Message about the object of the world population. Natural heritage of Russia

natural heritage. General provisions

Definition 1

At the moment, the world natural heritage is understood as miraculous natural monuments formed under the influence of evolutionary, natural-climatic, biotic and abiotic factors and representing cultural, aesthetic or scientific value for current and future generations.

Natural heritage can be forests, water bodies, mountains and mountain systems, plateaus, other geological formations, richness of biodiversity, protected areas and so on.

The study of natural ecosystems in the part of the world natural heritage is studied by such sciences as general ecology, geoecology, recreational geography, geomorphology, hydrology, mineralogy, petrography and many other sciences that are integral parts of ecology and geography.

UNESCO action for the protection of the world natural heritage

Definition 2

UNESCO is an international United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization that unites $195$ of member countries.

In addition to activities in the field of education, science, ensuring human rights and freedoms, illiteracy, discrimination, this organization also deals with the conservation of natural objects of great aesthetic, scientific and other significance. In $1972, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage. This convention entered into force after $3$ of the year. Since then, a special commission has held annual meetings at which objects are identified for inclusion in the list of cultural and natural heritage sites. In turn, natural heritage sites are selected in order to preserve them and attract a wide range of the public to the uniqueness of natural sites.

Currently, there are $197$ of objects on the list of world natural heritage around the world. In addition, $32$ of objects according to mixed natural and cultural criteria are also allocated.

Into the UNESCO list natural objects fall from $2002$ on the basis of four developed criteria:

1. The property is a natural phenomenon or space of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
2. The object is an outstanding example of the main stages of the history of the Earth, including monuments of the past, a symbol of ongoing geological processes in the development of relief or as a symbol of geomorphological or physiographic features;
3. The object is an outstanding example of ongoing ecological or biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, plant and animal communities;
4. The property includes the most important or significant natural environment habitats for the conservation of biological diversity in it, including endangered species of exceptional world value from the point of view of protection and science.

Unfortunately, a number of world natural heritage sites are under constant anthropogenic pressure, are subject to destruction, the destructive effects of natural processes, armed conflicts and uncontrolled tourism. Therefore, at the moment, the protection and attraction of public attention to the conservation of natural heritage sites is a very important and urgent task.

Natural heritage of Russia

Currently, $26$ objects are registered in Russia world heritage, including $10$ of world natural heritage sites. In terms of world natural heritage, Russia ranks $4$ in the world, after China, the USA and Australia.

The list of natural world heritage sites in Russia includes:

1. Virgin forests of Komi. The year of inclusion in the list is $1995$. The facility area is $3.28 million hectares and includes tundra areas covered with forests, swamps and rivers.
2. Lake Baikal. The year of inclusion in the list is $1996$. The area of ​​the facility is $3.15 million hectares. Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake on the planet. Its waters store almost $20%$ of all fresh water in the world. The lake is home to a unique animal world characteristic only for these areas.
3. Volcanoes of Kamchatka. Year of inclusion in the list - $ 1996 $. ($2001-expansion). The site consists of $6$ of individual sections and includes a large concentration of volcanoes. The nature of Kamchatka forms an aesthetically unique landscape with significant biodiversity.
4. Golden Altai mountains. The year of inclusion in the list is $1998$. The object consists of $3$ separate sections. The area is home to such endangered animal species as the snow leopard.
5. Western Caucasus. The year of inclusion in the list is $1999$. The area of ​​the facility is $300$ thousand hectares. The area is characterized by the presence of a large number of endemic plant and animal species.
6. Central Sikhote-Alin. Year of inclusion - $2001$. The territory extends from the Sikhote-Alin mountains to the coast Sea of ​​Japan and is a habitat for endangered animal species - the Amur tiger, the Far Eastern leopard.
7. Ubsunur basin. Year of inclusion - $2003$. The territory of the facility is $1069 thousand hectares and consists of $12$ separate plots, $7$ of which are in Russia and $5$ in Mongolia. In the Ubsunur basin there is a huge number of birds and rare species of animals.
8. Wrangel Island. The year of inclusion in the list is $2004$. The object includes Wrangel Island itself and Herald Island with adjacent water areas. There is a very high biodiversity (walruses, polar bear, northern right whales, bird nesting area, etc.).
9. Putorana Plateau. Year of inclusion - $2010$. The object is characterized by untouched tundra, forest tundra, arctic desert system. The main deer migration routes are recorded here.
10. Lena pillars. Year of inclusion - $2012$. The Lena Pillars are natural formations with a height of about $100$ meters and have aesthetic value and unique beauty.

In addition, 6 new natural objects (Daursky Reserve, Commander Islands, Magadan Reserve, Krasnoyarsk pillars, Vasyugan swamps, Ilmensky mountains), 3 repeated objects (expansion of the Sikhote-Alin site, Virgin forests of Komi and Western Caucasus).

