is the largest cluster of active volcanoes. The area is constantly developing and has unique landscapes. Unique in their own way geographical features are the Golden Altai Mountains. The total area of this heritage site occupies one million six hundred and forty thousand hectares. This is a habitat for rare animals, some of which are on the verge of extinction.
Cultural sites of Russia
Among the objects that represent the cultural heritage of Russia, it is difficult to single out more significant exhibits. The culture of Russia is ancient and very diverse. These are monuments to Russian architecture, and a colossal project of interweaving streets and canals of St. Petersburg, and numerous monasteries, cathedrals and kremlins.
The Moscow Kremlin occupies a special place among heritage sites. The walls of the Moscow Kremlin are witnesses to many historical events that influence the life of Russia. St. Basil's Cathedral, located on Red Square, is a unique masterpiece of architecture. The main part of the World Heritage in Russia are churches and monasteries. Among them is the Solovetsky Islands ensemble, the first settlement of which dates back to the fifth century BC.
The importance of cultural heritage
The importance of cultural heritage is very great both for society as a whole and for each person individually. Personality formation is impossible without knowledge of the traditions and experience of ancestors. Preserving heritage sites and enhancing them is an important task for each generation. This ensures the spiritual growth and development of humanity. Cultural heritage is an important component of culture, which helps to assimilate the experience of world history.
Russia is a unique country. It ranks first in the world in terms of territorial area and ninth in terms of population. As of 2012, there are 25 specially protected sites in Russia. Fifteen of them have the status of a cultural attraction, the remaining ten are of a natural nature. Six of the fifteen UNESCO cultural sites in Russia are marked “i”, that is, they belong to the masterpieces of human civilization. Four out of ten natural objects 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 palm trees and magnolias, coniferous forests of the taiga form a striking contrast with 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, sports and extreme tourism make the country attractive to all categories of vacationers.
The main attractions of Russia are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Anyone who wants to discover great country, can begin by becoming familiar with twenty-five natural and man-made sites that have a cultural, historical or environmental degree of global significance. and is compiled in order to preserve and show modern people the full depth of our common civilizational heritage.
UNESCO sites in Russia - PHOTO
The northern capital of Russia was included in the UNESCO List of 36 monuments located not only in St. Petersburg itself, but also in its neighbors - Pushkin and Shlisselburg. The palace and park ensembles of the villages of Gatchina and Strelna, the Koltuvskaya and Yukkovskaya uplands, the Lindulovskaya Grove and the Komarovskoye village cemetery - all this makes up one huge cultural and natural formation, territorially and historically connected with the northern capital of Russia. It is itself represented on the UNESCO List by the historical center and old part of the city, the Pulkovo Observatory and the palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, Shuvalovsky 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 Church of the Transfiguration, built, according to legend, without a single nail. Since the mid-20th century, the Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum has been operating on the basis of the Kizhi Pogost. Along with the ancient original buildings, it includes objects of wooden religious architecture that were brought and erected in the immediate vicinity - for example, the eight-winged windmill, built in 1928. Wooden fence ensemble of the Kizhi churchyard was reconstructed in 1959 in accordance with the principles of organizing traditional churchyard fences.
Symbols of an entire country and era - the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square - are among the most significant cultural attractions of Russia and the whole world. It seems that there is not a person on Earth who does not know what they look like. When visiting Russia, most foreigners first go to Red Square. The Moscow Kremlin is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Russia. Its majestic walls and numerous towers, its Orthodox cathedrals and palace buildings, its squares and gardens, the Armory Chamber and the Kremlin Palace of Congresses reflect the centuries-old history of the country. Adjacent to the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin, Red Square is famous not only for the Mausoleum and the Eternal Flame, but also for the numerous events organized there recently. Victory parades, concerts dedicated to Russian Independence Day, New Year's skating rinks - all this can be afforded by one of the largest pedestrian areas in Moscow.
