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World Heritage of the Russian Federation. The Fifteen Most Famous World Heritage Sites - UNESCO's Untouchable Trust

Surely you have at least once seen majestic mountains and peaceful valleys, winding rivers and endless forests that will take your breath away? There are many such places on Earth. Unique territories that are important to preserve in their original form are included in the list of the World Heritage Sites. natural heritage. Now it has 203 objects, 11 of which are in Russia. It just seems that this is quite a bit: among all countries, Russia ranks fourth in the number of objects after China, America and Australia.

To the territory world heritage include state nature reserves and national parks. Landscapes change from high-mountain lakes, glaciers, arctic tundras to alpine meadows, taiga, endless steppes and even volcanoes.

These are not only incredibly beautiful places, but also home to many species of animals and plants, rare and even endemic - those that are not found anywhere else in the world. One example is the Amur tiger and the Daurian crane. Some plants on the territory of natural monuments are hundreds of years old. The age of cedar in the Pritelets taiga is more than six centuries.

An object is included in the list if it meets at least one of the criteria:

    (VII) represents a natural phenomenon or area of ​​exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

    (VIII) reflects the main stages of the history of the Earth, symbolizes geological processes in the development of relief or its features

    (IX) reflects ecological or biological processes in the evolution of animals, plants and other organisms

    (X) includes significant natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity and endangered species of exceptional global value

4 out of 11 sites in Russia were selected according to criterion VII: Komi forests, Lake Baikal, Kamchatka volcanoes and the Putorana plateau. Therefore, travelers all over the world strive to see them.

Read the mini-guide to all UNESCO natural heritage sites in Russia to see them in person someday.

1. Virgin Komi forests

The largest intact forests in Europe cover an area of ​​32,600 km². This is approximately 3 km² larger than the area of ​​Belgium. The Komi Forests are the first Russian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is home to brown bear, sable, elk, more than 200 species of birds, including those listed in the Red Book, and valuable fish species - palia char and Siberian grayling.

In the thicket of virgin forests and on the banks of rivers you can see stone sculptures of bizarre shapes, unusual remains and other forms of weathering, reminiscent of either the ruins of castles or mythical creatures.

Lush taiga stretches to the Ural Mountains, flowing into the tundra, where there are almost no plants, and crystal rivers descend from the ridges and merge into Pechora, giving birth to amazing landscapes.

2. Lake Baikal

A slightly smaller area, 31,722 km², is occupied by the deepest lake on the planet. All of Malta, even enlarged 100 times, would fit on its surface. This is one of the largest World Heritage sites. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 meters. This means that if the Eiffel Tower was installed at the bottom, and four more were placed on top, the last one would still not appear from the water.

The reservoir itself big lake Russia has almost 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. The water in Baikal is so clean that some stones at the bottom are visible even at a depth of 40 meters. In many ways, cleanliness is ensured by epishura, a unique crustacean that consumes organic matter. In general, about 2,600 animals live in Baikal, more than half of which are endemic. On the banks of the reservoir there are forests and swamps, glacial lakes, cirques and canyons. There are more than 800 species of higher plants here.

A special phenomenon and a real attraction of Lake Baikal is ice. At the end of winter in the bays its thickness reaches two meters. On different parts of the surface it freezes in different ways: sometimes it is covered with a web of cracks, sometimes it is dotted with bubbles, sometimes it looks like a mirror, sometimes like frosted glass. Ice splashes formed by frozen waves several meters high and grottoes that are not accessible in summer are striking. You can skate on a huge lake, raft on an ice floe and fill your camera’s memory with cool shots.

In summer, Lake Baikal is also interesting: you can go around this natural monument or arrange it with rafting, jeeping and trekking.

3. Volcanoes of Kamchatka

Kamchatka resembles a cake with candles: there is so much here, and 28 out of 29 are in the eastern part. Klyuchevskoy is the highest volcano not only in Russia, but throughout Eurasia (4750 m), Mutnovsky is famous for its smoking fumarole fields, and in the crater of Maly Semyachik there is a piercing lake, like a blue eye wide open into the sky. That is why six separate areas of Kamchatka were included in the UNESCO list.

