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Russian Natural Sites inscribed and submitted for inscription on the World Heritage List
Russia (the former Soviet Union) signed the World Heritage Convention in 1988 and is now represented on the World Heritage List by 15 cultural and 8 natural properties. In its number of natural properties inscribed on the List, Russia shares third place among nations with Canada, after Australia, with 11 properties, and the United States, with 12 properties. Thirty Russian Specially Protected Nature Areas have World Heritage status, among which eleven are strict nature reserves (zapovedniks) and five are National Parks.
At present, the following sites in Russia have natural World Heritage status:
- Virgin Komi Forests;
- Lake Baikal;
- Volcanoes of Kamchatka;
- Golden Mountains of Altai;
- Western Caucasus;
- Central Sikhote-Alin;
- Uvs Nuur Basin;
- Wrangel Island.
Curonian Spit National Park was inscribed on the List as a cultural landscape.
Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources proposed that the following natural complexes be included on the Tentative List for the Russian Federation, which presents the properties that Russia may decide to nominate for inscription on the World Heritage List in the future:
- Putorana Plateau
- Magadansky State Nature Reserve
- Commander Islands
- Daurian Steppes
- Lena Pillars
- Krasnoyarsk Pillars
- Great Vasyugan Mire
The aforementioned sites were selected based on an analysis of their natural significance, which was carried out by scientific and public organizations and approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Documentation necessary for submission to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre was prepared for all territories. In addition, for all territories, executive organs from the corresponding subjects of the Russian Federation sent proposals to Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources about their inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Also in 1996 the mixed cultural and natural property Valaam archipelago has been inscribed on the Preliminary (Tentative) List of Russian Federation.
Work is underway to expand Russia's Tentative List of prospective and nominated natural complexes with the addition of sites such as the Volga Delta, the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, the Kuril Islands, the Great Watershed of Valdai, Bikin River Valley and the Solovki Islands.
| Nomination and Specially Protected Natural Areas (SPNA), composing the site | Area | Notes |
| Virgin Komi Forests | 3,28 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1995) Criteria - N ii, iii |
| 1. Pechoro-Ilychsky State Biosphere Reserve | 721 322 | |
| 2. Yugyd Va National Park | 1 891 701 | |
| 3. Buffer zone of the Reserve | 666 000 | |
| Baikal Lake | 8,8 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
| 1. Baikalsky State Biosphere Reserve | 165 724 | |
| 2. Barguzinsky State Biosphere Reserve | 374 322 | |
| 3. Baikalo-Lensky State Nature Reserve | 660 000 | |
| 4. Pribaikalsky National Park | 418 000 | |
| 5. Zabaikalsky National Park | 246 000 | |
| 6. Frolikhinsky Federal Zakaznik | 910 200 | |
| 7. Kabansky Federal Zakaznik | 18 000 | |
| 8. Tunkinsky National Park (partially) | ||
| Volcanoes of Kamchatka | 3,70 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1996) Criteria - N i, ii, iii, iv |
| 1. Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve | 1 007 134 | |
| 2. Bystrinsky Nature Park | 1 250 000 | |
| 3. Nalychevsky Nature Park | 265 000 | |
| 4. Southern Kamchatsky Nature Park | 800 000 | |
| 5. Southern Kamchatsky Federal Zakaznik | ||
| 6. Kluchevskoy Nature Park | 376 000 | |
| Golden Mountains of Altai | 1,64 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1998) Criteria - N iv |
| 1. Altaisky State Biosphere Reserve | 881 238 | |
| 2. Katunsky State Biosphere Reserve | 150 079 | |
| 3. Belukha Mount Nature Park | 262 800 | |
| 4. Ukok Nature Park | 252 904 | |
| 5. Teletskoye Lake Protected Area | 93 753 | |
