Ten natural objects of the Russian Federation are on the UNESCO World Heritage List (4 of them are recognized as natural phenomena of exceptional beauty and aesthetic importance), and this is not counting another 15 objects that are cultural objects of protection. This is not at all surprising, because Russia is a truly vast country, with a huge territory, with incredibly beautiful and diverse nature, with a rich cultural heritage.
If you want to see the virgin nature of Russia in its original form, then it will not be difficult for Russians (and foreign tourists too) to go to one of the nature reserves or national parks of the country, on the territory of which these ten objects are located that need constant protection at the international level...
1. Forests of the Komi Republic
The area of these forests is more than 3 million hectares, on which there is a national park and a state biosphere reserve. This facility opened a new page for Russia in environmental protection at the global level.
The virgin forests of Komi are known as the largest untouched forests growing in Europe. They occupy an area of 32,600 square kilometers in the north of the Ural Mountains, within the Pechero-Ilychsky Reserve and the Yugyd Va National Park. According to their composition, the Komi forests belong to the taiga ecosystem. They are dominated by coniferous trees. The western part of the forests falls on the foothills, the eastern - 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, 40 species of rare mammals, and 16 species of fish that are considered valuable for fishing, preserved since the Ice Age, live in the reservoirs. For example, Siberian grayling and palia char belong to such fish species. Many inhabitants of the virgin forests of Komi are listed in the Red Book of the planet. This natural object of the Russian Federation was included in the UNESCO list in 1995 - the very first in the list.
2. Lake Baikal
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 with an average depth of 744. Baikal contains 19 percent of all fresh water on the planet. The lake is fed by more than three hundred rivers and streams. Baikal water is distinguished by a high content of 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.
The oldest and deepest (approximately 1700 meters) on Earth, Lake Baikal covers an area of over three million hectares. The reservoir that appeared about 25 million years ago was in almost complete isolation, due to which an amazing ecosystem was formed in its fresh waters, the study of which allows obtaining information about the evolutionary processes taking place on the planet.
Unique even on a global scale, the lake is about 20% of all the reserves of such necessary fresh water on Earth, as well as a delightful sight that inspires beauty and enchants with the luxury of amazing landscapes.
Lake Baikal was named a beautiful pearl by UNESCO in 1996 and included in the list of priceless heritage of the planet.
3. Kamchatka volcanoes .
This site was also included in the World Heritage List in 1996. Five years later (in 2001), the territory of the object subject to international protection expanded due to the movement of lithospheric plates of the Pacific volcanic ring. Today, the territory of the state biosphere reserve is about 4 million hectares. This area is called natural museum volcanology". Both long-extinct and active volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula can serve as exhibits. Moreover, each of the "exhibits" is an individual object, for the study of which life is not enough.
In total, there are currently about 300 extinct volcanoes and 30 active volcanoes on the territory of this object, but the number of the latter changes every year. The most interesting tourist attraction of this region is the Valley of Geysers in the Konotsky Biosphere Reserve. The mountain rivers of Kamchatka abound with huge numbers of salmon fish, and coastal waters are home to many species of whales and dolphins.
4. Altai Mountains
These mountains are called "Golden", as each species of animals, birds and fish is unique here. Altai cedar forests and mammals with the most valuable commercial fur, which can be equated in value with gold, have been preserved here. The object covers an area of more than 1.5 million hectares, was included in the UNESCO list in 1998. The "golden" Altai mountains are located at the intersection of the mountain system of Siberia and Central Asia.
The vegetation of this region is unique, there is an abundance of alpine meadows, there are steppes, semi-deserts and tundra. Absolutely everything is unique here, from snow leopards to mountainous landforms. Pearl Altai Territory called Teletskoye Lake, which is also called "Small Baikal".
5. Natural Park "Lena Pillars"
The fabulously beautiful landscapes of the park are formed by hundred-meter rock formations that pacify the waters of the beautiful Lena River. The Lena Pillars are located in the very heart of Sakha (Republic of Yakutia).
Such an amazing natural phenomenon owes its appearance to the continental climate, within which temperature fluctuations reach about one hundred degrees (+40 degrees in summer and -60 degrees in winter). The pillars are separated by deep ravines with steep slopes. Their formation took place under the influence of water, which contributes to the freezing of the soil and its weathering. Similar processes led to the fact that the ravines deepened and expanded. Water in this case plays the role of a destroyer, representing a danger to the pillars.
Introduced in 2012 into the list of heritage of the planet, the Lena Pillars are of interest not only from the point of view of an aesthetic spectacle, but also a unique archaeological zone, on the territory of which the remains of ancient animals of the Cambrian period were found.
This natural site has an area of 1.27 million hectares. If we take into account the geological structure of the soil in the park, then this land can “tell” a lot about the history of the planet, about living organisms and vegetation.
Many remains of mammoths, bison, woolly rhinos, Lena horses, reindeer and other remains of ancient mammals have been found in the Lena Pillars. Today, 12 representatives of animals and birds listed in the Red Book of the planet live on the territory of the complex. It is believed that the Lena Pillars have a huge "aesthetic influence" on a person due to their unique beauty of landscapes, the quaintness of the relief with huge caves, fabulous-looking stone sculptures, rocky spiers, niches and "towers".
6. Sikhote-Alin Reserve
This territory, included in the UNESCO list in 2001, covers an area of about 0.4 million hectares. The object is valuable because unique broad-leaved forests and ancient coniferous forests have been preserved on its territory. There is also an incredible mixture of different types of flora and fauna, among which there are many rare species.
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.
The local fauna is represented by a large number of birds, marine invertebrates and insects. Many plants, birds, animals and insects are among the protected objects. lemongrass chinese,ginseng,Fori rhododendron and Palibina edelweiss, spotted deer and Himalayan bear, black crane and stork, Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon, fish owl and Swallowtail butterfly - all of them found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin Reserve.
7. Natural complex of the Wrangel Island Reserve
The protected area, which in 2004 added to the list of UNESCO treasures, is located beyond the Arctic Circle. It includes the relief landscapes of Wrangel Island, whose area is over 7 thousand square meters. kilometers, and Herald Island, whose area is 11 thousand square meters. kilometers, as well as the coastal waters of the East Siberian Sea and the waters of the Chukchi Sea.
This region managed to avoid glaciation, thanks to which the area is distinguished by amazing biological diversity. The harsh climate of the protected area appealed to the walruses, who have formed here the largest rookery in the Arctic. The picturesque land was also chosen by polar bears, the density of their ancestral dens in this region is considered the highest on the planet.
More than fifty species of birds nest here, including both endemics and endangered ones. Gray whales rush here, choosing this place for feeding. Surprisingly, over four hundred species of vascular plants are found on the island, among which there are also endemics.
Here tourists can see the largest "bird colonies" in the Eastern Arctic. Pleistocene relics predominate among plant forms. The landscape of the island is unusual, as well as its water area. Many travelers dream of visiting here.
8. Ubsunur basin
The area of this unique biosphere reserve is 0.8 million hectares. The object was included in the UNESCO list in 2003. A salt lake with a large area is located on the border of Mongolia and the Russian Republic of Tyva. By the way, only seven sections of the intermountain basin with a shallow lake (up to 15 meters) are located on the territory of Russia, the remaining five parts of the Transboundary Facility are located in Mongolia. Each of the seven sections of the basin on our territory is individual in appearance and the plants that grow there depending on the landscapes.
Inhabitant of the Ubsunur Hollow
Zhere you can see the foothills with eternal stretches of snow-capped peaks, there are also areas of mountain taiga, alpine meadows, wetlands, mountain tundra and even sandy deserts. The remnant mountains with bright vegetation and contrasting landscapes give special picturesqueness to the Ubsunur basin. Endangered species of animals are found here - mountain sheep - argali, snow leopard, as well as many rare species of birds - geese, herons, terns, gulls, waders, etc. During the excavation of ancient mounds on the territory of the basin, unique rock paintings, burials and stone statues were discovered .