Currently, another $1$ object of a mixed type (according to cultural and natural criteria) is listed as a candidate - the cultural landscape of the Cave Towns of Crimean Gothia, which is located in Crimea, however, the territory of the Crimean peninsula, in accordance with international standards, is disputed between Russia and Ukraine, therefore this site is in limbo and is unlikely to be recognized as a world heritage site in the near future, as it does not have a national reference.

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

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

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

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

UNESCO sites in Russia — PHOTO

The northern capital of Russia was included in the UNESCO List as part of 36 monuments located not only in St. Petersburg itself, but also in its neighboring cities - Pushkin and Shlisselburg. The palace and park ensembles of the Gatchina and Strelna settlements, 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 northern capital Russia. It is represented on the UNESCO List by the historical center and the old part of the city, the Pulkovo Observatory and the palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, the Shuvalovsky Park and the Vyazemsky estate, local fairways and numerous city highways.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cultural heritage is an important part of the life of every nation. For this reason, one 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 mankind from the beginning of time are accumulated and multiplied over the centuries, forming a cultural heritage. There is no single definition of what cultural heritage is, since this term 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 pass on to future 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 the emotional value, but determines the degree of informativeness and relevance of this or that object, as well as its ability to influence society.

If we combine these concepts, then cultural heritage can be defined as a set of material and non-material 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 mankind are passed down from generation to generation. The development of modern man is possible only based on the knowledge of ancestors.

Cultural heritage and social memory are concepts that always go hand in hand with each other. Heritage objects are the main means of transferring 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 authenticity 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.

Organization UNESCO

UNESCO is a UN agency dealing with 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 the world's cultural values.

The organization was formed in November 1945 and is based in Paris. To date, 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 mankind. The Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972, became the basis for this area of ​​activity. During the first session, the main provisions and tasks of the World Heritage Committee were adopted.

The Committee also determined the natural and cultural criteria for assessing objects, according to which they were included or not included in the list of protected. The preservation of cultural heritage is an obligation undertaken by the state that has 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 means:

• 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 harmoniously inscribed in the surrounding landscape. Places of interest are human creations separate from nature or together with it.

The Convention also outlined the criteria for natural heritage. It includes natural monuments, places of interest, geological and physiographic formations.

Cultural heritage of Russia

To date, the World Heritage Register includes twenty-seven objects that are located on the territory of Russia. Sixteen of them are selected according to cultural criteria and eleven are natural sites. The first objects were classified as World Heritage in 1990. Twenty-three more objects are on the list of candidates. Of these, eleven are cultural, three are natural and cultural, and nine are natural objects.

Among the UNESCO Member States, the Russian Federation is in ninth place in terms of the number of World Heritage Sites.

Cultural Heritage Days in Moscow - International Day for the Protection of Monuments and Sites (celebrated on April 18) and International Museum Day (May 18). Every year these days in Moscow free access to heritage sites is opened, excursions, quests, lectures are organized. All these events are aimed at popularization of cultural values, familiarization with them.

Legal aspect

The federal law (FZ) on cultural heritage objects was adopted State Duma RF in 2002. This law defines the preservation of cultural heritage as a priority for 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 passed peer review. Each object entered in the register is assigned a registration number and a passport. The passport contains detailed characteristics of the object: name, date of occurrence, 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 objects of cultural heritage, cultural values ​​are recognized as the property of the state. In this regard, the need to preserve them, as well as to popularize and provide access to heritage sites, has been declared. The law prohibits alteration and demolition of objects. Management of cultural heritage objects is a set of measures aimed at the control, preservation and development of cultural objects.

Natural objects of Russia

On the territory of the Russian Federation there are ten objects included in the World Heritage. Six of them, according to the UNESCO classification, should be considered as 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.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka are also natural phenomena. This formation is the largest cluster of active volcanoes. The area is constantly evolving and has unique landscapes. Unique in their geographical features are the Golden Altai Mountains. The total area of ​​this heritage site is 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 objects of Russia

Among the objects that represent the cultural heritage of Russia, it is difficult to single out more significant exhibits. Russian culture is ancient and very diverse. These are monuments of Russian architecture, and a colossal project of interweaving the streets and canals of St. Petersburg, and numerous monasteries, cathedrals and Kremlins.

The Moscow Kremlin occupies a special place among the heritage sites. The walls of the Moscow Kremlin are witnesses of many historical events that affect the life of Russia. St. Basil's Cathedral, located on Red Square, is a unique masterpiece of architecture. Churches and monasteries form the main part of the World Heritage Site in Russia. Among them is the ensemble "Solovki Islands", the first settlement of which dates back to the fifth century BC.

Importance of cultural heritage

The value of cultural heritage is very great both for society as a whole and for each person individually. The formation of personality is impossible without knowledge of the traditions and experience of ancestors. Preservation of heritage sites and their enhancement is an important task of every generation. This ensures the spiritual growth and development of mankind. Cultural heritage is an important component of culture, which helps to assimilate the experience of world history.

