What is included in the UNESCO heritage. Natural heritage of Russia, marked by UNESCO

In Russia, many monuments and cultural heritages are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Now we will introduce you to some of them.

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

Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

Any resident of Russia knows what the Kremlin and Red Square are. Any tourist and resident of our vast homeland, the first thing they do when they come to Moscow is to visit these memorable places. UNESCO took these sites under protection in 1990.

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

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 reserves fresh water planets. 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.

Lake Baikal is one of the most picturesque

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"

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

"Lena Pillars" - a unique natural monument

The park is 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

The unique architectural complex of wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990 and is an ensemble of two wooden churches and a bell tower in Karelia.

Kizhi Pogost is the embodiment of Russian architecture

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 monasteries of Znamensky, Antoniev, Yuryev, Zverin, as well as the churches of the Nativity of Christ, the Savior on Nereditsa, and the Kremlin Novgorod child.

Monuments of Veliky Novgorod - a UNESCO heritage site

Nature Reserve Wrangel Island

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

Wrangel Island is famous for its untouched ecosystem

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 Arctic waters, more than 400 plant species predominate.

Curonian Spit

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

The Curonian Spit serves as a resting place for migratory birds

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

Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

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

Previously, the Novodevichy Convent housed a historical museum.

Komi forest

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

The Komi forest area is famous for its virgin forests

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

Kamchatka volcanoes

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are considered part of the planet's Pacific volcanic ring of fire and have been protected by UNESCO since 1996. The surrounding landscapes with unique nature and biological diversity are especially impressive.

The number of volcanoes in Kamchatka totals more than a thousand

Work is underway to submit the following natural objects to the List: Volga Delta, Lena Delta, Green Belt of Fennoscandia, Kurile Islands, Valdai - Great Divide, Western Sayan, Beringia and Solovetsky Islands.

Russia, of course, is rich in unique and, very importantly, untouched economic activity natural complexes. According to rough estimates by scientists, there are about 20 territories in our country that are worthy of the status of a World Natural Heritage site. The list of the most promising territories was determined during a joint project of UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and natural resources(IUCN) on boreal forests.

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

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

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

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

UNESCO sites in Russia - PHOTO

The northern capital of Russia was included in the UNESCO List of 36 monuments located not only in St. Petersburg itself, but also in its neighbors - Pushkin and Shlisselburg. The palace and park ensembles of the villages of Gatchina and Strelna, the Koltuvskaya and Yukkovskaya uplands, the Lindulovskaya grove and the Komarovskoye village cemetery - all this constitutes one huge cultural and natural formation, territorially and historically connected with northern capital Russia. It is itself represented on the UNESCO List by the historical center and old part of the city, the Pulkovo Observatory and the palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, Shuvalovsky Park and the Vyazemsky estate, local fairways and numerous city highways.

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

Symbols the whole country and eras - the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square - are among the most significant cultural attractions of Russia and the whole world. It seems that there is not a person on Earth who does not know what they look like. When visiting Russia, most foreigners first go to Red Square. The Moscow Kremlin is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Russia. Its majestic walls and numerous towers, its Orthodox cathedrals and palace buildings, its squares and gardens, the Armory Chamber and the Kremlin Palace of Congresses reflect the centuries-old history of the country. Adjacent to the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin, Red Square is famous not only for the Mausoleum and the Eternal Flame, but also for the numerous events organized there recently. Victory parades, concerts dedicated to Russian Independence Day, New Year's skating rinks - all this can be afforded by one of the largest pedestrian areas in Moscow.

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

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was built in the 20-30s of the 15th century. It spreads over four islands Solovetsky archipelago. The cultural and historical ensemble "Solovetsky Islands" includes the main monastery, Ascension and Savvatievsky monasteries, St. Isaac's, Makarievskaya and Filippovskaya hermitages on the Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, Sergievsky Monastery on the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, Trinity and Golgotha-Ruspyatsky Monastery and Eleazar Hermitage on Anzer and St. Andrew's Hermitage and Stone Labyrinths on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. IN Soviet time The largest special-purpose forced labor camp in the USSR, Solovetsky, operated on the monastery territory. Monastic life became possible here only at the end of 1990.