Veliky Novgorod and its surrounding areas are included in the UNESCO list with more than ten cultural sites predominantly of a religious nature. Znamensky, Zverin, Antoniev and, the Church of the Nativity on the Red Field, the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, St. John the Merciful and the Annunciation on Myachina and many other Orthodox buildings date back to ancient periods Russian history and represent unique architectural complexes. The Novgorod Detinets (that is, the Kremlin) and the part of the city related to it are interesting from the point of view of historical and architectural heritage.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was built in the 20-30s of the 15th century. It is spread over four islands of the Solovetsky archipelago. The cultural and historical ensemble "Solovetsky Islands" includes the main monastery, the Ascension and Savvatievsky skete, St. Isaac's, Makarievskaya and Filippovskaya hermitages on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, Sergievsky monastery on the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, Trinity and Golgotha-Ruspyatsky monastery and Eleazar's hermitage on Anzer and St. Andrew's deserts and stone labyrinths on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. During Soviet times, the largest special-purpose forced 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, mostly of a white stone nature, 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: the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, built in the 12th century, as well as the Golden Gate. In Suzdal there is a 12th-century Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral and the Spaso-Efimievsky Monastery, built in the 16th-17th centuries. The village of Bogolyubovo is known to Orthodox pilgrims for the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky and the magnificent. The Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha is the first white stone building in northeastern Rus'.
Built in the 16th century, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord is the first stone Orthodox church to use a tent instead of a classic dome. According to legend, it was erected on the occasion of the birth of Ivan the Terrible. The place for the temple was chosen on the right bank of the Moscow River, famous for its miraculous spring. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord has the appearance of a centric temple-tower, rising above the ground to a height of 62 meters. The architectural design of the church shows features of the early Renaissance. The temple is surrounded in a circle by a two-tiered gallery-promenade.
The Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius was founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1337. Currently it is the largest Orthodox 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 the crowded, 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, numerous bell towers, and royal palaces. Boris Godunov and members of his family found their final refuge in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
The virgin forests of Komi are known as the largest intact forests growing in Europe. They occupy an area of 32,600 square kilometers in the north of the Ural Mountains, within the Pechero-Ilychsky Nature Reserve and national park"Yugyd Va". In terms of their composition, Komi forests belong to the taiga ecosystem. They are dominated conifers trees. The western part of the forests is in the foothills area, the eastern part is in the mountains themselves. The Komi forest is distinguished by the diversity of not only flora, but also fauna. More than two hundred species of birds live here, and rare species of fish are found. 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 a sea! Located in Eastern Siberia, it is the deepest lake on the planet and, at the same time, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water by volume. The shape of Baikal looks 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 has a high oxygen content. Its temperature rarely exceeds plus 8-9 degrees Celsius even in summer in the surface area. The water of the lake is so clean and transparent that it allows you to see at a depth of up to forty meters.
The volcanoes of Kamchatka are part of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire - a large chain of the main active volcanoes of the planet. Unique natural sites were included in the UNESCO List in 1996, along with adjacent areas characterized by picturesque views and biological diversity. The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is unknown. Scientists talk about several hundred and even thousands of objects. About thirty of them are classified as active. The most famous Kamchatka volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka - the highest volcano in Eurasia and the most active on the peninsula. The volcanoes of Kamchatka have different volcanic origins and are divided into two belts superimposed on each other - the Middle and East Kamchatka.
A large biosphere reserve in the Primorsky Territory was originally created to preserve the sable population. Currently, it represents the most convenient place for observing the life of the Amur tiger. Grows on the territory of the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve great amount plants. More than a thousand higher species, more than a hundred mosses, about four hundred lichens, more than six hundred species of algae and more than five hundred fungi. The local fauna is represented by a large number of birds, marine invertebrates and insects. Many plants, birds, animals and insects are protected species. Schisandra chinensis and edelweiss Palibina, spotted deer and Himalayan bear, black kite and Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon and swallowtail butterfly - they all found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve.
The three most significant areas of the Altai Mountains - the Altai and Katunsky reserves and the Ukok plateau - were included in the UNESCO list in 1998 under the name “Golden Mountains of Altai”. Mount Belukha and Lake Teletskoye were also included in the list of protected geographical sites. The Altai Mountains received the natural criterion “x” for the most fully presented picture of alpine vegetation. In this area, five belts follow one after another: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed, subalpine and alpine. The territory of the golden mountains of Altai is home to rare species of animals - snow leopard, Siberian mountain goat and others.