| Western Caucasus | 0,3 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1999) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| 1. Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve and its buffer zone | 288 200 | |
| 2. Bolshoi Tkhach Nature Park | 3 700 | |
| 3. Upper reaches of Pshekha and Pshekhashkha rivers Natural monument | 5 776 | |
| 4. Upper reaches of Tsitsa river Natural monument | 1 913 | |
| 5. Buiniy Ridge Natural monument | 1 480 | |
| Curonian Spit (in cooperation with Lithuania) | 0,031 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (2000) Criteria - C v |
| 1. Curonian Spit National Park (Russia) | 6 600 | |
| 2. Kursiu Nerija National Park (Lithuania) | 24 600 | |
| Natural complex of Sikhote-Alin | 0,395 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (2001) Criteria - N iv |
| 1. Sikhote-Alinsky Sate Biosphere Reserve | 390 184 | |
| 2. Goralovy Federal Zakaznik | 4 749 | |
| Uvs Nuur Basin (in cooperation with Mongolia) | 1,069 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (2003) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| 1. Ubsunur Hollow State Biosphere Reserve (Russia) | 258 620 | |
| 2. Uvs Nuur Biosphere Reserve (Mongolia) | 810 233,5 | |
| Wrangel Island | 2,226 million ha | Inscribed on the World Heritage List (2004) Criteria - N ii, iv |
| Wrangel Island State Nature Reserve | ||
| Vodlozero National Park | 0,58 million ha | Not Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1998) |
| 1. Vodlozersky National Park | 404 700 | |
| 2. Kozhozersky Regional Zakaznik | 178 600 | |
| Bashkirian Urals | 0,2 million ha | Not Inscribed on the World Heritage List (1998) |
| 1. Shulgan-Tash State Biosphere Reserve | 22 531 | |
| 2. Bashkirsky State Nature Reserve | 49 609 | |
| 3. Bachkiria National Park (Strict Protected Area) | 32 740 | |
| 4. Altyn-Solok Regional Zakaznik | 93 580 | |
| Extension of "Western Caucasus" Site | 0,085 million ha | Not Inscribed on the World Heritage List (2004) |
| Teberdinsky State biosphere Reserve | ||
| Lena Delta | 1,433 million ha | Documents submitted to the World Heritage Centre (1999) |
| Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve | ||
| Kuril Islands | 0,295 million ha | Documents submitted to RF Commission for UNESCO (2000) |
| 1. Kurilsky State Nature Reserve and its buffer zone | 65 365 and 41 475 | |
| 2. The Smaller Kurils Federal Zakaznik | 45 000 | |
| 3. Urup Island Regional Reserve | 143 000 | |
| Green Belt of Fenno-scandia (in cooperation with Finland and Norway) | 0,541 million ha | Russian part of nomination file prepared |
| 1. Laplandsky State Biosphere Reserve | 278 436 | |
| 2. Kostomukshsky State Nature Reserve | 47 457 | |
| 3. Pasvik State Nature Reserve | 14 727 | |
| 4. Paanaiarvi National Park | 104 354 | |
| 5. Kalevalsky National Park | 95 886 | |
| Putorana Plateau | 1,887 million ha | Documents submitted to the World Heritage Centre (2006) |
| Putoransky State Nature Reserve | ||
| Magadansky State Nature Reserve | 0,884 million ha | Included on the Tentative List of the Russian Federation Nomination file prepared |
| Magadansky State Nature Reserve | ||
| Commander Islands | 3,649 million ha | Included on the Tentative List of the Russian Federation Nomination file prepared |
| Komandorsky State Nature Reserve | ||
| Daurian steppes (in cooperation with China and Mongolia) | 0,045 million ha | Included on the Tentative List of the Russian Federation Russian part of nomination file prepared |
| Daursky State Biosphere Reserve | ||
| Valdai - the Great Watershed | 0,183 million ha | Nomination file prepared |
| 1. Valdaisky National Park | 158 500 | |
| 2. Tsentralno-Lesnoy Biosphere Reserve | 24 447 |
Russia is indisputably rich in unique natural complexes, which are, very importantly, undisturbed by human activities. According to the approximate estimates of scientists, Russia has close to twenty territories that are worthy of natural World Heritage status. The most prospective sites were identified as part of a joint project on boreal forests, which was implemented by UNESCO and The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
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© Natural Heritage Protection Fund 2000-2008, unless otherwise indicated.