9. Putorana Plateau
Included in the World Heritage List in 2010, this natural site of the Russian Federation covers a total area of more than 1.8 million hectares. This virgin basalt plateau in the north of Eastern Siberia, almost at the Arctic Circle, is invaluable in terms of study by geologists and geomorphologists. The mountainous area has a stepped landscape, flat-topped massifs are intersected by deep canyons. The plateau was formed at the turn of the Mesozoic and Paleozoic as a result of volcanic activity. Forty-layer deposits allow us to study the structure of the planet.
Deep cracks in the plateau are formed by glaciers, which subsequently filled with water, forming lakes with unique appearance and depths up to 400 meters. There are many beautiful waterfalls on the territory of the plateau, one of which (in the valley of the Kanda River) has a height of 108 meters. In total, there are 25 thousand small and large lakes with a huge supply of fresh water on the territory of the Putorana Plateau. There are more than 30 species of mammals in this northern reserve, and all of them are rare or relict.
Vegetation is represented by 400 species - mainly woodlands, mountain tundra and larch taiga. The plateau serves as a resting place for thousands of species of migratory birds.
The picturesque landscapes of the beautiful plateau coincide with the boundaries of the reserve of the same name located beyond the Arctic Circle, which adorns the territory of Central Siberia. The special charm of the area is betrayed by the zones replacing each other: the virgin taiga, the richest forest tundra, the colorful landscapes of the tundra and the fabulous beauty of the icy Arctic deserts. A real decoration of the plateau: winding ribbons of rivers and a crystal saucer of a lake filled with clear cold water. Through the inhospitable lands of the plateau, a road stretches along which deer migrate. This is an incredible sight, which in nature can be observed less and less.
10. Territories of the Western Caucasus
The nature reserve with an area of 0.3 million hectares has been included in the UNESCO list since 1999. These territories are almost untouched by human civilization. Today they are protected not only by UNESCO, but also by other all-Russian and international organizations - Greenpeace, the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, NABU, Dresden Technical University, the North Caucasus working group, etc. The territory of the reserve covers areas that stretch from the upper reaches of the river Kuban to the Belaya and Malaya Laba rivers..
Caucasus. Blooming rhododendron in the Upper Mzymta valley
The vegetation in this protected region is represented by coniferous and broad-leaved forests, crooked forests, mountain meadows, and nival belt. Every third plant here is considered relic. Rare species of birds of prey nest here - ospreys, bearded vultures, golden eagles, griffon vultures, etc. Among the large animals in the reserve, you can see West Caucasian tigers, brown bears, wolves, Caucasian red deer, bison, etc. Tourists will be interested to see beautiful karst formations in this natural area with deep gorges, waterfalls, underground rivers, tarns, moraines, cirques and valleys formed by mountain glaciers.
11. Curonian Spit
The Curonian Spit is a sandy spit located on the coast Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon. The Curonian Spit is a narrow and long saber-shaped strip of land that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea and extends from the city of Zelenogradsk, Kaliningrad Region, to the city of Klaipeda (Smiltyne) (Lithuania).
Length - 98 kilometers, width ranges from 400 meters (near the village of Lesnoy) to 3.8 kilometers (near Cape Bulviko, just north of Nida).
The Curonian Spit is a unique natural and anthropogenic landscape and a territory of exceptional aesthetic value: The Curonian Spit is the largest sand body, which is part of the Baltic sand spits complex, which has no analogues in the world. The high level of biological diversity due to the combination of different landscapes - from desert (dunes) to tundra (raised bog) - gives an idea of important and long-term ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, river, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. The location of the spit and its relief are unique.
The most significant element of the spit relief is a continuous strip of white sand dunes 0.3-1.0 km wide, partly approaching the highest in the world (up to 68 m).
The Curonian Spit contains natural areas that are the most representative and important for the conservation of biological diversity, including those where endangered species are preserved, which are of outstanding world significance in terms of science and nature conservation: due to its geographical position and orientation from northeast to south west it serves as a corridor for migratory birds of many species flying 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 to 20 million birds fly over the spit, most of which stop here for rest and feeding.
In the last entry, I posted not all the architectural objects of Russia, marked by UNESCO for their uniqueness and historical value. Today I will add to this list...
12. Citadel, old city and fortifications of Derbent .
The citadel, the old city and the fortifications of Derbent is the collective name under which UNESCO in 2003 added the medieval architectural heritage of the city of Derbent to the World Heritage List.
The history of ancient Derbent, located off the coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of modern Dagestan, has, according to archaeologists, five thousand years. This one of the oldest cities in Russia was at first a small settlement founded at the foot of the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, which later acquired city fortifications of impressive size.
However, the first documentary evidence of this place as a large city dates back to the 5th century. At that time, the Persian king Yazdegerd II ruled here, who appreciated its strategic location. This, by the way, is reflected in the name, because Derbent in Iranian means “mountain outpost” or “mountain pass”. Approximately 100 years later, another king erected a fortified city on the remains of the former defensive structures, which is called Old, with an impregnable fortress and powerful fortifications. Between these fortifications, stretching deep into the Caucasus Mountains for more than 40 kilometers, a city has developed that still retains a medieval character.
Citadel of Nara-kala
It continued to be a strategically important site well into the 19th century. Derbent has experienced many dramatic events throughout its history: wars, assaults, periods of decline and prosperity, times of independence and subjugation to other peoples. But still, this place has preserved many monuments of all these turbulent periods.
It: the citadel of Naryn-kala, with thick and high walls, the ruins of the palace of the Derbent Khan, baths and a guardhouse;
13. Struve geodesic arc
The Struve arc is a network of 265 triangulation points, which were stone cubes buried in the ground with an edge length of 2 meters, with a length of more than 2820 kilometers. It was created to determine the parameters of the Earth, its shape and size. It is named after the creator - the Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (Vasily Yakovlevich Struve).
The Struve geodetic arc was measured by Struve and employees of the Derpt (Tartu) and Pulkovo observatories (whose director was Struve) for 40 years, from 1816 to 1855, over 2820 km from Fuglenes near the North Cape in Norway (latitude 70 ° 40′11″ N) to the village of Staraya Nekrasovka, Odessa region, near the Danube (latitude 45° 20′03″ N), which formed a meridian arc with an amplitude of 25° 20′08″.
Struve geodesic arc, "Point Z", o. Gogland, Leningrad region
Currently, arc points can be found on the territory of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia (on the island of Gogland), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova (Rud village) and Ukraine. On January 28, 2004, these countries applied to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee with a proposal to approve the remaining 34 points of the Struve Arc as a World Heritage Site. In 2005, this proposal was accepted.
A story about other architectural monuments of Russia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Around the world
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Currently, there are 26 World Heritage Sites on the territory of the Russian Federation:
16 cultural sites (they have the letter C - cultural in the World Heritage List) and 10 natural sites (they are marked N - natural) heritage.
Three of them are cross-border, i.e. located on the territory of several states: Curonian Spit (Lithuania, Russian Federation), Ubsunur Hollow (Mongolia, Russian Federation), Struve Geodetic Arc (Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Estonia)
The first objects - "Historical Center Petersburg and related groups of monuments", "Kizhi Pogost", "Moscow Kremlin and Red Square" - were included in the World Heritage List at the 14th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in 1990 in the Canadian city of Banff.
43rd session of the World Heritage Committee - 2019 (Baku, Azerbaijan)
№С1523 - Monuments of ancient Pskov
Criteria: (ii)
"Monuments of ancient Pskov" includes 10 objects of architecture of medieval Russia XII - early XVII centuries. Among them are the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist of the Ivanovo Monastery (XIII century), the ensemble of the Spaso-Mirozhsky Monastery: the Transfiguration Cathedral (XII century), the ensemble of the Snetogorsk Monastery: the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin (XVI century), the Church of Michael the Archangel with a bell tower (XIV century BC). ), the Church of the Intercession from Prolom (XV-XVI centuries), the Church of Cosmas and Damian from Primost (XV-XVII centuries), the Church of George from Vzvoz (XV century), the Church of the Epiphany with a belfry (XV century), - ( 16th century), Basil's Church on Gorka (15th century).
