Conservation Issues on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia. From the Roerich Pact to Contemporary Challenges

Abstract

Nowadays Russia promotes different economic and cultural programs among which there is one of the most important sources of growth: the conservation of its vast cultural heritage. There is a particular importance in a profound study and wide accessibility to cultural heritage since the country has been experiencing fundamental social, economic and spiritual changes. Study and conservation of cultural heritage are necessary conditions for the dissemination of the national cultural wealth of Russia. Valorization of proper historical heritage helps to keep the spirituality of people so that authentic and ingrained culture doesn’t get affected by false and ephemeral values. Cultural heritage basically represents the main form of existence of culture, if it is not represented to cultural heritage doesn’t belong anymore to culture and at the end stops existing. In all their life, a person can valorize and internalize a small part of cultural heritage. It might be left for the other generations, so it can become a part of a heritage of the human community, but just if it’s properly preserved. That’s why cultural heritage protection is also a protection of the culture tout court. Issues on cultural heritage protection are common to all the societies and today Russia is facing it in a more systematic way. The history of Russian culture resembles more to that western rather than oriental: it was also followed by rather rough changes and solutions of continuity.