Another unique place is the Uzon caldera. 40,000 years ago, due to several eruptions in a row, a huge volcano collapsed, and in its place a caldera with a diameter of 10 km was formed. It is located on the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and combines rivers, hot springs, tundra, forests and lakes in one landscape.

4. Golden Mountains of Altai

World Heritage Sites include the Altai Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Lake Teletskoye, the Katunsky Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Mount Belukha, as well as the Ukok Plateau. Their territory includes taiga, steppe, mountain tundra and glaciers, meadows and plateaus. If you want to see all the most picturesque places in one trip to Altai, then choose. Especially suitable for those who love comfort, because you will spend the night in hotels.

Altai is no less interesting in winter. Going to, you will see mountain lakes, snow-covered passes, tracts and cedar forests. After spending time here, recharge your batteries for many months to come. And having walked around this UNESCO natural site, you will photograph panoramas of the North Chuya Range and see a unique turquoise lake that does not freeze even at very low temperatures.

5. Western Caucasus

The Western Caucasus was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. This definition includes the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and part of the Main Caucasus Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus. On the territory of the object there are “three-thousander” mountains, bizarre rocks, deep gorges, caves, glaciers and alpine lakes.

Adygea probably has the largest number of natural beauties in square meter. There are only two cities in the republic, and the rest of the territory is mountains and waterfalls, alpine meadows and untouched forests, deep canyons and raging rivers. This makes it possible to engage in different types of outdoor activities, and even. Rock climbing and hiking, horseback riding - why not do it this way, for example?

6. Central Sikhote-Alin

Sikhote-Alin in eastern Russia is a mix of coniferous and broad-leaved trees, taiga and subtropics, southern and northern animal species. Here, for example, you can meet both Himalayan and brown bears. Primorye is a whole world of relics and endemics, where groves of relict yews grow, carpets of Red Book lotuses bloom and rhododendrons—the local sakura—bloom. Protected bays with white beaches hide starfish and schools of colorful fish. At high altitudes the tundra extends, while in the lowlands the grass grows up to 3.5 meters.

Sikhote-Alin is the homeland of Amur tigers. Over the past 100 years, their number in the world has decreased by 25 times. Moreover, 95% of the entire population lives in the Far East, and 5% in China. There, killing a tiger is a crime punishable by death penalty. And the Far Eastern leopard remained only in Primorye.

V.K. traveled through the local taiga. Arsenyev - researcher Far East. On the expedition he was with his friend and guide Dersu Uzala, a local hunter. Today you can follow in their footsteps during

7. Ubsunur Basin

This object includes Lake Uvsu-Nur, which belongs simultaneously to Mongolia and Russia (Republic of Tuva). On the territory of Mongolia, this lake is the largest, and its Russian part is only 0.3% of the total area. There are contrasting landscapes here - highlands, mountain taiga massifs, forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert areas. There is even a real sandy desert. The surrounding area of ​​the lake was inhabited several thousand years ago. This is evidenced by petroglyphs on the rocks, stones and mounds, of which there are about 40,000.

8. Wrangel and Herald Islands

In the very north of Russia, where the Chukchi Sea meets the Arctic Ocean, are the gloomy and mountainous Wrangel Islands (7.6 thousand km²) and Herald Islands (11 km²). In a harsh environment where thriving life seems impossible, there are hundreds of plant species - more than on any other Arctic island. Among the blackening rocks, walruses settled in the largest rookery in the Arctic, and thousands of birds set up nesting grounds. Gray whales swim through these waters during their migrations. Wragnel Island is called the “maternity hospital of polar bears” - there are so many of his ancestral dens here. And in Chukchi it’s called Umkilir, “the island of polar bears.”

It’s worth visiting here at least once to see truly rare animals. For example, musk oxen, which, like reindeer, survived the Late Pleistocene extinction. Their wool is eight times warmer than sheep's wool! , you can also try whale meat, learn an Eskimo dance and walk along the alley of whale bones.

There are many beautiful buildings, natural phenomena and other unique objects in the world that delight people. And the task of each generation is to preserve this wealth and pass it on to descendants. The most valuable attractions are included in a special list.

About World Heritage Sites

It’s scary to think that descendants won’t see, for example, the Acropolis or Meanwhile, this could happen, if not in the near future, then in a few generations. That is why one of the primary tasks of humanity is to preserve and increase the cultural and natural wealth of the planet.