Information about the object:
14th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1990 (Banff, Canada)
№С540 - Historical center Petersburg and related groups of monuments
Criteria (i) (ii) (iv) (vi)
"Northern Venice", with its many canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of the greatest urban development project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. The city turned out to be closely associated with the October Revolution of 1917, and in 1924-1991. he bore the name of Leningrad. Its architectural heritage combines such diverse styles as baroque and classicism, which can be seen in the example of the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage.
Information about the object:
№С544 - Kizhi churchyard
Criteria: (i)(iv)(v)
Kizhi Pogost is located on one of the many islands of Lake Onega, in Karelia. Here you can see two wooden churches of the 18th century, as well as an octagonal bell tower, built of wood in 1862. These unusual buildings, which are the pinnacle of carpentry, represent an example of an ancient church parish and are harmoniously combined with the surrounding natural landscape.
Information about the object:
on the site of the museum-reserve "Kizhi"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С545 - Moscow Kremlin and Red Square
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)(vi)
This place is inextricably linked with the most important historical and political events in the life of Russia. Starting from the XIII century. The Moscow Kremlin, created in the period from the XIV century. according to the 17th century outstanding Russian and foreign architects, was the grand ducal, and then the royal residence, as well as a religious center. St. Basil's Cathedral, a true masterpiece of Russian Orthodox architecture, rises on Red Square, which is located near the walls of the Kremlin.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Moscow Kremlin Museums
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
16th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1992 (Santa Fe, USA)
№С604 - Historical monuments of Veliky Novgorod and its environs
Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)
Novgorod, advantageously located on the ancient trade route between Central Asia and Northern Europe, was in the 9th century. the first capital of Russia, the center of Orthodox spirituality and Russian architecture. Its medieval monuments, churches and monasteries, as well as the frescoes of Theophan the Greek (teacher Andrei Rublev), dating from the 14th century, clearly illustrate the outstanding level of architectural and artistic creativity.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Novgorod Region
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С632 - Historical and cultural complex of the Solovetsky Islands
Criterion: (iv)
The Solovetsky archipelago, located in the western part of the White Sea, consists of 6 islands with a total area of more than 300 sq. km. They were settled in the 5th century. BC, but the very first evidence of human presence here dates back to the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. The islands, starting from the 15th century, became the site of the creation and active development of the largest monastery in the Russian North. There are also several churches of the XVI-XIX centuries.
Information about the object:
on the website of the FGBUK "Solovki State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve"
on the site "Museums of Russia"
№С633 - White stone monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)
These two ancient cultural centers of Central Russia occupy an important place in the history of the formation of the country's architecture. There are a number of majestic religious and public buildings of the 12th-13th centuries, among which the Assumption and Dmitrievsky Cathedrals (Vladimir) stand out.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
17th session of the World Heritage Committee -1993 (Cartagena, Colombia)
№С657 - The architectural ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the city of Sergiev Posad
Criteria: (ii)(iv)
This is a vivid example of an active Orthodox monastery with the features of a fortress, which is quite consistent with the spirit of the time of its formation - the XV-XVIII centuries. In the main temple of the Lavra - the Assumption Cathedral, created in the image and likeness of the cathedral of the same name in the Moscow Kremlin - there is the tomb of Boris Godunov. Among the treasures of the Lavra is the famous icon "Trinity" by Andrey Rublev.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
18th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1994 (Phuket, Thailand)
№С634rev- Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye (Moscow)
Criteria: (ii)
This church was built in 1532 in the royal estate of Kolomenskoye near Moscow to commemorate the birth of an heir - the future Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. The Church of the Ascension, which is one of the earliest examples of the tent completion traditional for wooden architecture in stone, had a great influence on the further development of Russian church architecture.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
19th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1995 (Berlin, Germany)
N719 - Virgin forests of Komi
Criteria: (vii) (ix)
Covering an area of 3.28 million hectares, the heritage site includes the lowland tundra, mountain tundra of the Urals, as well as one of the largest tracts of primary boreal forests that have survived in Europe. The vast territory with swamps, rivers and lakes, where conifers, birch and aspen grow, has been studied and protected for more than 50 years. Here you can trace the course of natural processes that determine the biodiversity of the taiga ecosystem.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
20th session of the World Heritage Committee - 1996 (Merida, Mexico)
№ N754 - Lake Baikal
Criteria: (vii) (viii) (ix) (x)
Located in the southeast of Siberia and covering an area of 3.15 million hectares, Baikal is recognized as the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (about 1700 m) lake on the planet. The reservoir stores approximately 20% of all the world's fresh water reserves. In the lake, which is known as the "Galapagos of Russia", due to its ancient age and isolation, a freshwater ecosystem, unique even by world standards, has formed, the study of which is of enduring importance for understanding the evolution of life on Earth.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
22nd session of the World Heritage Committee - 1998 (Kyoto, Japan)
№ N768rev - "Golden Mountains of Altai"
Criteria: (x)
The Altai Mountains, which are the main mountainous region in the south of Western Siberia, form the sources of the largest rivers in this region - the Ob and Irtysh. The heritage site includes three separate sections: the Altai Reserve with the water protection zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Reserve plus the Belukha Natural Park, and the Ukok Plateau. The total area is 1.64 million hectares. The area demonstrates the widest range of altitudinal belts within Central Siberia: from steppes, forest-steppes and mixed forests to subalpine and alpine meadows and glaciers. The area is home to endangered animals such as the snow leopard.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
23rd session of the World Heritage Committee - 1999 (Marrakech, Morocco)
№
N900
- Western Caucasus
Criteria: (ix) (x)
This is one of the few large alpine massifs in Europe where nature has not yet undergone significant anthropogenic influence. The area of the object is approximately 300 thousand hectares, it is located in the west of the Greater Caucasus, 50 km northeast of the Black Sea coast. Only wild animals graze in the local alpine and subalpine meadows, and the vast untouched mountain forests, stretching from the lowland to the subalpine zone, are also unique in Europe. The area is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems, highly endemic flora and fauna, and is an area where the mountain subspecies of the European bison once lived, and was later re-acclimatized.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
24th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2000 (Cairns, Australia)
№С980 - Historical and architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin
Criteria: (ii) (iii) (iv)
Having emerged on the territory inhabited since very ancient times, the Kazan Kremlin traces its history back to the Muslim period in the history of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. It was conquered in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible and became a stronghold of Orthodoxy in the Volga region. The Kremlin, which has largely preserved the layout of the ancient Tatar fortress and has become an important center of pilgrimage, includes outstanding historical buildings of the 16th-19th centuries, built on the ruins of earlier structures of the 10th-16th centuries.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve "Kazan Kremlin"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С982 - Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery
Criteria: (i) (iv)
Ferapontov Monastery is located in the Vologda region, in the north of the European part of Russia. This is an exceptionally well-preserved Orthodox monastery complex of the 15th-17th centuries, i.е. a period that was of great importance for the formation of a centralized Russian state and the development of its culture. The architecture of the monastery is original and complete. In the interior of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, magnificent wall frescoes by Dionysius, the greatest Russian artist of the late 15th century, have been preserved.
Information about the object:
on the website of the FGBUK "Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve"
on the website of the Museum of frescoes of Dionysius
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С994 - Curonian Spit
Transboundary facility: Lithuania, Russian Federation
Criterion: (v)
The human development of this narrow sandy peninsula, which has a length of 98 km and a width of 400 m to 4 km, began in prehistoric times. The spit was also exposed to natural forces - wind and sea waves. The preservation of this unique cultural landscape to this day has become possible only thanks to the ongoing struggle of man against erosion processes (dune fixation, forest plantations).
