Currently, the human environment is changing rapidly and at an increasing speed. The task of humanity is to maintain nature on the globe in the state necessary for life, health and well-being. It is also necessary to preserve, as far as possible, at least the most unique places in nature that are of particular value from a scientific point of view, areas that make up the habitats of valuable or endangered species of plants and animals. There are many unique places in nature, the disappearance of which would be an irreparable loss not only for the country in which they are located, but also for all of humanity as a whole.In most countries of the world, networks of so-called “specially protected natural areas” (SPNA) have been created for these purposes. These include the following natural objects:
Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve, Leningrad Region
Wildlife sanctuaries are created to preserve or restore some or all of nature's components and to maintain the overall ecological balance. Some types of economic activity are limited in these territories.
Gladyshevsky reserve, Leningrad region
Natural monuments are small areas that include naturally valuable objects: caves, rocks, waterfalls, groves of rare tree species, river valleys, lakes, etc.
Natural monument “Yastrebinoye Lake”, Leningrad region
Natural parks serve to protect natural complexes that have environmental, historical and aesthetic value. They are staffed with special staff.
Veppsky Forest Nature Park, Leningrad Region
B Have you ever been to one of the protected areas? What do you remember about this place?
In these territories, people preserve both rare, unique and typical areas of forests, swamps, meadows, reservoirs and other natural ecosystems, rare and common species of plants and animals in their natural habitat, bird flight routes, fish spawning routes and others natural objects and processes.
The entire nature of our planet is priceless and unique. Of course, from the natural areas subject to special protection, it is difficult to single out some of the most outstanding and valuable corners of nature of “exceptional significance” that are vitally important to preserve for the present and future generations. A special UNESCO program is dedicated to this, constituting the so-called World Heritage List.
The UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage came into force in 1975. Its main goal is to attract the forces of the world community to preserve unique cultural and natural objects. By mid-2012, the total number of countries participating in the Convention had already reached 189. Among UNESCO's international programs, this program is the most representative. To improve the effectiveness of the Convention, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Fund were established in 1976.
The World Natural Heritage consists of mountains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, islands, forests, caves, reefs, national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries.
Of course, being on a par with the generally recognized world pearls of nature and culture is honorable and prestigious, but at the same time, it is also a great responsibility. To receive World Heritage status, a property must be of Outstanding Human Value and undergo a thorough peer review. In this case, the nominated natural object must meet at least one of the following four criteria:
Include unique natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic value;
Present outstanding examples of the major stages of Earth's history, including traces of ancient life, significant geological processes that continue to occur in the development of the forms of the earth's surface, significant geomorphological or physiographic features of the relief;
Present outstanding examples of important ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and plant and animal communities;
Include natural habitats of great importance for the conservation of biological diversity, including habitats of endangered species that represent an outstanding global asset from a scientific or conservation perspective.
The status of a World Natural Heritage site provides additional guarantees of the safety and integrity of unique natural complexes, increases the prestige of the territories, promotes the popularization of objects and the development of alternative types of environmental management, and ensures priority in attracting financial resources.
The first cultural and natural sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List two years after the creation of the program. Among natural areas, the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Simen (Ethiopia) national parks received heritage status. Over the past years, the List has become very representative both in terms of the regions of the planet represented and in the number of objects: by mid-2012 it already included 188 natural objects. Most of them are located in the USA and Australia (more than 10 objects in each country). Under the protection of the Convention are such world-famous natural monuments as the Great Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian Islands, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Video 62.
In Russia, the initiator of adding natural sites to the World Heritage List is primarily Greenpeace. By joining this UNESCO program, a new page was opened in the matter of nature conservation in Russia.
World Natural Heritage Sites of Russia
There are inaccuracies on the map, since currently 11 objects are already included in the list, including the Putorana Plateau and the Lena Pillars Natural Park. The first in our country to receive the status of a World Natural Heritage Site in 1995 was a natural complex called “Virgin Forests of Komi”.
The territory of this site is the largest of the remaining tracts of primary forests in Europe, the appearance of which is almost unchanged by human impact. Video 63.
The virgin forests of Komi are a real taiga treasury. There are more than 40 species of mammals (including brown bear, sable, elk), 204 species of birds (including the white-tailed eagle and osprey listed in the Red Book of Russia), 16 species of fish, the most valuable of which are considered glacial relics - char palia and Siberian grayling.
This territory stretches along the western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals for more than 300 km. The Ural mountain system has a significant influence on the climate. Natural complexes in some places form a complex mosaic: along narrow river valleys, taiga vegetation rises high into the mountains.
The main tree species - spruce and fir - are accompanied by Siberian cedar. Here the crystal clear tributaries of the Pechora originate and receive. Currently, the territory of the World Heritage Site “Virgin Komi Forests” is in danger due to illegal gold mining taking place here (1).Greenpeace Russia and other non-governmental organizations will fight to stop any environmental destruction activities on its territory.
Lake Baikal
Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on the planet, a lake of “superlatives”: the deepest (1637 meters), the oldest (about 25 million years), with the most diverse flora and fauna among fresh water bodies. Video 64.