For this purpose, a special list was created, which includes World Heritage sites located in various countries and regions. There are many of them, they are diverse, and each is unique in its own way.

General information about the list

The idea of ​​a list of the world's most valuable sites was first implemented in 1978, after the UN Convention was adopted six years earlier, declaring a shared responsibility for the preservation of the most significant cultural and natural monuments.

At the end of 2014, the list contained 1007 items. The top ten countries for the number of World Heritage sites are Italy, China, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, India, Great Britain, Russia and the USA. In total, there are 359 items included in the list on their territory.

There are a number of criteria according to which the list is expanded. They include the uniqueness or exclusivity of a place or building with different points view: its inhabitants, designs, evidence of an important stage in the development of civilizations, etc. Therefore, sometimes in the list you can find objects that are quite unexpected for someone.

Categories and examples

The entire diversity of the World Heritage is divided into three conditional groups: cultural, natural and cultural-natural. The first category is the most numerous, it includes 779 items, for example, the building of the Opera House in Sydney. The second group contains 197 objects, including Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Grand Canyon. The last category is the smallest - only 31 monuments, but they combine both natural beauty and human intervention: Machu Picchu, Meteora monasteries, etc.

For some reason, people are accustomed to primarily admiring buildings and creations of their own efforts, forgetting about natural beauties. But in vain, because in fact this is also a World Cultural Heritage.

In Russia

On the territory of the Russian Federation there are 26 monuments included in the UNESCO list. Of these, 15 are classified as cultural, and the remaining 11 are natural. They are located throughout the country and include truly unique UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Russia.

For the first time, the Russian Federation added to the list of countries on whose territory there are monuments to human and natural genius in 1990, when the list was also replenished with the Kizhi Pogost and the historical center of St. Petersburg. Subsequently, the World Heritage of Russia was regularly replenished and continues to expand. The list includes nature reserves, monasteries, geological monuments and many other objects. Thus, in 2014, the historical and archaeological complex “Bulgar”, which is located in Tatarstan, was included in the Russian World Heritage List.

Full list

Russia's World Heritage sites are mostly known to many citizens. But someone will also find unfamiliar points that they might want to visit, so it’s better to give a complete list:

  • historical center and monuments of St. Petersburg;
  • Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow;
  • Kizhi Pogost;
  • Veliky Novgorod and its surroundings;
  • white monuments of Suzdal and Vladimir;
  • Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye;
  • Trinity-Sergius Lavra;
  • Komi forests;
  • Lake Baikal;
  • Kamchatka volcanoes;
  • Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve;
  • golden Altai Mountains;
  • basin of Lake Uvs-Nur;
  • Western Caucasus;
  • Kazan Kremlin;
  • Ferapontov Monastery;
  • Curonian Spit;
  • old city of Derbent;
  • Wrangel Island;
  • Novodevichy Convent;
  • historical center of Yaroslavl;
  • Struve arc;
  • Putorana plateau;
  • Lena Pillars;
  • complex "Bulgar".

Another point is related to the political events of 2014 - the ancient city of Chersonesus is located on the Crimean Peninsula, which is also included in the World Cultural Heritage. Russia actually has something to strive for, because there are many more unique objects located on the territory of the country, and each of them may eventually be included in the UNESCO list. In the meantime, it’s still worth learning more about those monuments that are already on this list. It’s not for nothing that they were included there, is it?

Natural

Russia is a huge country, the largest on the planet in terms of territory. 9 time zones, 4 climates and huge amount different zones. It is not surprising that the World Natural Heritage of Russia is quite numerous and diverse - 11 objects. There are huge forests, clean and deep lakes, and natural phenomena of amazing beauty here.

