Russian Natural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, Tentative List, and potential properties for inscription

Russia (the former Soviet Union) signed the World Heritage Convention in 1988 and is now represented on the World Heritage List by 18 cultural and 11 natural properties. In its number of natural properties inscribed on the List, Russia is on the fourth place among nations, following China, United States, and Australia. 40 Russian protected areas have the status of a World Heritage site, including 13 state nature reserves (zapovednik), 7 state natural national parks, 4 preserves of federal significance, 7 natural parks, 6 preserves of regional significance, 3 natural monuments of regional significance. 

At present, the following sites in Russia have World Natural Heritage status:

• Virgin Komi Forests;
• Lake Baikal;
• Volcanoes of Kamchatka;
• Golden Mountains of Altai;
• Western Caucasus;
• Central Sikhote-Alin;
Bikin River Valley (part of Central Sikhote-Alin site);
• Uvs Nuur Basin;
• Wrangel Island;
• Putorana Plateau;
• Lena Pillars
• Daurian Steppes.

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:

• Magadansky Reserve;
• Commander Islands;
• Great Vasyugan Mire;
• Krasnoyarsk Pillars;
• Ilmensky Mountains;
• Bashkir Ural;
• Testament of Kenozero Lake;
• The Oglakhty Range;
• National Park Kytalyk;
• Bashkir Shikhans Toratau, Kushtau and Yuraktau.

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. 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.

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, Lena Delta, the Green Belt of Fennoscandia, the Kuril Islands, the Great Watershed of Valdai, Western Sayan, Beringia and the Solovki Islands.

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).