NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE NATIONAL ATLAS OF RUSSIA

A.I. Elchaninov

Institute of Heritage

heritage@mtu-net.ru

National heritage is observed in functional unity of its cultural and natural components, as it is stated by UNESCO Convention and several other documents of the world community, concerning heritage preservation. Heritage includes not only art values, separate architectural and historical-material subjects, ensembles or town-planning complexes, but also natural environment, historical environment of towns, country settlements, traditional forms of economy and nature use, special cultural and material wealth, recorded in folklore, customs and ceremonies, trades and crafts, art values and special forms of live and material nature manifestations.

Cultural and natural heritage of Russia is the memory about the life of Russian peoples in previous times, the basis of modern cultural progress in society, necessary for its development. At the same time it is also memory about nature of the past, preserved to the present times. Preservation of cultural and natural heritage for modern and future generations is strategic, national scientific-practical object, the duty of every Russian citizen.

There are several main approaches, that determine attitude towards heritage:

- genetic (heritage as carrier of historical memory, that determine preservation of national and regional culture originality );

- ecological (heritage as basis of society and biosphere stable development);

- geographical (heritage as preservation basis of cultural and natural diversity of the world, country, separate regions, ethnoses, population groups).

Contents and structure of the part “Culture” are developed on the basis of its aims and objectives. There are 5 parts:

1. Russia in the world cultural space.
2. Cultural and natural heritage.
3. Modern culture.
4. Preservation and use of heritage and cultural objects.
5. Reference informational.

Contents of the part “Culture”

1. Status of Russia in the world cultural space. There will be shown position of world religions and Russian peoples in the world, objects of World cultural and natural heritage, situated on Russian territory.

2. Cultural and natural heritage of Russia.

It is the main and the biggest section of the volume, that cover vast selection of history and culture monument maps as the whole country as well as separate historical towns of Russia, where monuments of archaeology, history, architecture, art and nature are placed.

3. Modern culture.

The section is represented by maps, reflecting characteristics of network and activity of cultural bodies: museums, theatres, libraries, archives.

4. Protection and use of heritage and cultural objects.

In this final section the maps, reflecting the system of managing culture and heritage, organization of preservation and reconstruction of heritage objects will be presented.

5. Reference informational. The section includes index of heritage objects, chronological table, glossary of terms, bibliography.

To elaborate the maps and other materials of this volume, knowledge, experience and research results of research institutes, scientists and other specialists are used.

The main organizations to create part “Culture” of the 4^th volume of the National Atlas of Russia are The Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage and PKO “Kartographia”. They organize preparatory works, realize scientific-methodical management of the elaborations, and coordinate works of the other co-executors.