The basin of Lake Uvs-Nur, located in the Republic of Tyva, belongs to both Russia and Mongolia. On the part of the Russian Federation, it is represented by the Ubsunur Basin biosphere nature reserve, which includes both the waters of the lake itself and the adjacent land areas. The latter is home to a unique and, in many ways, diverse ecosystem of the region - here you can find both glaciers and the northernmost deserts in Eurasia. On the territory of the Ubsunur depression there are taiga zones, forest and classical steppes, alpine tundra and meadows. The area of the reserve is replete with several tens of thousands of unexcavated burial mounds of ancient nomadic tribes.
Located in the Western Caucasus, the natural biosphere reserve 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 fungi grow on the territory of the reserve. Initially, the Caucasian Reserve was called the bison reserve. Nowadays, it was decided to abandon this definition, since, in addition to bison, there are a large number of other mammals in the Western Caucasus, each of which requires state protection. Today, on the territory of the reserve you can find wild boars and roe deer, Western Caucasian tur and brown bear, Caucasian mink and bison.
Not only the Moscow and Novgorod Kremlin are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Kazan Kremlin is also among the culturally significant objects of world significance. Its historical and architectural complex, consisting of a white stone Kremlin, temples and other buildings, is a monument to 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 Bulgarian fortress. Then it came under the rule of the Kazan Khanate. After the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the first Orthodox churches. In 2005, in honor of the millennium of Kazan, the main mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kul Sharif, was built within the Kazan Kremlin.
Currently, the Ferapontov Monastery is one of the inactive monasteries. The Ferapontovsky branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve and the unique Museum of Dionysian Frescoes located there 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, but a cultural heritage of humanity. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is represented by the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, 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 object is sometimes classified as a peninsula. The length of the Curonian Spit is 98 kilometers, the width is from 400 to 4 kilometers. The saber-shaped strip of land belongs half to Russia, half to Lithuania. On Russian territory, the Curonian Spit contains the same name national park. The original peninsula was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its biological diversity. Numerous landscapes, ranging from deserts to tundra, a large number of flora and fauna, as well as the ancient migratory route of birds make Curonian Spit unique natural complex in need of protection.
The southernmost city of Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan, Derbent, is one of the ancient cities peace. The first settlements on its territory arose at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The city acquired its modern appearance in 438. In those distant times, Derbent was a Persian fortress, consisting of the Naryn-Kala citadel and double walls descending to the Caspian Sea. The ancient fortress, 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 fire-worshipping temple, a mosque, bathhouses and water reservoirs located on its territory.
Located in Northern 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 domesticated reindeer, and in 1975 by musk oxen. The latest 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 also became part of the Wrangel Island nature reserve. The island's flora consists mainly of ancient plant species. The fauna of the area is poorly developed: most often, birds and walruses are found here, which have established 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 “Hodegetria”. The location of the Orthodox women's monastery is the Maiden's Field in Moscow. In the center of the monastery is the five-domed Smolensk Cathedral, from which the creation of the entire architectural ensemble of the religious monument began. Russian capital. In the 17th century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a bell tower, a refectory, the Lopukhinsky, Mariinsky and Funeral Chambers were built around it.
The historical center of Yaroslavl, consisting of Rubleny Gorod (the local Kremlin) and Zemlyanoy Gorod, was noted by UNESCO in 2005 as an outstanding architectural example of urban planning reform carried out under Catherine II. Construction from the time of classicism took place near the parish church of Elijah the Prophet, in front of which there was a semicircular square. Streets were drawn to it, each of which ended with an architectural monument that was earlier in construction - the Assumption Cathedral on Strelka, the Znamenskaya and Uglichskaya towers, the Church of Simeon the Stylite.
A network of 265 geodetic reference points, created in the first half of the 19th century to study earth parameters, is currently found in many European cities. On Russian territory it is represented by two points - “Point Mäkipällus” 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 including a unique scientific monument of humanity 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 zones, taiga, forest-tundra and arctic desert within its territory. The Putorana subspecies of the snow leopard, listed in the Red Book of Russia, lives on the territory of the reserve. The world's largest population of wild reindeer also winters on the plateau.
Located on the territory of the Sakha Republic, the Lena Pillars are the most recent Russian site 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 basis of the unique natural monument is Cambrian limestone. Scientists attribute the beginning of the formation of the Lena Pillars to the Early Cambrian, a time 560 million years distant from ours. The relief form of the Lena Pillars was formed much later - only 400 thousand years ago. Near the Lena Pillars there is a natural park of the same name. On its territory there are blowing sands and the site of an ancient man. Fossilized remains of mammoths are also found here.