Information about the object:
on the website of the Curonian Spit National Park (Russia)
on the website of the Curonian Spit National Park (Lithuania)
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
25th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2001 (Helsinki, Finland)
№
N766rev - Central Sikhote-Alin
Criteria: (x)
Far Eastern coniferous-broad-leaved forests grow in the Sikhote-Alin mountains, which are recognized as one of the richest and most original in terms of species composition among all forests in the temperate zone of the Earth. In this transitional zone, located at the junction of taiga and subtropics, there is an unusual mixture of southern (tiger, Himalayan bear) and northern animal species (brown bear, lynx). The area stretches from the highest peaks of the Sikhote-Alin to the coast of the Sea of Japan, and is home to many endangered species, including the Amur tiger.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Sikhote-Alin Reserve
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
27th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2003 (Paris, France)
№
N769 rev - Ubsunur hollow
Transboundary facility: Mongolia, Russian Federation
Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site (with an area of 1,069 thousand hectares) is located within the northernmost of all drainless basins in Central Asia. Its name comes from the name of the vast shallow and very salty lake Ubsunur, in the area of which a lot of migratory, waterfowl and near-water birds accumulate. The object consists of 12 disparate plots (including seven plots in Russia, with an area of 258.6 thousand hectares), which represent all the main types of landscapes characteristic of Eastern Eurasia. A wide variety of birds is noted in the steppes, and rare species of small mammals live in desert areas. In the highlands, such animals, rare on a global scale, as the snow leopard and argali mountain sheep, as well as the Siberian ibex, have been noted.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Tuva Republican Branch of the Russian Geographical Society
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С1070 - Citadel, Old Town and fortifications of Derbent
Criteria: (iii) (iv)
Ancient Derbent was located on the northern borders of Sasanian Persia, which at that time stretched east and west from the Caspian Sea. Ancient fortifications built of stone include two fortress walls that run parallel to each other from the seashore to the mountains. The city of Derbent was formed between these two walls and has retained its medieval character to this day. It continued to be a strategically important site well into the 19th century.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Budgetary Institution "Derbent State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
28th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2004 (Suzhou, China)
№С1097 - Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent (Moscow)
Criteria: (i) (iv) (vi)
The Novodevichy Convent, located in the south-west of Moscow, was created during the 16th-17th centuries and was one of the links in the chain of monastic ensembles united in the city's defense system. The monastery was closely connected with the political, cultural and religious life of Russia, as well as with the Moscow Kremlin. Representatives of the royal family, noble boyar and noble families were tonsured and buried here. The ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent is one of the masterpieces of Russian architecture (“Moscow baroque” style), and its interiors, which contain valuable collections of paintings and works of arts and crafts, are distinguished by rich interior decoration.
Information about the object:
on the site of the Bogoroditse-Smolensky Novodevichy Convent
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№ N1023rev - Natural complex of the Wrangel Island Reserve
Criteria: (ix) (x)
The heritage site, located above the Arctic Circle, includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7.6 thousand sq. km) and Herald Island (11 sq. km), together with the adjacent waters of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. Since this area was not covered by a powerful Quaternary glaciation, a very high biodiversity is noted here. Wrangel Island is known for its huge walrus rookeries (one of the largest in the Arctic), as well as the highest density of polar bear birth dens in the world. The area is important as a feeding ground for gray whales migrating here from California and as a breeding ground for more than 50 species of birds, many of which are classified as rare and endangered. More than 400 species and varieties of vascular plants have been recorded on the island, more than on any other Arctic island. Some of the living organisms found here are special island forms of those plants and animals that are widespread on the continent. About 40 species and subspecies of plants, insects, birds and animals are defined as endemic.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution State Natural Reserve "Wrangel Island"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
29th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2005 (Durban, South Africa)
№С1187 - Struve geodetic arc
Transboundary facility: Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Estonia
Criteria: (ii) (iii) (vi)
The Struve Arc is a chain of triangulation points stretching for 2820 km across the territory of ten European countries from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. These reference observation points were laid in the period 1816-1855. astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve (aka Vasily Yakovlevich Struve), who thus made the first reliable measurement of a large segment of the earth's meridian arc. This made it possible to accurately determine the size and shape of our planet, which was an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It was an exceptional example of cooperation in the scientific field between scientists different countries and between reigning monarchs. Initially, the "arc" consisted of 258 geodetic "triangles" (polygons) with 265 main triangulation points. The World Heritage Site includes 34 such sites (the best surviving to date), which are marked on the ground in a variety of ways, such as hollows carved into the rocks, iron crosses, cairns or specially installed obelisks.
Information about the object:
on the site Petersburg Society of Geodesy and Cartography
on the website of the Land Department of the Estonian Ministry of the Environment
on the website of the Department of Cartography of Finland
on the Norwegian World Heritage website
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
№С1170 - Historical center of Yaroslavl
Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The historic city of Yaroslavl, located approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow at the confluence of the Kotorosl River with the Volga, was founded in the 11th century. and subsequently developed into a large shopping center. It is known for its numerous churches of the 17th century, and as an outstanding example of the implementation of the urban planning reform carried out by decree of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763 throughout Russia. Although the city retained a number of remarkable historical buildings, it was later reconstructed in the classicist style on the basis of a radial master plan. It also preserved belonging to the sixteenth century. buildings of the Spassky Monastery - one of the oldest in the Upper Volga region, which arose at the end of the 12th century. on the site of a pagan temple, but rebuilt over time.
Information about the object:
on the site of the official portal of the city of Yaroslavl
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
34th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2010 (Brazilia, Brazil)
№ N1234rev - Putorana Plateau
Criteria: (vii) (ix)
This object coincides with its borders with the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 km above the Arctic Circle. The World Heritage Listed portion of this plateau has a full range of subarctic and arctic ecosystems preserved within an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as a pristine cold water lake and river systems. Through the site runs the main migration route of reindeer, which is an exceptional, majestic and increasingly rare phenomenon of nature.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Joint Directorate of Taimyr Reserves"
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
36th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2012 (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation)
№ N1299 - Lena Pillars Natural Park
Criteria: (viii)
The Lena Pillars Natural Park is formed by rock formations of rare beauty, which reach a height of about 100 meters and are located along the banks of the Lena River in the central part of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). They originated in a sharply continental climate with a difference in annual temperature of up to 100 degrees Celsius (from -60°C in winter to +40°C in summer). The pillars are separated from each other by deep and steep ravines, partially filled with frosted rock fragments. The penetration of water from the surface accelerated the process of freezing and contributed to frost weathering. This led to the deepening of the ravines between the pillars and their dispersal. The proximity of the river and its course are dangerous factors for the pillars. On the territory of the object there are remains of many different species of the Cambrian period.
Information about the object:
on the website of the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Natural Park "Lena Pillars"
on the website of the Natural Heritage Protection Fund
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
38th session of the World Heritage Committee - 2014 (Doha, Qatar)
№С981rev- Bulgarian historical and archaeological complex
Criteria:(ii)(vi)
The facility is located on the banks of the Volga River south of the confluence of the Kama River and south of the capital of Tatarstan, the city of Kazan. It contains evidence of the existence of the medieval city of Bolgar, an ancient settlement of the Volga Bulgar people, which existed from the 7th to the 15th centuries. and was in the thirteenth century. the first capital of the Golden Horde. Bolgar demonstrates the historical and cultural interrelations and transformations in Eurasia over several centuries, which played a decisive role in the formation of civilizations, customs and cultural traditions. The object is an important evidence of historical continuity and diversity of cultures. It is a symbolic reminder of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars in 922 and remains a sacred place of pilgrimage for Muslim Tatars.
Information about the object:
on the website of the Bulgarian State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Great Bolgar"
on the website of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO
on the website of the World Heritage Center
37 sessionWorld Heritage Committee - 2013 (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Cambodia)
№C1411 - The ancient city of Tauric Chersonese and its choir
Criteria: (ii) (v)
The object is the ruins of an ancient city founded by the Dorians in the 5th century BC. e. on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The site includes six elements, including the ruins of the city and agricultural land, divided into several hundred rectangular plots of the same size, which served for the cultivation of grapes; the products of the vineyards were intended for export and ensured the prosperity of Chersonese until the 15th century. On the territory of the object there are several complexes of public buildings, residential areas and monuments of early Christianity. There are also the ruins of Stone Age and Bronze Age settlements, Roman and medieval tower fortifications and water systems, as well as exceptionally well-preserved vineyards and dividing walls. In the 3rd century A.D. e. Chersonese was known as the most successful center of winemaking on the Black Sea and served as a link between Greece, the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the peoples of the northern coast of the Black Sea. Chersonese is an outstanding example of the democratic organization of agriculture in the vicinity of an ancient city, reflecting the urban social structure.