The lake has a unique supply of fresh water in terms of volume and quality - more than 20% of the world's reserves). The Baikal depression is the central link of the Baikal rift zone, one of the largest ancient fault systems on Earth. The lake, together with its entire basin, is a unique and very fragile natural ecosystem, which ensures the natural process of formation of the purest waters. For Siberia, the climate of the Baikal coasts is relatively mild. For example, the number of sunny days per year here is higher than in many Black Sea resorts.In the anciently isolated Baikal depression, one of the richest and most unusual freshwater fauna in the world was formed, which is of exceptional value for the study of evolutionary processes.
Of the more than 2,630 species and subspecies of animals and plants found in the lake to date, more than 80% are found nowhere else in the world. Who hasn't heard of the famous Baikal omul or Baikal sturgeon? Two unique species of viviparous fish, representatives of a family endemic (2) to Lake Baikal - large and small golomyanka - are known to ichthyologists all over the world. The pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a typically marine mammal of origin - the seal, or Baikal seal.
Unfortunately, the unique nature of Lake Baikal is under threat (3).
WITH Have you heard about the actions that the public is taking to protect Baikal from pollution from the pulp and paper mill?
Another danger for Lake Baikal is posed by planned mining, illegal logging, forest fires, poaching, and oil spills.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka
The Kamchatka Peninsula is located at the junction of tectonic plates in a zone of active volcanism, where modern natural processes and the history of our planet are inseparable. Video 65.
Here, 30 active and about 300 extinct volcanoes, as well as more than 150 groups of thermal and mineral springs, are concentrated in a limited area. Dozens of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (4), cascades of waterfalls, sharp peaks of ridges, mud pots and turquoise lakes, carpets of colorful algae give the fabulous appearance of the famous Valley of Geysers
The richest life is represented in the seas washing the coast of Kamchatka. Here are the growth zones for the larvae of the Kamchatka crab, the places where salmon fish come to spawn and where their juveniles roll into the sea. From summer to early winter, an amazing natural phenomenon can be observed on the rivers of the peninsula: millions of salmon in a continuous mass move along the rivers against the current to their spawning grounds.
Golden Mountains of Altai
The nature of this mountainous territory, located at the junction of Central Asia and Siberia, is distinguished by its striking originality. There are few places in the world with such a contrasting combination of different landscapes in such a small space. Video 66.
The flora and fauna of the region are diverse and in many ways unique. Here are the most significant subalpine and alpine meadows in the Siberian mountains. The color of the vegetation of the Southern Altai, where semi-deserts, steppes and tundra coexist, is also unique. The diversity of landscapes contributed to the emergence and preservation of endemic species in Altai, often occupying very small areas. Among the rare species of mammals, the snow leopard should be highlighted; it is one of the most beautiful cats of the world fauna. Very few of these animals have survived in Altai.
The geological history of the region is unique, “recorded” in the rocks of different ages composing it and imprinted in unusual relief forms. Such, for example, are the high terraces of the Katun River, striking in their grandeur. The grandiose Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia (4506 meters). Altai river valleys are narrow, deep canyons.
The diversity of nature left its mark on the culture and religion of the indigenous population of this territory - the Altai. The achievements of Altai folk medicine are highly valued. As the outstanding philosopher, writer, traveler H.K. wrote. Roerich, “many peoples passed through Altai and left traces: Scythians, Huns, Turks.” Gorny Altai is called an open-air museum.
Western Caucasus
The western part of the Greater Caucasus in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna and their preservation has no equal not only in the Caucasus region, but also among other mountainous regions of Europe and Western Asia. Video 67.
This is an area where a large number of endangered rare, endemic and relict species of plants and animals are concentrated. It is especially important that the little-changed habitat of the most vulnerable large mammals has been preserved here: bison, Caucasian red deer, Western Caucasian aurochs, chamois, Caucasian subspecies of brown bear, wolf and others.
The Caucasus Nature Reserve is practically the only habitat in the world for the mountain bison; outside this territory it is almost completely exterminated by poachers.
The territory is rich in picturesque objects: powerful waterfalls, pointed mountain peaks (up to 3360 meters), stormy mountain rivers with clear water, clear mountain lakes, huge trees (majestic fir trees up to 85 meters high and more than 2 meters in diameter), rare plants (orchids, etc. .) and many others. An invaluable, unique natural complex has been preserved in the Western Caucasus.
Curonian Spit
The relief of this territory, located in the Kaliningrad region, is unique. A continuous strip of sand dunes 0.3 - 1 km wide, some of which are close to the highest in the world (up to 68 m), stretches along the peninsula for 70 km. Video 68.
Due to its geographical location and orientation from northeast to southwest, the spit serves as a “guide line” for birds of many species migrating from the northwestern regions of Russia, Finland and the Baltic countries to the countries of Central and Southern Europe. Every year in spring and autumn, 10 - 20 million birds fly over the spit, a significant part of which stop here to rest and feed. Among the birds flying here there are many rare and endangered species listed in the Red Books of Russia, Europe and the world.