Eight architectural monuments of ancient Russian architecture, mostly of a white stone nature, were included in the UNESCO list in 1992. All of them are located on the territory of the Vladimir region and belong to the Orthodox culture of Russia. In Vladimir there are three UNESCO-protected sites: built in the 12th century and Dmitrievsky Cathedral, as well as the Golden Gate. In Suzdal there is a 12th-century Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral and the Spaso-Efimievsky Monastery, built in the 16th-17th centuries. The village of Bogolyubovo is known to Orthodox pilgrims for the Palace of Andrei Bogolyubsky and the magnificent. The Church of Boris and Gleb in the village of Kideksha is the first white stone building in northeastern Rus'.

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

The Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius was founded by St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1337. Currently it is the largest Orthodox monastery in Russia. The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is located in the center of Sergiev Posad, a city in the Moscow region. The designation “Laurel” indicates the crowded, large population of the monastery. Architectural ensemble The monastery consists of fifty buildings of various functional purposes. Among them there are Orthodox cathedrals, numerous bell towers, and royal palaces. Boris Godunov and members of his family found their final refuge in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

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

For the whole world, Baikal is a lake, for residents of Russia, who are in love with a unique natural object, Baikal is a sea! Located in Eastern Siberia, it is the most deep lake planet and, at the same time, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water. The shape of Baikal looks like a crescent. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 meters with an average depth of 744. Baikal contains 19 percent of all fresh water on the planet. The lake is fed by more than three hundred rivers and streams. Baikal water has a high oxygen content. Its temperature rarely exceeds plus 8-9 degrees Celsius even in summer in the surface area. The water of the lake is so clean and transparent that it allows you to see at a depth of up to forty meters.

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

A large biosphere reserve in the Primorsky Territory was originally created to preserve the sable population. Currently, it represents the most convenient place to observe life Amur tiger. A huge number of plants grow on the territory of the Sikhote-Alin Nature 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 protected species. Schisandra chinensis and edelweiss Palibina, spotted deer and Himalayan bear, black kite and Japanese starling, Sakhalin sturgeon and swallowtail butterfly - they all found shelter in the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve.

The three most significant areas of the Altai Mountains - the Altai and Katunsky reserves and the Ukok plateau - were included in the UNESCO list in 1998 under the name “Golden Mountains of Altai”. Mount Belukha and Lake Teletskoye were also included in the list of protected geographical sites. Natural criterion "x" Altai Mountains received for the most fully presented picture of alpine vegetation. In this area, five belts follow one after another: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed, subalpine and alpine. The territory of the golden mountains of Altai is home to rare species of animals - snow leopard, Siberian mountain goat and others.

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

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

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

Currently, the Ferapontov Monastery is one of the inactive monasteries. The Ferapontovsky branch of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve and the unique Museum of Dionysian Frescoes located there became a stumbling block between the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2000, the Ferapontov Monastery was included in the UNESCO List, which finally gave it the status of not so much a religious one, but cultural heritage humanity. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is represented by the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, painted by the famous Moscow icon painter of the 15th-16th centuries - Dionysius, the monumental Church of the Annunciation, the treasury chamber and service buildings.

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

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

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

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

The historical center of Yaroslavl, consisting of Rubleny Gorod (the local Kremlin) and Zemlyanoy Gorod, was noted by UNESCO in 2005 as an outstanding architectural example of urban planning reform carried out under Catherine II. Construction from the time of classicism took place near the parish church of Elijah the Prophet, in front of which there was a semicircular square. Streets-beams were drawn to it, each of which ended at an earlier date of construction. architectural monument– the Assumption Cathedral on Strelka, the Znamenskaya and Uglich towers, the Church of Simeon the Stylite.