Information about the object:
41st session of the World Heritage Committee - 2017 (Krakow, Poland)
№N1448rev - Landscapes of Dauria
Criteria: (ix) (x)
Located on the territory of Mongolia and the Russian Federation, this site is a unique example of the Daurian steppe ecosystem, which begins in the east of Mongolia and extends through Russian Siberia to the northeastern border of China. The cyclical climate, with its characteristic wet and dry periods, has contributed to a wide variety of species and ecosystems that are important to the world. The different types of steppes present here, such as wet meadows, forest and lake areas, are home to rare species of fauna such as the white-naped crane and bustard, as well as millions of rare and vulnerable migratory birds, which are endangered. The park is also an important site on the Migration Route of the Mongolian Dresden.
Information about the object:
№C1525 - Cathedral of the Dormition and the monastery of the island town of Sviyazhsk
Criteria: (ii) (iv)
The Assumption Cathedral is located on the island town of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Located at the confluence of the Volga, Sviyaga and Pike rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk Road and the Volga River, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that Ivan the Terrible began the conquest of the city of Kazan. The location and architecture of the Monastery of the Assumption testifies to the existence of a political and missionary program developed by Tsar Ivan IV in order to expand the territory of the Muscovite state. The frescoes of the cathedral are among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox wall painting.
Information about the object:
World Heritage is a variety of natural or man-made objects that need to be preserved for future generations due to their special cultural, historical or environmental significance. As of 2012, there are 962 items 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, fell under flooding. The responsible organization allocated money for the structure to be dismantled and moved to a higher place. This unprecedented action took four years, and highly qualified specialists from 54 countries of the world were involved in its implementation in a short time.
Today, on the pages of the Forum-Grad, we will discuss a rather entertaining 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 the Seychelles.
Aldabra is considered the second largest in the world after Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Kiribati archipelago. Its dimensions are: 34 km in length and 14.5 km in length, height above sea level is up to 8 m. The area of the inner lagoon is 224 square meters. km.
Since the 17th century, it has been used by the French to hunt giant sea turtles, as their meat was considered an exquisite delicacy. For a long time, pirates also ruled in these places, because the atoll is far from populated areas.
In 1982, this paradise was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a unique natural monument. This is one of the few islands on our planet not affected by civilization. Currently, it is home to a huge population of giant sea turtles (more than 152,000) 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 the 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 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 this work. The largest monument in the world was built over 90 years - from 713 to 803.
For the convenience of visiting visitors, a special path "Nine Turns" was built here, consisting of 250 steps. Near the trail 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 covered the statue from the weather, but over time it collapsed, and the structure remained defenseless against natural elements. Garbage left by tourists began to accumulate at the foot, the waters of three rivers washed away the base in the form of a lotus.
The local department hired 40 workers to restore the unique statue to its former grandeur. Approximately $700,000 was invested in the project and another $730,000 was invested in security improvements.
Every year, more than 2 million travelers from all over the world come to see the sitting Buddha and add about $84 million to the budget of the Leshan City Tourism Department.
Hatra, or El-Khadr
This is an ancient ruined city as part of the Parthian kingdom, the ruins of which are still located on the territory of Northern Iraq in the province of Nineveh to the North-West of the capital of the country, the city of Baghdad. It was founded in the III century, and its heyday fell on the period of the II-I centuries BC.
The total area was about 320 hectares, in shape it resembled an oval, surrounded by a double line of high stone walls with four gates oriented to the cardinal points. The most powerful defensive wall two meters high was made of stone, behind it there was a deep ditch up to 500 meters wide. At a distance of 35 meters from each other there were 163 defensive towers.
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 was the palace temple complex area of about 12,000 sq. 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 protection, the ancient city withstood even the attack of the legionaries of the Roman Empire in 116 and 198 of the new era, but in 241 Hatra fell during the siege of the Persian ruler Shapur and was soon destroyed and forgotten.
Schroeder House by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
This house in 1924 was specially built 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 exterior design for those times, as well as the view of spacious balconies and huge windows.
The project and the entire interior 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, in the kitchen on the first floor, an elevator was built, in which ready-made dishes were served upstairs directly to the set table. All interiors of the first level are quite traditional for that time. The walls are made of old bricks.
But on the second floor, the entire space, according to the idea of the hostess of the house, remained completely open, and at any time it can be divided into several rooms using sliding walls. All wardrobes and beds are transformers, assembled during the day and unfolded at night. Instead of the usual curtains, like all the neighbors, multi-colored plywood shields were used.
Currently, the unique house belongs to the Central Museum of the city of Utrecht and it hosts guided tours that take about an hour.
This building is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List because it had a significant impact on future 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 building of the crusaders, located in the state of Syria on the top of a cliff 650 meters high. The nearest city of Homs is located 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 2000 soldiers and 60 knights could be accommodated.
In addition to the powerful walls, many buildings in the Gothic style were reconstructed and restored. This is a large conference room, water storage tanks, a chapel, an internal aqueduct, storage rooms and two stables that could contain up to 1000 horses. In the rock mass under the building, underground storage facilities for food and water supplies were made, which could be enough for 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 served as a tomb for the rulers of Portugal for two centuries. The cathedral is the first building in the Gothic style, built on the territory of the ancient state.
Historically valuable is the architecture. The two wings of the main facade are made in the Baroque style, and between them there is a church, the facade of which, as it were, connects these two directions. At the top 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 site 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 with the help of blue and white azuleijos tiles of the 18th century.
After examining this masterpiece of early Gothic, other interiors of the famous cathedrals of Europe seem gloomy and not so aesthetic. These buildings demonstrate the perfect skills and dedication of medieval craftsmen. And the entire ensemble "de Santa Maria de Alcobaça" is one of the most beautiful monuments of Portuguese art.
Monte Alban
According to prominent scientists of world renown, this is a rather large settlement of ancient people in the southeast of Mexico, the state of Oaxaca. Just 9 km from the state capital, on a low crest of a mountain range that runs through the valley, there is a man-made plateau. It was the very first city in the entire historical region, which played a significant role as a socio-political and economic center of the Zapotec civilization.
In the early 1930s, the ruins of this ancient settlement were discovered by the Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso. Many pundits equate this discovery with the sensational discovery of the true location of the legendary Troy.
"Mexican Troy" turned out to be a city of high culture; as early as 200 BC, local craftsmen could already process rock crystal and make unique gold jewelry.
During the excavations, 150 four-chamber crypts, palaces and pyramids, very similar to those built by the Mayan tribe, 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. Peculiar burial ceramic urns in the form of gods and various animals were found.
The impressive ruins of the center of the ancient civilization of Monte Alban are located in such a way that they can be seen from anywhere in the central part of the Oaxaca Valley
Lalibela
This 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 inhabitants of the town are Christians of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Lalibela was built as the New Jerusalem in response to the capture by Muslims of the shrine of Christians in the State of Israel, so many historical buildings have names and types of architecture similar to the ancient buildings of Jerusalem.
According to 2005 data, the population of the city was 15 thousand people, of which the majority (about 8,000) are women. This medieval religious center is known 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 Aley" - the largest church in the world, carved into the rock. According to legend, in the last of the churches carved into the rocks, "Bete Golgotha", the ashes of King Lalibela rest.
These unique works of architecture by ancient craftsmen are also engineering monuments 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 simple village in the state of Maharashtra, India, near the city of Aurangabad. It is famous for the fact that cave temples of different religions are carved in the rocks nearby, the creation of which dates back to the 6th - 9th centuries of a new era. Of the 34 caves of 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 being "Kailas". This beautiful, well-preserved example of ancient architecture is considered one of the most precious monuments in India. In the granite canopy above the entrance to this holy place for all Hindus, colossal statues of Shiva, Vishnu and other gods revered in the country are carved.
This is followed by the huge goddess Lakshmi - she reclines on lotus flowers, and majestic elephants stand around. From 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 paradise was built by one raja - Elichpur Edu - in gratitude for healing with water from a source 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 Wudangshan Mountains in China are famous for their ancient monasteries and temples. Once upon a time, a university was founded here to research medicine, pharmacology, nutrition systems, meditation and martial arts.