It is especially interesting that the spit is rich in cultural heritage sites. These are unique in their scale protective structures, extremely valuable from the point of view of history, science and art; fishermen's settlements harmoniously integrated into the landscape; archaeological sites and monuments of religious architecture. The multifaceted dune relief of the Curonian Spit, combined with the greenery of the forests, the whiteness of the sandy beaches and the vast blue of the Baltic Sea, has a high aesthetic value.
Central Sikhote-Alin
This territory, located in the south of the Far East within Russia, is one of the largest and least modified by humans centers of conservation of communities of ancient coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests. Video 69.
It presents a lot of rare and endangered species of animals, a significant part of which is preserved only within its borders. The mountainous country of Sikhote-Alin is the last large integral territory in the world inhabited by the Amur tiger. Many other rare and endangered plant and animal species endemic to the region also need protection.
Picturesque relief forms, deep rivers, combined with an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, the presence of plants and animals of exotic appearance, reminiscent of the tropics, give the nature of Sikhote-Alin completely unique features. There are many objects of aesthetic and recreational value located here: rock massifs that stand out picturesquely among the taiga, waterfalls, lakes and rapids, reefs, sandy bays of the coast of the Sea of Japan.
Ubsunur basin
The Ubsunur Basin, located on the territory of Mongolia and Russia, is one of the most original and unusual places in Central Asia. Video 70.
This region has preserved a unique complex of neighboring, closely interacting, extremely contrasting ecosystems - from taiga to desert. Glaciers, snowfields, mountain tundra of the alpine zone and subalpine meadows transform into a vast mountain-taiga belt, which gives way to forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert and even loose sand ridges, creating a natural phenomenon of exceptional beauty and diversity. It is impossible to see such diverse landscapes in such close proximity anywhere else in Eurasia. This territory has an unusually high species richness for temperate latitudes.
The relative sparse population of the territory and the absence of industrial facilities make it possible to preserve the basin as a natural laboratory for the study of biosphere processes
However, the value of the territory lies not only in the unique nature of the Ubsunur basin. The cultural heritage sites located here are of great importance - archaeological monuments, many of which have not yet been studied. Nowhere else in Central Asia are mounds found in such concentration as here (according to a rough estimate, there are up to 20 thousand of them); most of them are older than the Egyptian pyramids. Thousands of rock paintings and stone sculptures, the remains of medieval settlements and Buddhist chapels form a unique natural and cultural landscape.
Natural system of the Wrangel Island reserve»
The Wrangel Island Nature Reserve is located on the border of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas on the Wrangel and Herald islands with an adjacent 12-mile sea area. Video 71.
The 180th meridian passes through Wrangel Island, so the island lies in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. The relief is predominantly mountainous, highly dissected, with coastal lowlands in the north and south. There are 1,400 rivers and streams on the island, about 900 small lakes. The unique combination of natural-historical and landscape-climatic conditions, as well as inaccessibility, have led to a large number of endemic, rare and relict plant species on the islands. On the islands, as part of the ancient landmass that once united the Eurasian and North American continents, both Euro-Asian and American species of flora and fauna are widely represented.
Putorana Plateau
The plateau is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is a large basalt plateau located at the northern limit of the taiga and almost completely untouched by human economic activity. Video 72. Trap landforms (5) intersected by huge canyons are unusual and extremely interesting. The scale and number of waterfalls are impressive (the largest concentration is in Russia). There is a 108 m high waterfall here - one of the highest in our country. There are many lakes on the plateau, with depths of up to 400 m; the lake fjords are very picturesque.More than 1,300 plant species have been recorded on the Putorana Plateau. Here is the northern limit of distribution of the flying squirrel, lynx, sable, and capercaillie. The migration route of the world's largest population of wild reindeer, the Taimyr, runs through the plateau. It is also home to a little-studied, extremely interesting native form of bighorn sheep.
Lena Pillars
The Lena Pillars Natural Park is located in Central Yakutia, in the middle reaches of the Lena River. Video 73.
The park got its name because of the unique ridge of rocks - fabulous stone sculptures in the form of pillars and towers stretch along the banks of the Lena for tens of kilometers. The height of some reaches 100 meters. This natural monument is made of Cambrian limestone - a rock formed more than 500 million years ago.
In addition, in the park there are small areas of the desert landscape - unique permafrost ecosystems, as well as blowing sand-tuculans - isolated and independently developing sand ridges with slopes practically unfixed by vegetation. In the area of the Lena Pillars, scientists discovered burials of bone remains of ancient fauna: mammoth, bison, Lena horse, woolly rhinoceros.
The park is home to 21 species of rare and endangered plants listed in the Red Book. In the basin of the middle reaches of the Lena River, the fish fauna includes 31 species. Nesting sites for 101 species of birds have been established in the park. Animals common here are sable, brown bear, squirrel, elk, wapiti, chipmunk, musk deer, and the mountain forest form of wild reindeer.
Work to continue to include new areas on the World Heritage List continues. According to the rules, nominations for consideration by the World Heritage Committee must first be included in the national Tentative List. They are presented on the map of the World Natural Heritage of Russia (see above).
