Cultural heritage is an important part of the life of every nation. For this reason, you should know what cultural heritage is and why its preservation is so important. It helps to better know and understand the history of the formation of modern society.
What is cultural heritage?
Nature and culture together form the human environment. The skills and knowledge acquired by mankind from the beginning of time accumulate and multiply over the centuries, forming a cultural heritage. There is no single definition of what cultural heritage is, since this term is considered from different points of view.
From the point of view of cultural studies, this is the main way of existence of culture. Heritage properties preserve and pass on values that carry an emotional dimension to future generations. History considers cultural heritage primarily as a source of information about the development and formation of modern society. The legal point of view does not take into account emotional value, but determines the degree of information content and relevance of an object, as well as its ability to influence society.
If you combine these concepts, then cultural heritage can be defined as a combination of material and intangible values created by nature and man during previous historical eras.
Social memory
Social memory should be understood as the basis of social knowledge. The experience and knowledge accumulated by mankind are passed down from generation to generation. The development of modern man is possible only based on the knowledge of ancestors.
Cultural heritage and social memory are concepts that always accompany each other. Heritage properties are the main means of transmitting knowledge, thoughts and worldviews to future generations. This is irrefutable evidence of the existence of certain people, events and ideas. In addition, they guarantee the reliability of social memory, preventing it from being distorted.
Social memory is a kind of library where all useful knowledge is stored that can be used and improved by society in the future. Unlike the memory of one person, social memory has no ending and belongs to each representative of society. Ultimately, heritage determines the basic elements of social memory. Those values that are not included in the cultural heritage, sooner or later lose their meaning, are forgotten and excluded from social memory.
UNESCO Organization
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. One of the goals of UNESCO is to unite countries and peoples to preserve world cultural values.
The organization was formed in November 1945 and is based in Paris. Today, UNESCO members are more than two hundred states.
In the field of culture, the organization is engaged in the conservation and protection of the cultural and natural heritage of mankind. The basis for this area of activity was the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972. During the first session, the main provisions and objectives of the World Heritage Committee were adopted.
The Committee also determined the natural and cultural criteria for assessing objects, according to which they were included or not included in the list of protected areas.Preservation of cultural heritage is an obligation undertaken by a state that has one or another object, with the support of UNESCO. Today, the registry includes more than a thousand protected objects.
World Heritage
The 1972 Convention made a clear definition of what cultural heritage was and divided it into categories. Under the cultural heritage should be understood:
- Monuments
- ensembles;
- places of interest.
Monuments include all works of art (painting, sculpture, etc.), as well as objects of archaeological significance (rock inscriptions, burials), created by man and valuable for science, history and art. Ensembles are architectural groups that blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Attractions include the creation of man separately from nature or in conjunction with it.
The Convention also identified criteria for natural heritage. It includes natural monuments, places of interest, geological and physiographic formations.
The cultural heritage of Russia
To date, twenty seven sites located in Russia are included in the World Heritage Register. Sixteen of them were selected according to cultural criteria and eleven natural objects. The first objects were attributed to the World Heritage Site in 1990. Another twenty-three objects are on the list of candidates. Of these, eleven are cultural, three are natural-cultural, nine are natural objects.
Among the UNESCO Member States, the Russian Federation is in ninth place in terms of the number of World Heritage Sites.
Cultural Heritage Days in Moscow - International Day for the Protection of Monuments and Landmarks (celebrated on April 18) and International Museum Day (May 18). Every year these days in Moscow, free access to heritage sites is opened, tours, quests, and lectures are organized. All these activities are aimed at popularizing cultural values, familiarization with them.
Legal aspect
The Federal Law (Federal Law) on objects of cultural heritage was adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 2002. This law defines the preservation of cultural heritage as a priority for the authorities. The law also establishes the procedure for identifying heritage objects and including their register.
This register includes tangible and intangible cultural property that has passed expert examination. Each object entered in the register is assigned a registration number and passport. The passport indicates the detailed characteristics of the object: name, date of occurrence, photographs, description, information about the location. The passport also reflects data on the expert assessment of the facility and the conditions for the protection of the facility.
According to the Federal Law on Cultural Heritage Sites, cultural values are recognized by the state. In this regard, the need to preserve them, as well as to popularize and provide access to heritage sites, has been declared. The law prohibits changing and demolishing objects. The management of cultural heritage objects is a set of measures aimed at monitoring, preserving and developing cultural objects.
Natural objects of Russia
On the territory of the Russian Federation there are ten objects included in the World Heritage. Six of them, according to the classification of UNESCO, should be considered as a phenomenon of exceptional beauty. One of these sites is Lake Baikal. This is one of the oldest freshwater formations on the planet. Thanks to this, a unique ecosystem has formed in the lake.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka also belong to natural phenomena. This formation is the largest cluster of active volcanoes. The area is constantly evolving and has unique landscapes. Unique in their geographical features are the Golden Altai Mountains. The total area of this heritage site is one million six hundred forty thousand hectares.This is a habitat for rare animals, some of which are on the verge of extinction.
Cultural objects of Russia
Among the objects that represent the cultural heritage of Russia, it is difficult to distinguish more significant exhibits. The culture of Russia is ancient and very diverse. These are monuments of Russian architecture, and a colossal project of interweaving the streets and canals of St. Petersburg, and numerous monasteries, cathedrals and Kremlin.
A special place among the heritage sites is the Moscow Kremlin. The walls of the Moscow Kremlin are witnesses to many historical events that affect the life of Russia. St. Basil's Cathedral, located on Red Square, is a unique architectural masterpiece. The main part of the World Heritage in Russia are churches and monasteries. Among them is the Solovetsky Islands ensemble, the first settlement of which dates back to the fifth century BC.
The importance of cultural heritage
The value of the cultural heritage is very great both for society as a whole and for each person individually. Becoming a person is impossible without knowledge of the traditions and experience of ancestors. The conservation and enhancement of heritage sites is an important task for each generation. This ensures the spiritual growth and development of mankind. Cultural heritage is an important component of culture, which helps to absorb the experience of world history.