A network of 265 geodetic reference points, created in the first half of the 19th century to study earth parameters, is currently found in many European cities. On Russian territory it is represented by two points - “Point Mäkipällus” and “Point Z”, located on the island of Gogland. Of more than two hundred objects of the Struve arc, only 34 points have survived to this day, which served as the basis for including a unique scientific monument of humanity in the List of especially valuable cultural objects of our time.

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

Located on the territory of the Sakha Republic, the Lena Pillars are the most recent Russian site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. The geological formation, located on the banks of the Lena, is a multi-kilometer complex of vertically elongated rocks. At the heart of the unique natural monument lies Cambrian limestone. Scientists attribute the beginning of the formation of the Lena Pillars to the Early Cambrian, a time 560 million years distant from ours. The relief form of the Lena Pillars was formed much later - only 400 thousand years ago. Next to the Lena Pillars there is a natural Park. On its territory there are blowing sands and the site of an ancient man. Fossilized remains of mammoths are also found here.

Before we present you with a list of countries with the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, let's figure out what they are.

• Is a masterpiece of human creative genius;
• Proves the significant mutual influence of universal human values ​​in a certain historical period or cultural space;
• Is a unique or exceptional object for a culture and/or civilization, existing or disappeared;
• Is an outstanding example of architectural landscape design illustrating an important period of human history;
• Is an outstanding example of traditional human settlement or human interaction with the environment;
• The object is directly related to historical events, or cultural traditions, religious beliefs, artistic or literary works and is of great global importance.

World Heritage sites are divided into three categories:

• cultural, i.e. created by man – these are mainly architectural monuments.
• created by nature - such as rock formations or caves, lakes, rivers and waterfalls
• mixed, i.e. created jointly by nature and man - for the most part these are various parks and gardens.

Natural objects have their own selection criteria - for example, a natural phenomenon of exceptional beauty and aesthetic value.

There are Native American cultural heritage sites in the United States, such as Taos Pueblo, ancient settlement Indians These are also structures created in the 19th and 20th centuries, for example, the Statue of Liberty.

In addition, the United States has several World Heritage Sites created by nature. These include Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. In total, there are 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States.

Russia made it into this top thanks to its rich, varied history and colossal territory. Among the cultural heritage sites of Russia are the Moscow, Novgorod and Kazan Kremlins, historical centers St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl.

Also in Russia there are as many as 10 natural heritage sites, including famous lake Baikal and the Golden Altai Mountains.

The United Kingdom has many cultural heritage sites dating in particular from the period of the Roman Imperial Occupation. Many of them are related to events affecting the global history of Europe. The most famous of them are the Fortified Frontier of the Roman Empire and the Tower of London.

India is the birthplace of the oldest civilizations on earth, which has seen the rise and fall of many empires and royal dynasties, as well as several world religions - Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. India has several world heritage sites created by nature - caves and national parks.

The most famous cultural heritage sites in India are the royal palace of the Taj Mahal and the cave temples located on Elephanta Island.

Mexico was home to two ancient civilizations who lived in the New World before the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries- Aztecs and Maya. It was also the site of the earliest settlements of European colonists in the New World.

Mexico's World Heritage Sites include the historic city center of Puebla, and the ancient pre-Spanish cities of Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza and El Tajin.

Over the course of its long history, Germany has been both part of the Holy Roman Empire and the center of the German Empire. Hence the large number of cultural heritage sites. The most famous of them are Wartburg Castle and Cologne Cathedral.

As with Germany, the history of France is closely linked to the Roman Empire. At one time, Frankish tribes lived as part of the Empire. Later, however, France itself became a powerful monarchy.

So it is not surprising that many sites in France are classified as World Heritage Sites. First of all, these are Notre Dame Cathedral and the Palace of Versailles.

Of the 45 sites, 3 are located outside of Europe - for example, the Garajonay National Park, located on the island of La Gomera. This is due to the fact that Spain still retained some of the lands acquired during the colonial era.

In Spain itself, the most famous sites are the Roman city walls of Lugo and the Burgos Cathedral

China is home to the world's oldest civilizations and many living and extinct cultures. China has many different cultural heritage sites, including the Great Wall of China.