It is obvious that effective protection of such territories is impossible without the active involvement of public organizations and as many citizens of the country as possible. Let us remember that we have individual and collective responsibility for the preservation of natural complexes.
Read the resolution of the International Non-Governmental Organizations Forum on World Heritage Sites (6).
What can we, the residents of Russia, do to support the conservation and development of specially protected natural areas?
Each of these places is unique in its own way, and together they function, making up the unity and integrity of the life support system on the Planet. They create its unique, still far from fully understood and understood appearance.
In our world there are many objects that are unique in their kind and constitute the world heritage of mankind.
World Heritage sites included in the UNESCO special list are of enormous interest to the entire population of the planet. Unique natural and cultural objects make it possible to preserve those unique corners of nature and man-made monuments that demonstrate the richness of nature and the capabilities of the human mind.
The list of this organization contains objects among which there are individual architectural structures and ensembles, for example - the Acropolis, cathedrals in Amiens and Chartres, historical city centers - Warsaw and St. Petersburg; and there are also entire cities - Brasilia, Venice along with the lagoon and others. There are also archaeological reserves - for example, Delphi; national parks - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Yellowstone (USA) and others. States on whose territory World Heritage sites are located undertake obligations to preserve them.
It is worth noting that UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places and objects on the planet, in different countries, that are selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in accordance with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Convention is designed to protect and preserve outstanding cultural and natural values that constitute the heritage of all mankind. The first three places in terms of the number of objects are occupied by Italy, Spain and China.
In this photo collection you will see places from different parts of our planet that are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Tourists view the Buddhist sculptures of the Longmen Grottoes (Dragon Gate) near the city of Luoyang in the Chinese province of Henan. There are more than 2,300 caves in this place; 110,000 Buddhist images, more than 80 dagobas (Buddhist mausoleums) containing relics of Buddhas, as well as 2,800 inscriptions on rocks near the Yishui River, a kilometer long. Buddhism was first introduced to China in these places during the reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
The Bayon Temple in Cambodia is famous for its many giant stone faces. There are more than 1,000 temples in the Angkor region, which range from nondescript piles of brick and rubble scattered among rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, considered the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored. More than a million tourists visit them every year.
One of the parts of the archaeological site of Al-Hijr - also known as Madain Salih. This complex, located in the northern regions of Saudi Arabia, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 6, 2008. The complex includes 111 rock burials (1st century BC - 1st century AD), as well as a system of hydraulic structures dating back to the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, which was the center of caravan trade. There are also about 50 rock inscriptions dating back to the Pre-Nabatean period.
The Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat) waterfalls are located in the Iguazu National Park in the Argentine province of Misiones. Depending on the water level of the Iguazu River, the park has from 160 to 260 waterfalls, as well as over 2,000 plant species and 400 bird species Iguazu National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984.
The mysterious Stonehenge is a stone megalithic structure consisting of 150 huge stones, located on Salisbury Plain in the English county of Wiltshire. This ancient monument is believed to have been built in 3000 BC. Stonehenge was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.
Tourists stroll at the Bafang Pavilion at the Summer Palace, the famous classical imperial garden in Beijing. The Summer Palace, built in 1750, was destroyed in 1860 and restored in 1886. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.
Statue of Liberty at sunset in New York. "Lady Liberty", which was given to the United States by France, stands at the entrance to New York Harbor. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984.
"Solitario George" (Lonely George), the last living giant tortoise of this species, born on Pinta Island, lives in Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. She is now approximately 60-90 years old. The Galapagos Islands were originally included on the World Heritage List in 1978, but were listed as endangered in 2007.
People skate on the ice of the canals at the Kinderdijk Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Rotterdam. Kinderdijk is home to the largest collection of historic mills in the Netherlands and is one of the top attractions in South Holland. Decorating holidays taking place here with balloons gives a certain flavor to this place.
View of the Perito Moreno glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park, in the southeast of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The site was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1981. The glacier is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentine part of Patagonia and the 3rd largest glacier in the world after Antarctica and Greenland.
Terraced gardens in the northern Israeli city of Haifa surround the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, founder of the Baha'i faith. Here is the world administrative and spiritual center of the Baha'i religion, the number of professers of which worldwide is less than six million. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 8, 2008.
Aerial photograph of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. According to the World Heritage website, this small state is home to a unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces. The Vatican was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984.
Colorful underwater scenes of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This thriving ecosystem is home to the world's largest collection of coral reefs, including 400 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish. The Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981.
Camels rest in the ancient city of Petra in front of Jordan's main monument, Al Khazneh or the treasury, believed to be the tomb of a Nabatean king carved from sandstone. This city, located between the Red and Dead Seas, is at the crossroads of Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Phenicia. Petra was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous and easily recognizable buildings in the world, a symbol of Sydney and one of the main attractions of Australia. The Sydney Opera House was designated a World Heritage Site in 2007.
