UNESCO

In 1972 UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) passed the World Heritage Convention, defining the kind of natural or cultural sites which can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. Different countries (States Parties) identify potential sites and agree their role in protecting and preserving them. By signing the Convention, each country pledges to conserve not only the World Heritage sites situated on its territory, but also to protect its national heritage. The States Parties report regularly to the World Heritage Committee on the state of conservation of their World Heritage properties.

Today, The World Heritage List includes 851 properties. These include 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 mixed properties in 141 States Parties. As of October 2006, 184 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention. In Russia these include the historic centre of St Petersburg, The Kremlin and Red Square, The Cultural and Historical ensemble of the Solovestki Islans, Lake Baikal, the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Golden Mountains of Altai, the Kazan Kremlin, and many other sites. However, none are 20th Century, highlighting an imbalance in the World Heritage List of a dearth of modernist buildings.