Even during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the first religious center was opened in this area - the Temple of the Five Dragons. Large construction on the mountain began in the 15th century, when the Yongle Emperor called 300,000 soldiers and built complexes. At that time, 9 monasteries, 36 sketes and 72 shrines, many pavilions, bridges and multi-tiered pagodas were built, forming 33 architectural ensembles. The 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, it took 20 thousand tons of copper and about 300 kg of gold to make it. According to scientists, it was forged in the capital of China, Beijing, and then delivered in parts to the Wudang Mountains.
The Purple Cloud Temple consists of several halls - Dragon and Tiger Hall, Purple Sky Hall, East, West and Parent Halls. The shrines of Wu Zhen have been kept here since the day of its foundation.
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 1500 years.
"Valley of the Whales" in Egypt
40 million years ago, "Wadi Al-Hitan" was the bottom of the World Ocean, so hundreds of skeletons of ancient mammals have been preserved here. This unique valley is located 150 km southwest of the capital of Egypt - Cairo. Many of the remains of whales belong to the extinct suborder Archaeoceti, representing one of the most important stages of evolution: the rebirth of terrestrial multi-ton monsters into marine mammals.
Fossil skeletons clearly show the appearance and lifestyle of these giants in their transitional period. In addition, they are all located in a convenient for study and, importantly, vigilantly protected area.
In addition, there are the remains of Sirenia sea cows and Moeritherium elephant seals, as well as prehistoric crocodiles, sea snakes and turtles. Some specimens are so well preserved that you can study the contents of their vast stomachs.
All together helps scientists unravel the mystery of the evolution of these largest mammals on the planet that still exists.
The pristine exotics of the rainforests
national park Kerchin-Seblat is the largest reserve of 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 Arnold, its diameter is 60-100 cm, and its weight reaches up to 8 kg. In addition, about 370 species of birds and rare animals (Sumatra tigers, elephants and rhinoceros, Malayan tapir) live in this area. There are also hot springs, the highest caldera lake and the highest peak on the island. And recently a muntjac deer was seen here, the species of which was considered extinct in the 30s of the last century.
The second largest is Gunung Leuser, with an area of 7927 sq. km. It is located in the Aceh region and in the area of the town of Bukit Lawang. This small town is considered to be the best starting point for exploring this exotic place. Excursions are allowed only with a trained guide and with special permission.
In this reserve, the most interesting is the large population of great apes - orangutans. Translated from the Malay language, it means "forest man".
The third largest is Bukit-Barisan-Selatan with an area of 3568 sq. km, covering the provinces of Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra. Here you can meet very rare animals - the Sumatran elephant and the striped rabbit.
Tourists appreciate Sumatra for its tropical forests with nature preserved in its original form, for outlandish plants and amazing representatives of exotic fauna. In addition, there are many beautiful and still active volcanoes.
"Sistine Chapel of Primitive Painting"
"Lascaux" is located in France, 40 km from the city of Perigueux and is considered one of the most important Paleolithic monuments in terms of the quantity, quality and preservation of the rock art of ancient man. The cave was accidentally discovered in 1940 by four teenagers who noticed a narrow hole in the rock formed by a fallen 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 total of all its galleries is about 250 meters, and the average height is 30 meters. Visitors were allowed from 1948 to 1955, but then it was closed, as the ventilation systems could not cope with the carbon dioxide accumulating inside from the breath of numerous tourists, and the cave 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 powerful units were installed that successfully coped with the task.
In order 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. Called the cave "Lasko II", it is located only 200 meters from the real one and was first opened to travelers in 1983.
Takht-e Jamshid
Takht-e Jamshid in Greek "Persepolis" - the ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. This place is considered one of the most beautiful monuments of 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 "Gate of all nations", "Apadana Palace", "Throne Room", the tomb of the "King of Kings", an unfinished palace and a treasury. The construction lasted about 45 years and was completed under 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 Nakshe-Rustam and the rock reliefs of Nakshe-Rustam and Nakshe-Rajab.
Here in those distant times there was already a water supply and sewage system, and the labor of slaves was not used in the construction. The walls of this unique complex were more than five meters thick and up to 150 centimeters high. The city could be reached by the main staircase, consisting of two flights of 111 white limestone steps each. 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 burned the capital of the Persian kingdom to the ground during a feast in honor of the victory, possibly in retaliation for the Acropolis destroyed by the Persians in Athens.
Cradle of mankind
The historical monument is located 50 km northwest of Johanensburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa in the south of the African continent. Its area is 474 sq. 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, 2.3 million years old.
"Taung Rock Fossil Site" - it was here in 1924 that the famous skull of Taung, belonging to the oldest man, was discovered. The Macapan valley is known for the abundance of archaeological traces found in the local caves, confirming the existence of people about 3.3 million years ago.
Fossils found here have helped scientists identify ancient hominin specimens dating back to between 4.5 and 2.5 million years ago. The same finds fully confirm the theory that our distant ancestors began to use fire already in the period about a million years ago.
It may seem to some of the readers that there are a lot of figures in our topic, but this is the history, and not of any single person, but of our entire civilization.
World heritage sites included in the special list of UNESCO are of great interest to the entire population of the planet. Unique natural and cultural objects make it possible to preserve those unique corners of nature and man-made monuments that demonstrate the richness of nature and the possibilities of the human mind.
As of July 1, 2009, there are 890 objects in the World Heritage List (including 689 cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed) in 148 countries: individual architectural structures and ensembles - the Acropolis, the cathedrals in Amiens and Chartres, the historical center of Warsaw (Poland) and St. Petersburg (Russia), the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square (Russia), etc.; cities - Brasilia, Venice along with the lagoon, etc.; archaeological reserves - Delphi, etc.; national parks - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Yellowstone (USA) and others. The states on whose territory the World Heritage sites are located undertake obligations to preserve them.