  • Virgin forests of Komi. Considered to be the largest intact forests in Europe. Included in the World Heritage of Russia in 1995. Many species of rare representatives of flora and fauna grow and live on their territory.
  • Lake Baikal. Is the deepest on the planet. Entered the list in 1996. Many species living in the lake are endemic.
  • Volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula. They are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Included in the Russian World Heritage Sites in 1996.
  • Altai. On the list since 1998. Include habitats of rare representatives of flora and fauna.
  • Caucasian Nature Reserve. Located in three constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea. On the list since 1999.
  • Central Sikhote-Alin. A nature reserve located in the Primorsky Territory. Many rare species of animals live on its territory. Entered the UNESCO list in 2001.
  • Curonian Spit. This unique object is a sand body stretching across the Baltic Sea for almost 100 kilometers. On the territory of the spit there is large number interesting places, for example the famous “Dancing Forest”; the seasonal migration route of many birds also lies through it. Included in the list in 2000.
  • Uvsu-Nur basin. Located on the border of the Russian Federation and Mongolia. The basin was included in the list in 2003 according to the criteria of international scientific significance and the conservation of biological and landscape diversity.
  • Wrangel Island. Divided almost equally between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Most of its territory is occupied by mountains. Rare plants grow here, which was also the reason why the site was included in the UNESCO list in 2004 under number 1023.
  • It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2010. It is home to the migratory routes of large populations of reindeer and hosts a unique combination of ecosystems.
  • Lena pillars. On at the moment the last World Natural Heritage site in Russia. Was included in the list in 2012. In addition to its aesthetic importance, this object is valuable for the uniqueness of the geological processes occurring here.

Man-made

Objects of the World cultural heritage Russia, of course, includes not only natural monuments, but the results of human labor.

  • Historical center of St. Petersburg. Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow. The hearts of both capitals were included in the list at the same time - in 1990 - and according to four criteria at once.
  • Kizhi. This unique ensemble of wooden buildings was included in the UNESCO list in 1990. This true wonder of the world not only demonstrates the genius of humanity, but also is in amazing harmony with the surrounding nature.
  • In 1992, UNESCO added 3 more attractions to its list: monuments of Novgorod, Suzdal and Vladimir, as well as
  • The Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, included in the list respectively in 1993 and 1994, are known to everyone for their beauty - many residents of Moscow and the Moscow region regularly visit there.
  • entered the list in 2000, as did
  • Monuments of the city of Derbent in Dagestan - 2003.
  • in Moscow - 2004.
  • Historical center of Yaroslavl - 2005.
  • (2 points), which helped establish the shape, size and some other parameters of the planet - 2005.
  • Architectural and historical complex Bulgar - 2014.

As you can see, the World Cultural Heritage sites of Russia are mostly concentrated in the European part, which is determined by the peculiarities of the development of the territory.

Contenders

The list of Russia's World Heritage Sites may expand significantly in the coming years. The Russian government regularly offers the UN new applicants, unique and beautiful in their own way. There are now 24 more sites that can be included in the main UNESCO list.

Threat of extinction

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to preserve World Heritage. Russia, fortunately, is not yet in danger of this; all of its monuments included in the list are in relative safety. UNESCO regularly edits and publishes a special list that includes unique sites that are in danger. Now it consists of 38 points. Natural and cultural monuments fall into this “alarming” list for various reasons: poaching, deforestation, construction and reconstruction projects that violate the historical appearance, climate change, etc. Moreover, the worst enemy of World Heritage is time, which is impossible win. And yet, from time to time, monuments are removed from this list, most often due to improvements in the situation. But there are also sad examples when the situation deteriorated so much that objects simply ceased to be included in the World Heritage Site. Russia has nothing to fear yet, although the environmental situation in some parts of the country may affect many natural monuments. And then, perhaps, the “alarming” list will become relevant for the Russian Federation as well.

UNESCO activities

Inclusion in the list is not only and not so much prestige, but also, first of all, increased attention to the safety and condition of certain objects on the part of a larger number of organizations. UNESCO also stimulates the development of eco-tourism and increases people's awareness of the uniqueness of monuments. Among other things, there is a special fund that finances the support of facilities.

About UNESCO World Heritage

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted at the XVII session of the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972 and entered into force on December 17, 1975. Its main goal is to attract the forces of the world community to preserve unique cultural and natural objects. In 1975, the Convention was ratified by 21 states, over the 42 years of its existence, another 172 states joined them, and by mid-2017, the total number of state parties to the Convention reached 193. In terms of the number of state parties, the World Heritage Convention is the largest among other international UNESCO programs representative. To improve the effectiveness of the Convention, the World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Fund were established in 1976.