Rock art made by the San people in the Drakensberg Mountains, located in eastern South Africa. The San people lived in the Drakensberg region for thousands of years until they were destroyed in clashes with the Zulus and white settlers. They left behind incredible rock art in the Drakensberg Mountains, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
General view of the city of Shibam, located in the east of Yemen in the Hadhramaut province. Shibam is famous for its incomparable architecture, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program. All the houses here are built of clay bricks; approximately 500 houses can be considered multi-story, as they have 5-11 floors. Often called "the world's oldest skyscraper city" or "Desert Manhattan", Shibam is also the oldest example of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.
Gondolas along the shore of the Grand Canal in Venice. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is visible in the background. Island Venice is a seaside resort, a center of international tourism of world importance, a venue for international film festivals, art and architectural exhibitions. Venice was included in the UNESCO World Heritage program in 1987.
Some of the 390 abandoned huge statues made of compressed volcanic ash (moai in Rapa Nui) at the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano on Easter Island, 3,700 km off the coast of Chile. Rapa Nui National Park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program since 1995.
Visitors walk along the Great Wall of China in the Simatai area, northeast of Beijing. This largest architectural monument was built as one of the four main strategic strongholds to defend against invading tribes from the north. The 8,851.8 km long Great Wall is one of the largest construction projects ever completed. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987.
Temple in Hampi, near the South Indian city of Hospet, north of Bangalore. Hampi is located in the middle of the ruins of Vijayanagara - the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hampi and its monuments were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, notes fresher.ru.
A Tibetan pilgrim turns prayer mills on the grounds of the Potala Palace in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. The Potala Palace is a royal palace and Buddhist temple complex that was the main residence of the Dalai Lama. Today, the Potala Palace is a museum actively visited by tourists, remaining a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and continuing to be used in Buddhist rituals. Due to its enormous cultural, religious, artistic and historical significance, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
Inca citadel Machu Picchu in the Peruvian city of Cusco. Machu Picchu, especially after receiving UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983, has become a center of mass tourism. The city is visited by 2,000 tourists per day; In order to preserve the monument, UNESCO demands that the number of tourists per day be reduced to 800.
Buddhist pagoda Kopon-daito on Mount Koya, Wakayama Province, Japan. Mount Koya, located east of Osaka, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In 819, the first Buddhist monk Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school, a branch of Japanese Buddhism, settled here.
Tibetan women walk around the Bodhnath Stupa in Kathmandu, one of the most ancient and revered Buddhist shrines. On the edges of the tower crowning it are depicted “Buddha’s eyes” inlaid with ivory. Kathmandu Valley, about 1300 m high, is a mountain valley and historical region of Nepal. There are many Buddhist and Hindu temples here, from the Boudhanath stupa to tiny street altars in the walls of houses. Locals say that 10 million Gods live in the Kathmandu Valley. The Kathmandu Valley was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.
A bird flies over the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum-mosque located in the Indian city of Agra. It was built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. The architectural marvel was also named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" in 2007.
Situated in north-east Wales, the 18-kilometre Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a feat of Industrial Revolution-era civil engineering, completed in the early years of the 19th century. Still in use more than 200 years after its opening, it is one of the busiest sections of the UK canal network, handling around 15,000 boats a year. In 2009, the Pontkysilte Aqueduct was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a "landmark in the history of civil engineering during the Industrial Revolution". This aqueduct is one of the unusual monuments to plumbers and plumbing
A herd of elk grazes in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park. Mount Holmes, to the left, and Mount Dome are visible in the background. In Yellowstone National Park, which occupies almost 900 thousand hectares, there are more than 10 thousand geysers and thermal springs. The park was included in the World Heritage program in 1978.
Cubans drive an old car along the Malecon in Havana. UNESCO added Old Havana and its fortifications to the World Heritage List in 1982. Although Havana has expanded to a population of over 2 million, its old center retains an interesting mixture of Baroque and neoclassical monuments and homogeneous ensembles of private houses with arcades, balconies, wrought iron gates and courtyards.
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 highly qualified specialists from 54 countries were involved in its implementation in a short time.
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 the 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 a unique natural monument. 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, worried 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 path “Nine Turns” was 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 occurred in the 2nd-1st centuries BC.
The total area was about 320 hectares; it was shaped like 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 of 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 round-the-clock security, the ancient city withstood 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, the unique house belongs to the Central Museum of Utrecht and there are 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 the Gothic style were reconstructed and restored. 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.
The impressive ruins of the center of the ancient civilization of Monte Alban are located in such a way that they are visible from anywhere in the central 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 city's population was 15 thousand people, most of whom (about 8,000) were 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 the largest church in the 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 best achievements of Chinese traditions over the past 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 most important stages of 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 with the carbon dioxide that accumulated inside from the breath of numerous tourists, and the rock paintings could be 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.
Work is underway to submit the following natural objects to the List: Volga Delta, Lena Delta, Green Belt of Fennoscandia, Kurile Islands, Valdai - Great Divide, Western Sayan, Beringia and Solovetsky Islands.
