The first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russian natural sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, preliminary list, and promising for inclusion. Ancient Building Complex in Wudang Mountains

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.

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1 Plitvice Lakes National Park, 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 of folk architecture in Slovakia. The settlement reflects the traditional features of a 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.

A fortified Gothic-style island abbey 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 Buildings, the Opera House, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Market Hall.

8 Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica, Poland.

The largest wooden sacral 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 the historical center of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Old Bridge, built in the 16th century during the rule of the Ottoman Empire, is 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.

A 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 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 the entire centuries-old history of 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 of 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.

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

Monuments of Veliky Novgorod - a UNESCO heritage site

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.

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 Chukchi 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 of the 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 a total area of 32,600 square meters. 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

Every year on March 3rd World Wildlife Day is celebrated. The date was not chosen by chance: on this day in 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was adopted. World Wildlife Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and beauty of the world around us.

In order to preserve and enhance not only the cultural, but also the natural riches of the planet, in 1972 UNESCO created the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the main goal of which is to make known and protect objects that are unique in their kind. There are now more than a thousand objects on the list.

The entire diversity of World Heritage is divided into three conditional groups: cultural, natural and cultural-natural objects. There are currently 26 monuments on the territory of Russia, 10 of which are unique natural objects.

Virgin forests of Komi

The virgin forests of Komi were the first to be included in the list of World Natural Heritage in Russia. This is a huge and almost untouched natural area located in the northeast of the Komi Republic. The local forests mainly contain spruce, pine, fir, as well as several types of birch, larch and cedar.

This site includes one of the oldest nature reserves in Russia, the Pechora-Ilychsky nature reserve, located on the western slopes of the Northern Urals, and the Yugyd Va national park. In general, this entire extended protected area plays a huge role in stabilizing the state of the natural environment. In addition, the pristine nature of the reserve and park is of interest to archaeologists and paleontologists.

Volcanoes of Kamchatka

The volcanoes of Kamchatka are six separate areas that are located in the east, center and south of the peninsula. Together they reflect almost all the main landscapes of Kamchatka, but at the same time, each of them also has a bright individuality. In total, there are about 30 active and 300 extinct volcanoes.

The boundaries of this UNESCO monument include the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve (a unique picturesque mountainous area that includes 26 volcanoes), the little-developed high-mountain Bystrinsky Natural Park, the Klyuchevskoy Natural Park with the Klyuchevskaya Sopka - the highest active volcano in Eurasia - and the Nalychevo Natural Park. The latter includes the famous Nalychevo resort area, where there are about 200 healing springs of thermal and mineral waters.

Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is one of the largest natural world heritage sites. This is the oldest freshwater body of water on our planet - its age is usually estimated at 25 million years, and also the deepest lake in the world - its maximum depth is 1620 meters. In addition, Baikal contains approximately 20% of all the world's fresh water reserves. The beauty of the lake and its surroundings attract tourists from all over Russia and from many countries of the world.

Golden Mountains of Altai

In the area where the territories of the four largest states of Eurasia—Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia—converge, are located the Golden Mountains of Altai, one of the most significant mountain systems in Central Asia and Southern Siberia.

Here you can see a wide variety of landscapes - from steppes and taiga to mountain tundras and glaciers. The area is dominated by the double-headed Belukha Mountain, covered with a cap of eternal snow and ice. It reaches 4506 meters in height and is the highest point not only in Altai, but throughout Siberia. And to the west of Belukha, dozens of mountain glaciers are concentrated.

Western Caucasus

The Western Caucasus is a natural massif located in the western part of the Greater Caucasus, approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Sochi. More than 6 thousand species of plants and animals have been recorded in this territory, which makes it a unique center of biodiversity not only on the scale of the Caucasus, but also in Eurasia.

Several tourist routes have been laid across the territory of the reserve, observation decks have been equipped, and a natural museum has been created. The most visited place is the Krasnaya Polyana area, located at the southern borders of the reserve.

Central Sikhote-Alin

This valuable mountain and forest region is located in the south of the Russian Far East. Here you can see narrow intermountain valleys through which small but fast rapids rivers flow; soaring mountains and rocky cliffs, sometimes plummeting into the waters of the Sea of Japan. Thanks to the local humid climate, dense forests have formed here, recognized as one of the richest and most original in species composition in the entire Northern Hemisphere.

Ubsunur Basin

Ubsunur is a fairly large shallow salt lake located in the western part of a vast and closed intermountain basin. The northern part of this basin is located on the territory of Russia (Tuva), and the southern part is on the territory of Mongolia. The World Heritage Site itself consists of 12 separate sites, seven of which are located in Russia.

All sites are located in different parts of the drainage basin of Lake Ubsunur, so they differ markedly from each other in natural conditions and, in general, represent all the main types of landscapes characteristic of Central Asia. In addition, cultural heritage monuments were found in the basin: ancient burials, rock paintings, stone sculptures.

Wrangel Island

The area of Wrangel Island is the northernmost among the world natural heritage sites, it is located approximately 500 kilometers above the border of the Arctic Circle, at 71 degrees north latitude. In addition to Wrangel Island, the object includes Herald Island, located 70 kilometers to the east, as well as the adjacent waters of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas.

The island itself is valuable because it represents a distinctly autonomous ecosystem that has developed in complete isolation over the past 50 thousand years, starting from the time when the island began to separate from the mainland. In addition, this territory is characterized by exceptional biological diversity for the Arctic, with a number of rare and endangered species found here.

Putorana Plateau

The boundaries of this object coincide with the boundaries of the Putorana State Nature Reserve, located in the northern part of Central Siberia, 100 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle. The World Heritage portion of this plateau contains a full range of subarctic and arctic ecosystems preserved in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic deserts, as well as pristine cold-water lake and river systems.

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

The Lena Pillars are rock formations of rare beauty that 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). The pillars are separated from each other by deep and steep ravines, partially filled with rock debris. The site contains remains of many different species from the Cambrian period.

The material was prepared by the site editors

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, an ancient Indian settlement. 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 the 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, the historical centers of St. Petersburg and Yaroslavl.

There are also as many as 10 natural heritage sites in Russia, including the famous Lake Baikal and the Golden Altai Mountains.

The United Kingdom has many cultural heritage sites dating in particular from 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 of the oldest civilizations that lived in the New World before the Age of Discovery - the Aztecs and the Mayans. 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 more tourists, which means 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.

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 World Natural Heritage List. 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.

World Heritage areas 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 forests of Komi

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 emerge from the water.

The reservoir of Russia's largest lake contains 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 per 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. And the Far Eastern leopard remained only in Primorye.

V.K. traveled through the local taiga. Arsenyev is a researcher of the 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.