The first cultural and natural sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List two years after the formation of the program. Among natural areas, the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Yellowstone (USA), Nahanni (Canada) and Simen (Ethiopia) national parks received heritage status. Over the past years, the List has become very representative both in terms of the regions of the planet represented and in the number of objects: by mid-2017, it included 206 natural, 832 cultural and 35 mixed natural-cultural sites in 167 countries. Italy, Spain, Germany and France and China have the largest number of cultural sites on the List (more than 30 each), while the USA, Australia, China, Russia and Canada have the largest number of natural World Heritage areas (more than 10 sites each). Under the protection of the Convention are such worldwide famous monuments nature, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian and Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Baikal.

Of course, being on a par with the generally recognized world pearls of nature and culture is honorable and prestigious for any object, but at the same time, it is also a great responsibility. To receive World Heritage status, a property must represent outstanding universal value, go through a thorough expert assessment and satisfy at least one of the 10 selection criteria. In this case, the nominated natural object must comply at least one of the following four criteria:

VII) include unique natural phenomena or an area of ​​exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic value;

VIII) present outstanding examples of major stages of Earth's history, including traces of ancient life, significant geological processes that continue to occur in the development of forms earth's surface, significant geomorphological or physical-geographical features of the relief;

ix) present outstanding examples of important ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and plant and animal communities;

X) include natural habitats of great importance for the conservation of biological diversity, including habitats of endangered species that represent an outstanding global asset from a scientific or conservation perspective.

Security, management, authenticity and integrity of the property are also important factors, which are taken into account when assessing it before inclusion in the List.

The status of a World Natural Heritage site provides additional guarantees of the safety and integrity of unique natural complexes, increases the prestige of territories, promotes the popularization of sites and development alternative types environmental management, ensures priority in attracting financial resources.

World Heritage Project

In 1994, Greenpeace Russia began work on the World Heritage project, aimed at identifying and protecting unique natural complexes that are seriously threatened negative impact human activity. Giving natural areas the highest international conservation status to further guarantee their preservation is the main goal of the work carried out by Greenpeace.

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

At the end of 1996, “Lake Baikal” and “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 object- “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 “cultural landscape” criterion. Later, the UNESCO List included “Central Sikhote-Alin” (2001), “Ubsunur Basin” (2003, together with Mongolia), “Natural complex of the Wrangel Island reserve” (2004), “Putorana Plateau” (2010) , “Natural Park “Lena Pillars” (2012) and “Landscapes of Dauria” (2017, jointly with Mongolia).

Nominations for consideration by the World Heritage Committee must first be included on the national Tentative List. Currently, it contains such natural complexes as the “Commander Islands”, “Magadan Reserve”, “Krasnoyarsk Pillars”, “Big Vasyugan Swamp”, “Ilmen Mountains”, “ Bashkir Ural", "Protected Kenozerye", "Oglakhty Ridge" and "Bikin River Valley". Work is underway to expand the territory of the Golden Mountains of Altai object (by including the adjacent territories of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan). Negotiations are underway with Finland and Norway about the joint nomination “Green Belt of Fennoscandia”.

Russia is certainly rich in unique, untouched economic activity natural complexes. According to rough estimates, there are more than 20 territories in our country that are worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage Site. Among the promising territories, the following natural complexes can be noted: “Kuril Islands”, “Lena Delta”, “Volga Delta”.

Russian cultural sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List include such recognized historical and architectural monuments as the historical center of St. Petersburg, the Kremlin and Red Square, Kizhi Pogost, Solovetsky, Ferapontov and Novodevichy monasteries, Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye , monuments of Veliky Novgorod, Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Derbent, Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, Struve geodetic arc (together with Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova).

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the most valuable sites (both natural and man-made) in terms of their cultural, historical or environmental significance. Here are twenty uniquely beautiful UNESCO sites located in Europe.

20 PHOTOS

1 National Park Plitvice Lakes, Croatia.

Forest reserve in Central Croatia, famous for its cascading lakes, waterfalls, caves and limestone gorges.


2 Red Square, Moscow, Russia.

The most famous square in Russia, located east of the Kremlin, the official residence of the president. On Red Square there are St. Basil's Cathedral and the State historical museum.


3 Village Vlkolínec, Slovakia.

A perfectly preserved ethnographic village, which is included in the list of museums folk architecture Slovakia. The settlement reflects traditional features Central European village: log buildings, stables with haylofts and a wooden bell tower.