Natural sites included in the World Heritage List |
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Square | State | |
Virgin forests of Komi | 3.279 million hectares | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1995) Criteria - N ii, iii |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Pechora-Ilychsky" | 721 322 | |
2. Yugyd Va National Park | 1 891 701 | |
3. Protected zone of the reserve | 666 000 | |
Lake Baikal | 8.8 million hectares | Listed (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Baikal" | 165 724 | |
2. State Biosphere Reserve "Barguzinsky" | 374 322 | |
3. State Nature Reserve "Baikalo-Lensky" | 660 000 | |
4. Pribaikalsky National Park | 418 000 | |
5. National Park "Zabaikalsky" | 246 000 | |
6. Reserve "Frolikhinsky" | 910 200 | |
7. Reserve "Kabansky" | 18 000 | |
8. National Park "Tunkinsky" (partially) | ||
Volcanoes of Kamchatka | 3.996 million hectares | Included in the List (1996). Expanded in 2001 Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Kronotsky" | 1 147 619,37 | |
2. Natural Park "Bystrinsky" | 1 368 592 | |
3. Natural Park "Nalychevsky" | 286 025 | |
4. Natural Park "South Kamchatka" | 500 511 | |
5. Federal Nature Reserve "South Kamchatsky" | 322 000 | |
6. Natural Park "Klyuchevskoy" | 371 022 | |
Golden Mountains of Altai | 1.509 million hectares | Included in the List (1998) Criterion - N iv |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Altai" | 881 238 | |
2. State Biosphere Reserve "Katunsky" | 150 079 | |
3. Natural Park "Mount Belukha" | 131 337 | |
4. Ukok Nature Park | 252 904 | |
5. Buffer zone "Teletskoye Lake" | 93 753 | |
Western Caucasus | 0.301 million hectares | Listed (1999) Criteria - N ii, iv |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Caucasian" with a buffer zone | 288 200 | |
2. Natural Park "Bolshoy Thach" | 3 700 | |
3. Natural monument "Upper reaches of the rivers Pshekha and Pshekhashkha" | 5 776 | |
4. Natural monument "Upper reaches of the Tsitsa River" | 1 913 | |
5. Natural monument "Buiny Ridge" | 1 480 | |
Curonian Spit(shared with Lithuania) | 0.031 million hectares | Listed (2000) Criterion - C v |
1. National Park "Curonian Spit" (Russia) | 6 600 | |
2. National Park "Kursiu Nerijos" (Lithuania) | 24 600 | |
1.567 million hectares | Included in the List (2001). Expanded in 2018 Criterion - N iv |
|
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Sikhote-Alin" | 401 600 | |
2. Bikin National Park | 1 160 469 | |
3. Reserve "Goralovy" | 4 749 | |
Ubsunur Basin(shared with Mongolia) | 0.883 million hectares | Listed (2003) Criteria - N ii, iv |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Ubsunurskaya Kotlovina" (Russia) | 73 529 | |
2. Biosphere Reserve "Uvs Nuur" (Mongolia) | 810 233,5 | |
Wrangel Island | 2.226 million hectares | Listed (2004) Criteria - N ii, iv |
State Nature Reserve "Wrangel Island" | ||
Putorana Plateau | 1.887 million hectares | Listed (2010) Criteria - vii, ix |
State Nature Reserve "Putoransky" | ||
Lena pillars | 1.387 million hectares | Listed (2012) Criteria - viii |
Natural Park of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Lena Pillars" | ||
Landscapes of Dauria(shared with Mongolia) | 0.913 million hectares | Included in the List (2017) Criteria - (ix), (x) |
1. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky" | 49 765 | |
2. Protected zone of the State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Daursky" | 117 690 | |
3. Federal reserve "Dzeren Valley" | 111 568 | |
Total area in the Russian Federation: | 279 023 | |
4. Strictly protected area “Mongol Daguur” | 110 377 | |
5. Buffer zone of the strictly protected area “Mongol Daguur” | 477 064 | |
6. Nature reserve "Ugtam" | 46 160 | |
Total area in Mongolia: | 633 601 |
Natural sites included in the Tentative List |
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Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
Valaam archipelago | 0.026 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on May 15, 1996. |
Natural Park "Valaam Archipelago" | ||
Magadan Nature Reserve | 0.884 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
State Nature Reserve "Magadansky" | ||
Commander Islands | 3.649 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on 02/07/2005. Nomination prepared |
State Nature Reserve "Commander" | ||
Great Vasyugan swamp | 0.4 million hectares | |
State complex reserve of the Tyumen region "Vasyugansky" | ||
Krasnoyarsk pillars | 0.047 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on March 6, 2007. |
State Nature Reserve "Stolby" | ||
Ilmen Mountains | 0.034 million hectares |
Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on August 11, 2008. Nomination prepared |
State Nature Reserve RAS "Ilmensky" | ||
Bashkir Ural | 0.045 million hectares | Included in the Preliminary List of the Russian Federation on January 30, 2012. |
Natural objects promising for inclusion in the Preliminary List |
||
Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
Beringia | 2.911 million hectares | Recommended by IUCN for inclusion in the List |
1. Beringia National Park (RF) | 1,819,154 ha | |
2. Bering Land Bridge National Wildlife Refuge (USA) | 1,091,595 ha | |
Volga Delta | 0.068 million hectares | criterion N iv. Nomination prepared |
State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Astrakhan" | ||
Lena Delta | 1.433 million hectares | Recommended by IUCN for inclusion in the List in accordance with criterion N iv. Nomination prepared |
State Nature Reserve "Ust-Lensky" | ||
Kurile Islands | 0.295 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
1. State Nature Reserve "Kurilsky" and its buffer zone | 65,365 and 41,475 | |
2. Biological reserve "Little Kuriles" | 45 000 | |
3. Reserve of regional significance "Urup Island" | 143 000 | |
Green Belt of Fennoscandia(shared with Finland and Norway) | 0.541 million hectares | The Russian part of the nomination has been prepared |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Lapland" | 278 436 | |