1) Tourists inspect 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 the Buddhas, as well as 2,800 inscriptions on the rocks near the Yishui River, a kilometer long. For the first time Buddhism in China was introduced in these places during the reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty. (China Photos/Getty Images)
2) Bayon Temple in Cambodia is famous for its many giant stone faces. There are over 1,000 temples in the Angkor region, ranging from nondescript piles of brick and rubble scattered among rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, considered the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored. More than a million tourists visit them every year. (Voishmel/AFP - Getty Images)
3) One of the parts of the archaeological site of Al-Hijr - also known as Madain Salih. This complex, 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 (I century BC - I century AD), as well as a system of hydraulic structures dedicated 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 Donabatean period. (Hassan Ammar/AFP - Getty Images)
4) The waterfalls "Garganta del Diablo" ("Devil's Throat") are located on the territory of the Iguazu National Park in the Argentine province of Misiones. Depending on the water level in the Iguazu River, the park has from 160 to 260 waterfalls, as well as over 2000 varieties of plants and 400 Iguazu National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Christian Rizzi/AFP - Getty Images) #
5) The mysterious Stonehenge is a stone megalithic structure, consisting of 150 huge stones, and located on the Salisbury Plain in the English county of Wiltshire. This ancient monument is believed to have been built in 3000 BC. Stonehenge was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
6) Tourists stroll by the Bafang Pavilion in the Summer Palace, Beijing's famous classical imperial garden. The Summer Palace, built in 1750, was destroyed in 1860 and rebuilt in 1886. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. (China Photos/Getty Images)
7) The Statue of Liberty at sunset in New York. "Lady Liberty", which was presented to the United States by France, stands at the entrance to New York Harbor. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Seth Wenig/AP)
8) "Solitario George" (Lonely George), the last living giant tortoise of this species, born on Pinta Island, lives in the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. She is now approximately 60-90 years old. The Galapagos Islands were originally inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978, but in 2007 they were marked as endangered. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP - Getty Images)
9) People skate on the ice of the canals in the Kinderdijk Mills area, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Rotterdam. Kinderdijk has the largest collection of historic windmills in the Netherlands and is one of the top attractions in South Holland. Decoration with balloons of the holidays passing here gives a certain flavor to this place. (Peter Dejong/AP)
10) View of the Perito Moreno Glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park, in the southeast of the Argentinean province of Santa Cruz. This place was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1981. The glacier is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentinean part of Patagonia and the 3rd largest glacier in the world after Antarctica and Greenland. (Daniel Garcia/AFP - Getty Images)
11) Terraced gardens in the northern Israeli city of Haifa surround the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, the founder of the Baha'i faith. Here is the world administrative and spiritual center of the Baha'i religion, the number of professing which in the world is less than six million. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 8, 2008. (David Silverman/Getty Images)
12) Aerial photography of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. According to the World Heritage website, this small state contains a unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces. The Vatican was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984. (Giulio Napolitano/AFP - Getty Images)
13) Colorful underwater scenes of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This thriving ecosystem hosts the world's largest collection of coral reefs, including 400 coral species and 1,500 fish species. The Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. (AFP - Getty Images)
14) Camels rest in ancient city Petra in front of Jordan's main monument, Al-Khazneh or the Treasury, believed to be the sandstone tomb of a Nabataean king. This city, located between the Red and Dead Seas, is at the crossroads of Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Phoenicia. Petra was added to the World Heritage List in 1985. (Thomas Coex/AFP - Getty Images)
15) Sydney Opera House - one of the most famous and easily recognizable buildings in the world, which is a symbol of Sydney and one of the main attractions of Australia. The Sydney Opera House was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2007. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP - Getty Images)
16) Rock paintings made by the San people in the Dragon Mountains, located in the east of South Africa. The San people lived in the Drakensberg area for thousands of years until they were destroyed in clashes with the Zulus and white settlers. They left behind incredible rock paintings in the Dragon Mountains, which were inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000. (Alexander Joe/AFP - Getty Images)
17) General view of the city of Shibam, located in the east of Yemen in the province of Hadhramaut. Shibam is famous for its incomparable architecture, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program. All houses here are built of clay bricks, about 500 houses can be considered multi-storey, as they have 5-11 floors. Shibam is often referred to as "the oldest city of skyscrapers in the world" or "Desert Manhattan", it is also the oldest example of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. (Khaled Fazaa/AFP - Getty Images)
18) Gondolas near the Grand Canal in Venice. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is visible in the background. Island Venice is a seaside resort, a center of international tourism of world importance, a venue for international film festivals, art and architectural exhibitions. Venice was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. (AP)
19) Some of the 390 abandoned huge statues of compressed volcanic ash (moai in the Rapa Nui language) at the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano on Easter Island, 3700 km from the coast of Chile. Rapa Nui National Park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Program since 1995. (Martin Bernetti/AFP - Getty Images)
20) Visitors walk along the Great Wall of China in the Simatai area, northeast of Beijing. This largest architectural monument was built as one of the four main strategic strongholds in order to defend against the invading tribes from the north. The 8,851.8 km long Great Wall is one of the largest construction projects ever completed. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP - Getty Images)
21) Temple at Hampi, near the South Indian city of Hospet, north of Bangalore. Hampi is located in the middle of the ruins of Vijayanagara - former capital Vijayanagara empire. Hampi and its monuments were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP - Getty Images)
22) A Tibetan pilgrim rotates prayer mills on the grounds of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet's capital. The Potala Palace is a royal palace and Buddhist temple complex, which was the main residence of the Dalai Lama. Today, the Potala Palace is a museum actively visited by tourists, remaining a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and continuing to be used in Buddhist rituals. Due to its enormous cultural, religious, artistic and historical significance, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP - Getty Images)
23) The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian city of Cusco. Machu Picchu, especially after receiving the UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983, has become a center of mass tourism. The city is visited by 2,000 tourists per day; In order to preserve the monument, UNESCO demands to reduce the number of tourists per day to 800. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP - Getty Images)
24) Buddhist pagoda Kompon-daito on Mount Koya, in the province of Wakayama, Japan. Mount Koya, located east of Osaka, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In 819, the Buddhist monk Kukai, the founder of the Shingon school, an offshoot of Japanese Buddhism, was the first to settle here. (Everett Kennedy Brown/EPA)
25) Tibetan women walk around the Bodhnath Stupa in Kathmandu - one of the most ancient and revered Buddhist shrines. On the sides of the tower crowning it, "Buddha's eyes" inlaid with ivory are depicted. Kathmandu valley with a height of about 1300 m is a mountain valley and a 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. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
26) A bird flies over the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum-mosque located in the Indian city of Agra. It was built by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The Taj Mahal was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. The architectural marvel was also named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" in 2007. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP - Getty Images)
27) Located in northeast Wales, the 18km Pontcysillte Aqueduct is an Industrial Revolution civil engineering feat completed in the early years of the 19th century. More than 200 years after its opening, it is still in use and is one of the busiest sections of the UK canal network, handling around 15,000 boats a year. In 2009, the Pontkysilte aqueduct was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "a milestone in the history of civil engineering during the Industrial Revolution." This aqueduct is one of the unusual monuments to plumbers and plumbing. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
28) A herd of moose grazes in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park. Mount Holmes, on the left, and Mount Dome are visible in the background. In the Yellowstone National Park, which occupies almost 900 thousand hectares, there are more than 10 thousand geysers and thermal springs. The park was included in the World Heritage program in 1978. (Kevork Djansezian/AP)
29) Cubans drive an old car along the Malecon in Havana. UNESCO 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 patios. (Javier Galeano/AP)
In 1994, Greenpeace Russia began work on the World Heritage project, aimed at identifying and protecting unique natural complexes that are threatened by the serious negative impact of human activities. Giving natural areas the highest international conservation status to further guarantee their safety is the main goal of the work carried out by Greenpeace.
The first attempts to include Russian protected natural areas in the UNESCO World Heritage List were made in the early 1990s. In 1994, an all-Russian conference "Modern problems of creating a system of objects of the world and Russian
natural heritage”, which presented a list of promising areas. At the same time, in 1994, Greenpeace Russia experts prepared the necessary documents for inclusion in the UNESCO List of a natural complex called “Virgin Forests
Komi. In December 1995, he was the first in Russia to receive the status of a world natural heritage site.
At the end of 1996, "Lake Baikal" and "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" were included in the List. In 1998, another Russian natural complex, the Golden Mountains of Altai, was included in the List; in 1999, a decision was made to include the fifth Russian natural site, the Western Caucasus.
At the end of 2000, the Curonian Spit became the first international site in Russia (together with Lithuania) to receive the status of a World Heritage site according to the criterion of "cultural landscape". Later, the UNESCO List included "Central Sikhote-Alin" (2001), "Ubsunur Basin"
(2003, jointly with Mongolia), "The natural complex of the reserve" Wrangel Island "(2004) and" Putorana Plateau "(2010).
Virgin forests of Komi
2.
Location: western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals, Komi Republic
Square: 3.28 million ha
The virgin forests of Komi are a real taiga treasury. There are more than 40 species of mammals here (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.
3.
The territory is elongated in the meridional direction along the western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals for more than 300 km. The Ural mountain system has a significant impact on the climate. On the eastern slopes, the typical Siberian flora abruptly replaces the European species and forms of plants characteristic of the humid western slopes of the Urals. In places, natural complexes form a complex mosaic: along narrow river valleys, taiga vegetation rises high into the mountains.
4.
The main tree species - spruce and fir - are accompanied by Siberian cedar (cedar pine), located here at the northwestern limit of its distribution. The middle and northern taiga are replaced by forest-tundra. Large areas are occupied by mountain tundra and almost devoid of
vegetation of the kurum of the golts zone. Here it originates and receives the crystal clear tributaries of the Pechora.
5.
The territory consists of two protected areas (Pechero-Ilychsky Biosphere Reserve, Yugyd Va National Park and their buffer zones), which together form the largest remaining tract of primary forest in Europe, the appearance of which is almost not changed by human influence.
6. National Park "Yugyd Va" 
One of the main activities of the park is the development of nature tourism. For a long time, the most popular tourist routes ran through its territory: mountain, hiking, water, skiing.
7.