4 Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.

The largest and most famous Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in the mid-1800s.


5 Natural-historical complex Mont Saint-Michel, France.

Fortified island abbey gothic style, built between the 11th and 16th centuries in northwestern France.


6 Alcobaça Monastery, Portugal.

Roman Catholic church located north of Lisbon. It was built by the Portuguese king Alfonso I in the 12th century.


7 Budapest: Banks of the Danube, Buda Castle Hill and Andrássy Avenue.

The central part of the Hungarian capital boasts such stunning architectural masterpieces as the Parliament Building, opera house, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Market Hall.


8 Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, Poland.

The largest wooden sacred buildings in Europe, built in the second half of the 17th century after the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War.


9. Stavkirka in Urnes, Norway.

The stave church, located in western Norway, is a superb example of traditional Scandinavian architecture.


10. Giant's Causeway, Ireland.

A natural monument consisting of approximately 40,000 interconnected basalt columns formed as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption.


11. Pont du Gard Aqueduct, France.

The tallest surviving ancient Roman aqueduct. Its length is 275 meters and its height is 47 meters.


12. Pilgrimage Church in Wies, Germany

A Bavarian Rococo church located in a beautiful Alpine valley southwest of Munich.


13. Fjords of Western Norway, Norway.

Located in southwest Norway, Geirangerfjord and Nordfjord are among the longest and deepest fjords in the world.


14. Vatican, Italy.

Center of Catholic Christianity, and residence of the Pope. Also, the Vatican Museums house many of the world's artistic masterpieces.


15. Thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery in Pannonhalm, Hungary.

The monastic community and one of the oldest historical monuments in Hungary, was founded in 996.


16. Pirin National Park, Bulgaria.

National park with an area of ​​403 square meters. km, located on three vegetation zones: mountain-forest, subalpine and alpine.


17. Grand Place, Brussels. 18. Old Bridge area in historical center city ​​of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Old Bridge, built in the 16th century during the reign of Ottoman Empire- one of the most significant architectural monuments in the Balkans.


19. Glacial fjord Ilulissat, Denmark.

A fjord located in western Greenland, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle. It includes the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, moving at a speed of 19 meters per day, one of the fastest glaciers in the world.


20. Palace of Catalan Music, Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Famous concert hall, representing one of the best examples of Catalan Art Nouveau. It is also the only concert hall in Europe with natural light.

In Russia, many priceless natural and cultural monuments are recognized as World Heritage Sites.

They are under close attention United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). We present to your attention the most protected UNESCO sites in Russia.

Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

Real symbols of Russia, which are known throughout the world and are considered the main cultural attractions of the planet. The Moscow Kremlin and Red Square were included in the UNESCO heritage list in 1990.

Almost the most ancient monument Russia with its numerous buildings reflected the centuries-old history of the Russian people. Unique examples of Russian foundry art are exhibited on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin - the “Tsar Cannon” weighing 40 tons and the “Tsar Bell” weighing over 200 tons and with a diameter of 6.6 m.

Lake Baikal

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


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

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

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


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

Architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost

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


The Kizhi State Historical and Architectural Museum is located here, with many objects of wooden religious architecture, including an eight-wing windmill from 1929 and the Church of the Transfiguration, built without a single nail.

Novgorod historical monuments

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


Nature Reserve Wrangel Island

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


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

Curonian Spit

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


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

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

Since 2004, the monastery has been included in the UNESCO list, which since 1524 was one of the defensive structures of Moscow. In 1926, a historical museum was founded in the building of the monastery, and in 1980, the residence of the Metropolitan of Krutitsky and Kolomna was located. In 1994, the convent was officially approved. There are more than eight hundred monasteries in Russia. You can read about the most beautiful temples in our article.


Komi forest

The Komi forest area is recognized as the most pristine forests in Europe with a total area of ​​32,600 square meters. km, which belong to the territory of the Pechero-Ilychsky reserve and occupy part national park"YugydVa". The number of volcanoes in Kamchatka totals more than a thousand

The exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula is still unknown. The most high volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka is considered to be 4835 m high. The editors of the site also invite you to learn more about the most beautiful places in Russia.
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