But there are also a dozen natural heritage sites on Chinese territory. One such place is Karst deposits in South China.

Finally, the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites are located in Italy - the birthplace of the Holy Roman Empire, the Christian Empire and most of the Renaissance figures. Among the cultural heritage sites of Italy are the historical centers of Rome, Naples, Florence, Castel del Monte and Villa Del Casale.

Advantages and disadvantages of owning UNESCO World Heritage Sites

World Heritage sites make a significant contribution to the tourism industry, and therefore the economy, of the countries that own them. They tend to be the most attractive for tourists visiting these countries.

This means a greater flow of tourists, and therefore more money attracted by this industry. However, owning World Heritage properties also comes with significant costs. The government of the country that owns the World Heritage Site has to spend a lot of money on repairs, protection and maintenance of these attractions.

This can create big problems for a given country, especially during difficult economic periods.

UNESCO - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was created in November 1945.

Among the main five areas of UNESCO's activities, it is worth highlighting the cultural area, which is in charge of a program such as World Heritage, the purpose of which is the preservation of cultural and natural sites that are the heritage of all humanity.

UNESCO World Heritage is the best man-made creations of mankind and unique natural phenomena, having historical, cultural and environmental significance.

The UNESCO World Heritage List as of July 2012 includes 962 sites of cultural and natural significance of special universal value, from different countries peace.

The presence in this list of valuable cultural and natural sites of a country contributes not only to its international prestige, but also to economic benefits and the development of tourism.

To be included in this list, an object must meet at least one of ten established evaluation selection criteria (6 cultural and 4 natural criteria). The only object on the UNESCO list that was assessed according to all 6 cultural criteria, among which there is one such as “a masterpiece of human creative genius,” is the Great Chinese Wall. The wall is a majestic man-made structure, the construction of which has been ongoing since the 3rd century BC. e. up to the 17th century.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites include cities and archaeological sites, castles, palaces and fortresses, cathedrals, temples and abbeys, theaters and museums, islands, valleys and parks, and much more.

Each country in the world is famous for its unique history, culture, architecture and nature, so each of these countries has designated sites for protection. The most famous among cultural sites are: the religious building Stonehenge (Great Britain), the mausoleum-mosque of the Taj Mahal (India), the Moscow Kremlin (Russia), the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), and among natural ones - Belovezhskaya Pushcha(Poland), Lake Baikal (Russia), Great Barrier Reef (Australia).

Almost every year, UNESCO holds sessions where members of the World Heritage Committee decide to include a particular site on the list of protected sites. At the last session, which was held in July 2012 in St. Petersburg, the following sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, in particular: historical city Rabat (Morocco), decorations of farmhouses in the province of Hälsingland (Sweden), Lena Pillars natural park (Russia), coastal landscapes of Carioca (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and others.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is a unique opportunity for travelers to get acquainted with outstanding cultural monuments and natural objects our planet and discover many interesting places, the existence of which was not even suspected. How many of you have heard or know about such a place as the settlement of Lumbini in Nepal, which is associated with the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, or about the “Frankincense Trail” in Oman; about the largest crater in the world - Vredefort in South Africa, whose age is estimated at 2 billion years, or about the monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland, whose library is one of the oldest and richest in the world and stores precious ancient manuscripts.

Therefore, if you want to spend your holidays in any country, look at photographs of the best creations of mankind and nature. Maybe you want to visit the Acropolis of Athens or the legendary Palace of Knossos, then you should consider a tour to Greece. Or maybe you'd like to travel to Greenland and visit Ilulissat Fjord to watch the drifting giant icebergs, or visit the caves and enjoy the fantastic scenery of Ha Long Bay, located in Vietnam.

On our website you can get acquainted with both unique World Heritage sites and other interesting places, natural and cultural attractions of different countries, which will help you in planning tourist routes and will serve as a good guide on your trip. Have a nice trip!