8. Animals of the national park "Yugyd Va"
The objects of attention are herds of deer, and deposits of quartz, and the splendor of flowering tundra and meadows. Visitors to the park are offered ethnographic routes that introduce them to the sacred places of the ancient Komi and Mansi and the cultural and economic traditions of hunters and fishermen, geological tours dedicated to the history of the development of the riches of the Ural Mountains.
9. Pechoro-Ilych Biosphere Reserve
On June 1, 1973, a museum of nature was opened in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve. The museum consists of two departments, one of which presents the fauna of the reserve, the other (local history) reflects the history of the region, the life of local residents, the history of the reserve.
10.
The reserve has 3 ecological routes in the plain and foothill landscape areas with a length of 10 km.
11..
Natural and cultural heritage: Uninskaya cave, Paleolithic site, remains of old villages, traces of nomadic nomads of small nationalities, non-Christian cult monuments.
Lake Baikal
12.
Location: in the south of Eastern Siberia; Irkutsk region, Republic of Buryatia.
Square: 8.8 million ha
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996
Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on the planet, the deepest (1637 m), the oldest (about 25 million years), with the most diverse flora and fauna among fresh water bodies. The lake has a unique fresh water supply in terms of volume and quality (23.6 thousand cubic km - more than 20% of world reserves).
13.
Of the more than 2,630 species and subspecies of animals and plants found so far near the lake, more than 80% are found nowhere else in the world. Who has not heard of the famous Baikal omul or Baikal sturgeon? Two unique species of viviparous fish, representatives of a family endemic to Lake Baikal - the big and small golomyanka - are known to ichthyologists all over the world. The pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a mammal of typically marine origin - the seal, or the Baikal seal.
14. Baikal seal 
Constituent objects: Barguzinsky and Baikal biosphere reserves; Baikal-Lensky Reserve; Zabaikalsky, Pribaikalsky, Tunkinsky (partly) national parks; Kabansky, Frolikhinsky federal reserves.
15. Barguzinsky Biosphere Reserve 
16. Baikal Biosphere Reserve
17. The Tunkinsky National Park occupies the valleys of the Irkut River. 
18. Reserve "Frolikhinsky" 
Volcanoes of Kamchatka
19.
Location: in the mountains and on the coast of the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kamchatka Territory
Square: 4.3 million ha
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996.
The natural complex "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" consists of 6 sites, allowing you to get the most complete picture of the diversity of manifestations of volcanic activity in the region.
20. Volcanic eruption in Kamchatka
The Kamchatka Peninsula is located at the junction of tectonic plates in a zone of active volcanism, where modern natural processes and the history of our planet are inseparable. Here, in a limited area, 30 active and about 300 extinct volcanoes are concentrated, as well as more than 150 groups of thermal and mineral springs. Dozens of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, cascades of waterfalls, sharp peaks of ridges, mud pots and turquoise lakes, carpets of colorful algae give a fabulous look to the famous Valley of Geysers.
21. Valley of Geysers of Kamchatka 
22. Waterfall, Kamchatka
Rare geological objects are accompanied by a kind of wild wildlife, which has practically not experienced human impact. Of the 1168 plant species of Kamchatka, 10% are found only here. The peninsula is home to about half of the world's population of Steller's sea eagles, over
10 thousand brown bears (the Kamchatka subspecies is one of the largest in the world fauna), as well as bighorn sheep, wild reindeer, sea lions, sea otters.
23. Flora of Kamchatka
24. Kamchatka brown bear 
25. snow sheep
26. Steller's sea eagle
Constituent objects: Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, South Kamchatka Federal Reserve, natural parks"Bystrinsky", "Nalychevo", "South Kamchatsky" and "Klyuchevskoy".
27. Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve 
28. South Kamchatka Federal Reserve 
29. Natural park "Nalychevo". Bear tundra 
Golden Mountains of Altai
30.
Location: in the southeast of Western Siberia in the Altai mountains, the Altai Republic
Square: 1.64 million ha
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.
The nature of this mountainous territory, located at the junction of Central Asia and Siberia, is distinguished by its bright originality. There are few places in the world with such a contrasting combination of different landscapes in such a small space.
31.
The flora and fauna of the region are diverse and in many ways unique. In the basin of Lake Teletskoye, Altai cedar forests are still preserved - forests of Siberian cedar pine, which provide food for numerous representatives of the animal world. Here are the most significant meadows in terms of area in the mountains of Siberia.
The color of the vegetation of the Southern Altai, where semi-deserts, steppes and tundra coexist, is also unique.
32. Southern Altai. Steppe in the valley of the river. Narym
33. Teletskoye Lake - the largest lake in the Altai Mountains
About 60 species of mammals, 11 species of amphibians and reptiles, 20 species of fish live here. Among the rare species of mammals, the irbis, or snow leopard, should be singled out - this is one of the most beautiful cats in the world fauna. Very few of these animals have survived in Altai.
34. Irbis or snow leopard
The geological history of the region is unique, “recorded” in the rocks of different ages that make it up and imprinted in unusual landforms. Such, for example, are the high terraces of the Katun, striking in their grandeur. The grandiose Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia (4506 m).
35. Terraces of the Katun 
36. Mount Belukha
Topped with glaciers and snowfields, it rises almost 1000 meters above the nearby ranges. The valleys of the Altai rivers, primarily the Katun and Chulyshman, are narrow deep canyons. The valley of Chulyshman is picturesque, the decoration of which is the numerous waterfalls of lateral tributaries. The true pearl of Altai is Lake Teletskoye. It is called Small Baikal for its purest waters, majestic mountain setting and rich fauna.
37. River valley Chulyshman
The exceptional diversity of nature has left its mark on the culture and religion of the indigenous population of this territory - the Altaians. The achievements of Altai traditional medicine are highly valued. As H.K. wrote Roerich, "many peoples passed through Altai and left traces: Scythians, Huns, Turks." Gorny Altai is called an open-air museum.
Constituent objects: Katunsky Biosphere Reserve, Altaisky Reserve, Belukha Mountain Natural Parks and Ukok Plateau Calm Zone.
38. Altai State Nature Reserve
39. View of the Ukok plateau 
Western Caucasus
40.
Location: western slope of the Subpolar and Northern Urals;
Krasnodar Territory, Republic of Adygea, Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia
Square: 0.30 million ha
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999.
The western part of the Greater Caucasus in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna, their preservation is unparalleled not only in the Caucasus region, but also among other mountainous regions of Europe and Western Asia. This is an area where a large number of endangered
disappearance of rare, endemic and relict species of plants and animals. It is especially important that the little-altered habitat of the most vulnerable large mammals has been preserved here: bison, Caucasian red deer, West Caucasian tur, chamois, Caucasian subspecies of brown bear, wolf, etc.
The Caucasian reserve is practically the only habitat of the mountain bison in the world; outside this territory, it is almost completely exterminated by poachers.
41. Caucasian mountain bison (bison) 
42. Caucasian red deer 
43. West Caucasian tur, or Caucasian stone goat 
44. Caucasian brown bear 
967 species of vascular plants grow only in the high-mountain zone.
Ancient and modern mountain glaciers played an important role in shaping the relief of the Western Caucasus. Trough valleys, tarns, and moraines are common here.
In the limestone massifs of the northern part of the territory, numerous caves and cavities, including some of the longest and deepest in Russia (up to 600 m deep and 15 km long), form complex underground systems with rivers, lakes and waterfalls.
45. Waterfall Noise in the Western Caucasus 
The territory is rich in picturesque objects: powerful waterfalls, pointed mountain peaks (up to 3360 m), turbulent mountain rivers with clear water, clear mountain lakes, huge trees (majestic firs up to 85 m high and more than 2 m in diameter), rare plants (orchids, etc.). .) and many others.
An invaluable unique natural complex has been preserved in the Western Caucasus.
46. Mountains and lakes of the Western Caucasus 
Constituent objects: Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, Big Thach Natural Park, 3 natural monuments.
47. Caucasian Biosphere Reserve 
48. Natural park "Big Thach" 
Russia, of course, is rich in unique natural complexes not affected by economic activity. According to rough estimates, there are more than 20 territories in Russia worthy of the status of a world natural heritage site. Among the promising territories, the following natural complexes can be noted: the Kuril Islands, the Lena Delta, the Volga Delta.