2. State Nature Reserve "Kostomuksha" | 47 457 | |
3. Pasvik State Nature Reserve | 14 727 | |
4. Paanajärvi National Park | 104 354 | |
5. National Park "Kalevalsky" | 95 886 | |
Valdai - Great Divide | 0.183 million hectares | Nomination prepared |
1. Valdai National Park | 158 500 | |
2. State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Central Forest" | 24 447 |
Natural objects not included in the List |
||
Objects and territories included in them | Square | State |
Vodlozersky National Park | 0.58 million hectares | |
1. Vodlozersky National Park | 404 700 | |
2. Reserve "Kozhozersky" | 178 600 | |
Bashkir Ural | 0.2 million hectares | Not included in the List (1998) |
1. State Biosphere Reserve "Shulgan-Tash" | 22 531 | |
2. State Nature Reserve "Bashkir" | 49 609 | |
3. National Park "Bashkiria" (strictly protected area) | 32 740 | |
4. Reserve "Altyn Solok" | 93 580 | |
Teberdinsky Reserve(extension of the "Western Caucasus" object) | 0.085 million hectares | Not included in the List (2004) |
State Biosphere Reserve "Teberdinsky" |
Russia, of course, is rich in unique and, what is very important, natural complexes that have not been affected by economic activity. According to rough estimates by scientists, there are about 20 territories in our country that are worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage site. The list of the most promising areas was determined during the joint project of UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) on boreal forests.
For a long time, people did not think about what they would leave to their descendants. Rulers were replaced, entire cultures were destroyed, not a trace remained of them. Later, people became smarter and preserved works of art, buildings of stunning beauty, interesting monuments, etc. Eventually, humanity came to the conclusion that the most valuable objects should be included in a special list. Today, tourists visiting certain countries are interested in World Heritage abroad. The UNESCO project has long been called more than successful.
World Heritage
At some point, people turned away from resource consumption and realized the need to protect natural flora and fauna. This desire is expressed in a special list, the idea of which was implemented in 1972 within the framework of the Convention "On the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage", which proclaimed universal responsibility for the safety of the most significant objects.
Today the list includes more than a thousand items, and all these monuments are located on the territory of 161 states. Among them there are picturesque corners of nature and amazing creations of human hands, but some objects may surprise those who do not know by what principles this list is compiled.
Criteria
World Heritage abroad and in Russia is not just buildings and natural monuments. Each object is unique in its own way and is included in the list indicating certain criteria. Conventionally, they are divided into two parts.
For artificial objects, such criteria as reflection of the relationship of human values, the development of architecture, uniqueness or exclusivity, and connection with ideas in the public domain are important. Of course, beauty and aesthetics are also taken into account. There are six key factors in total.
As for natural monuments, they must include phenomena or areas of exceptional aesthetic quality, represent an example of the main stages of history, geological or biological processes, or be important from the point of view of preserving the diversity of flora and fauna. Only four criteria are presented.
Those located abroad or in Russia, which can be attributed to approximately equal extent to both one and the other group, are called mixed, or having cultural and natural significance. So, what exactly is included in the UNESCO list?
Record-breaking countries
UNESCO World Heritage sites are distributed extremely unevenly around the world. The countries with the largest number of monuments are Italy, China, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, India, Great Britain, Russia and the USA. In total, there are more than 350 objects located on their territory, which is more than a third of the entire list. Almost all of these countries can be said to be heirs of great civilizations and to have natural resources. In any case, this beginning of the list is not at all surprising.
Man-made objects
There are 779 objects in this category as of 2014. This includes the most famous and significant buildings and structures in the world, many of which are symbols of their countries: Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Easter Island, Great Abu Mena in Egypt, Versailles, the Acropolis of Athens, the Taj Mahal, the temples of Prambanan and Borobudur in Indonesia, ancient Samarra, located on the modern territory of Iran, Petra in Jordan, Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan in Mexico, Cusco in Peru, Kizhi Pogost, church in Kolomenskoye, Stonehenge, Statue of Liberty, building It is often so difficult to single out one thing that it is so difficult to list the entire historical center of certain cities is included - this is especially often observed in Europe. All the most popular attractions among tourists certainly fall into this list. But sometimes, if some major changes have occurred, the property “leaves” the World Heritage Site. Two such cases are known abroad: the Elbe River valley near Dresden was excluded due to the construction of a highway; The white oryx reserve, a special type of antelope, in Oman was removed from the list due to a reduction in its territory and ineffective fight against poaching. The situation is likely to change over time, but even if not, every year a special committee considers new proposals for the inclusion of various sites abroad as World Heritage Sites.