The adoption in 1972 by the international organization UNESCO of the Convention for the Protection of the World Heritage of Humanity was due to serious global changes human habitats. The need for additional measures aimed at improving the health of environment in which a person is inextricably linked with nature and ensures the safety of cultural heritage inherited from past generations.

natural heritage

The list of World Natural Heritage Sites includes both living and inanimate nature. The monuments of world significance include all the most famous wonders of nature, which have exceptional beauty and are valuable for all mankind. These are objects like Grand Canyon, Iguazu Falls, Mount Chomolungma, Komodo Island, Mount Kilimanjaro, and many dozens of other objects. World natural heritage sites in Russia include Lake Baikal, volcanoes, primeval Komi forests, the island, the Ubsunur basin, the mountains of the Western Caucasus, Central Sikhote-Alin and Altai.

The World Heritage sites also include specially protected areas of habitats for endangered species of animals and plants. Serengeti and Ngorongoro national parks in Tanzania are protected by several million individuals of wild animals. different types. In the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), giant sea turtles, iguana lizards and other animals are protected. most of which are endemic.

Cultural heritage

Various monuments of the World Cultural Heritage can be combined into several groups.

Firstly, these are the historical centers of cities or even entire cities, reflecting architectural styles different eras. In Europe, these are cities ancient world- Rome and Athens, the oldest temples and palaces of which were built in the style of classicism. Medieval Florence and Venice, Krakow and Prague retain majestic Catholic cathedrals and luxurious palaces the Renaissance. In Asia it center of three Jerusalem, ancient capital. In America, the capital of the Aztec Empire, the Inca fortress city of Machu Picchu in Peru.

Secondly, the number of cultural heritage sites includes individual architectural masterpieces. These are, for example, religious centers in Europe (Cologne and Reims cathedrals, Canterbury and Westminster abbeys) and in Asia (Buddhist temples Borobudur and Angor-Watt, mausoleum).

Thirdly, unique monuments of engineering art become objects of cultural heritage. Among them, for example, the Iron Bridge (England), the most grandiose creation of human hands - the Great Wall of China.

Fourthly, these are the most ancient places of worship and archeological monuments of primitive times and the Ancient World. Examples of such objects are English, the Greek ruins of Delphi and Olympia, the ruins of Carthage in.

Fifthly, memorial sites associated with historical events or the activities of famous people.

Russia has a lot of monuments and cultural heritage recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now we will introduce you to some of them.

All these monuments and places are under the strict protection of the UN, UNESCO and a number of other organizations related to culture, science and education.

Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

Any resident of Russia knows what the Kremlin and Red Square are. Any tourist and resident of our vast country first of all when he comes to Moscow visits these memorable places. UNESCO took these sites under protection in 1990.

This monument reflects the entire centuries-old history of Moscow and Russia in general. Also on the territory of the Kremlin there are unique objects of the foundry art of Russia: the Tsar Bell, which weighs more than 200 tons and is 6.6 m in diameter, and the Tsar Cannon with its mass of 40 tons.

Lake Baikal

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

Lake Baikal is one of the most picturesque

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

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

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

"Lena Pillars" - a unique natural monument

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

The architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost

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

Kizhi churchyard is the epitome of Russian architecture

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

Novgorod historical monuments

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

Monuments of Veliky Novgorod - UNESCO heritage site

Nature Reserve Wrangel Island

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

Wrangel Island is famous for its pristine ecosystem

The territory of the reserve is located beyond the Arctic Circle, including the island of Wrangel and Herald and the waters of the Chukotka and East Siberian Seas. Despite the harsh conditions of the waters of the Arctic, more than 400 species of plants predominate.

curonian spit

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

The Curonian Spit serves as a resting place for migratory birds

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

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

Since 2004, the monastery has been included in the UNESCO list, which since 1524 has been one of the defensive structures of Moscow. In 1926, a historical and domestic and historical museum was founded on the site of the monastery, and in 1980, the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna was placed. In 1994, the convent was officially approved.

Previously, the Novodevichy Convent housed a historical museum.

Komi Forest

Recognized as the most virgin forests in Europe with a total area of ​​32,600 sq. km, which belong to the territory of the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve and occupy part of the YugydVa National Park.

The forest area of ​​Komi is famous for its virgin forests.

Protected by UNESCO since 1995. Forests are distinguished by the diversity of flora and fauna, and many plant species are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Book.

Kamchatka volcanoes

Volcanoes of Kamchatka are considered part of the Pacific volcanic ring of fire of the planet and have been under the protection of UNESCO since 1996. Particularly impressive are the surrounding landscapes with unique nature and biological diversity.

The number of volcanoes in Kamchatka is more than a thousand