Natural monuments
The most interesting and beautiful monuments in the category “World Heritage Abroad” - The creation of man, that is, buildings, structures, etc., are also interesting, but it is much more interesting to observe what was created without the help and intervention of people. The list of such monuments (as of 2014) includes 197 items. The facilities are located in 87 countries around the world. 19 of them are endangered (for one reason or another). By the way, the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites begins precisely with the natural monument - the Galapagos Islands, which were awarded this honor in 1978. And, perhaps, this can be called quite fair, because many very rare animals and plants live here, the archipelago is also known for its stunning views. And, ultimately, nature remains the most valuable wealth of humanity.
Mixed category
Some man-made structures are so closely connected with the landscape and environment that it is difficult to clearly call them man-made. Or, on the contrary, man only slightly changed what appeared as a result of geological, biological and other natural processes. In any case, the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage, represented by objects from this category, is truly unique.
There are relatively few such objects - 31, but it is simply impossible to talk about each one briefly, they are so diverse and interesting in their own way. These include the national parks of Australia and New Zealand, Mount Athos, Machu Picchu, the Meteora monasteries, Tasmanian wildlife, the landscapes and life of Lapland and much more. It is a real miracle that all this wealth has reached our time in exactly this form, and the common task of humanity is to preserve this heritage for posterity.
Russia and CIS countries
On the territory of the former USSR there are a large number of monuments included in the UNESCO list. Some have been nominated as candidates. There are 52 objects in total, including the Struve geodetic arc, located on the territory of several states.
The list includes such names as the Moscow Kremlin, Samarkand, Chersonese Tauride, Bukhara, Lake Baikal, Lena Pillars, Putorana Plateau, Mount Sulaiman-Too, etc. Having carefully studied the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites located on the territory of the CIS countries, you can even decide never to travel abroad without exploring your native land - such diverse and interesting objects are presented in it. Well, then you can look at your neighbors and move across three seas - you’ll have something to compare with.
There are 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine at the moment, and 15 more are under consideration. Of the CIS countries, this country ranks second in terms of the number of items included in the list we are considering. These include, for example, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and in Kyiv, the historical center of Lviv, and the beech forest of the Carpathians.
Status
It may seem that inclusion in a World Heritage Site abroad is simply a nice bonus, making it easier for tourists and travelers to choose where to go and what to see. But this is absolutely not true, because many objects are under threat of partial destruction or disappearance and need special treatment. Their inclusion in the UNESCO list allows us to further guarantee their safety. In addition, adding certain attractions to this list increases their prestige and popularity, which, in turn, attracts more tourists to the country. The development of this sector of the economy makes it possible to obtain more funds, which can be used to restore the very cultural monuments that are on the UNESCO list. So this project is useful in all respects.
Objects under threat
Unfortunately, everything is not so rosy. There is a special section of the list that lists those natural and cultural monuments that are at risk of critical changes or complete disappearance. The reasons may be different: various types of disasters and incidents, wars, negative effects of climate and time. Not all of this can be controlled, so humanity may soon lose some of the sites included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage. There are currently 46 items on this “alarming” list. None of them are included in the World Heritage Sites in Russia. Abroad, such situations, unfortunately, are not uncommon. But the committee is working in this direction.
The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Danger includes those that appeared a very long time ago - in the 3-5 millennium BC, so their importance is difficult to overestimate. And yet, numerous problems, construction and reconstruction plans, wars, floods, poaching, etc. do not yet allow us to say that these places are safe.
Committee activities
UNESCO is a huge organization dealing with a variety of issues, World Heritage Abroad is just one of them. And all issues related to this topic are decided by a special committee. It meets once a year to make decisions on objects applying for inclusion on the list. In addition, the committee initiates the creation of working groups that deal with the problems of individual objects. It also acts as a financial institution, allocating funds to the countries participating in the Convention upon their request. There are 21 members in total on the committee. Most of their terms expire in 2017.
Similar lists
Of course, cultural and natural monuments are extremely important and valuable, but humanity strives to preserve not only them. As opposed to material objects, lists have been created containing the most significant examples of creativity, fields of knowledge, etc. Since 2001, UNESCO has been keeping records of masterpieces of oral and intangible creativity. But you shouldn’t think that we are talking about literary works - this list is much wider and more diverse than it seems. This includes the culinary traditions of different countries of the world, the unique skills of individual peoples, characteristic chants and dances, even falconry!
Another project designed to preserve UNESCO World Heritage sites is called Memory of the World. And it really is something akin to a repository of various knowledge - after all, this list contains the most important documents of humanity of all times that have survived to this day. This includes films, photographs, sound recordings, paintings, manuscripts and archives of famous people.
UNESCO projects aimed at drawing attention to cultural monuments and phenomena of all kinds allow us not to forget that every person is capable of creating something great, worthy of remaining in history forever. They also help us sometimes to stop and think how much beauty has been created by our ancestors and nature, and how terrible it would be to lose it.