Digital cultural heritage and memory institutions within the structure of national identity: philosophical discourse

I. INTRODUCTION II. CULTURAL & NATURAL HERITAGE: AN OVERVIEW A. Cultural Heritage B. Natural Heritages C. Nature Conservation Strategies Worldwide D. The Links Between Cultural and Natural Heritage E. Characteristics of Sites of Overlapping Cultural & Natural Heritage III. The Present and Future of Integrated Cultural & Natural Heritage Management A. Challenges Posed to Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage B. Existing Legal/Regulatory Efforts to Protect Cultural and Natural Heritage 1. Developed Countries a. The United States b. The European Union (1) England (a) National Parks (b) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (c) Conservation Areas (2) Dartmoor National Park (a) The Dartmoor Local Plan (b) Local Plan Aims (c) Local Plan Landscapes c. Canada 2. Developing Countries a. China b. Brazil IV. CONCLUSION A. Why Integrate Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection? B. Bridging Boundaries for Mutual Gain I. INTRODUCTION Formal legal efforts to protect cultural and natural heritage are not a modern phenomenon. In the developed and developing worlds, regional, state, and local governments undertake efforts to protect their cultural heritage and their natural resources. Most cultural and natural resource protection regimes, however, have evolved independently of one another. This is only recently beginning to change. As scholars, regulators, and activists increasingly recognize the links and overlap between areas of cultural and natural heritage, they are beginning to come together to develop new regimes for joint cultural and environmental protection. These early efforts jointly to protect cultural and natural heritage vary significantly in character and success. These variations reflect a still vague and evolving understanding of the interplay between culture and nature, the relationship between public and private land ownership, and significant regional differences in existing legal regimes, economic development, and environmental agendas. Further, there is currently very little comprehensive research examining global efforts to develop heritage protection areas that integrate both cultural and natural resource conservation. There is even less research analyzing how relationships between land ownership and social conceptions of culture and nature impact the development of future cultural and natural heritage programs. The goal of this paper is to contribute to and encourage the development of innovative, interdisciplinary approaches for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage areas. The second section of this paper examines traditional notions and regulatory regimes for cultural and natural heritage protection, and delves into the links between cultural and natural heritage. Section three analyzes existing cultural heritage and environmental/natural protection laws, and provides examples of joint cultural and natural heritage preservation efforts. In particular, section three considers how current and prospective joint cultural and natural heritage protection efforts in developed and developing countries contribute to the social and economic development of communities and regions, and advance the principles of sustainable development by strengthening the historical continuity of a place and its people, and by guiding development in ways consistent with the characteristics of these cultural and natural resources. Additionally, section three examines case studies in the United States, Europe, Canada, Brazil, and China to demonstrate the challenges and critical elements integral to developing innovative and sustainable cultural and natural heritage preservation schemes. …

Country(side) in the Context of Climate Change The theme of this issue of M/C Journal is ‘country’, with a remit to contemplate the multifaceted and pliable deployment of that term. Notably, ‘country’ can be used synonymously with both ‘the rural’ and ‘the nation’, and in many contemporary western societies these evocations are not so far apart. Indeed, they often overlap: countryside landscapes (which may be either pastoral or wilderness) are frequently used as symbolic sites to encapsulate broader national imaginaries and thus project a wider sense of national identity and belonging. As David Bell argues, the (rural and/or ‘natural’) countryside is often deployed as a storehouse for cultural meanings associated with national values that “shor[e] up what it means to be English, or Dutch, or whatever” (151). This association is apparent in Australia too, where interleaving the countryside and nation-state is long-standing in settler (i.e. Anglo-Australian) landscape tropes, notably ‘the bush’, ‘the outback’ and the wheat/sheep farming belt (Gorman-Murray et al; Ward; Sarah Bell). My entry into this theme is through what might seem, at first glance, an obscure avenue: I provide a case study of the place of “Australia’s snow country” (AALC 16) – the Australian Alps – in national imaginaries. On the one hand, the snow country may appear marginal to national landscape tropes, in which images of the bush, beach, outback, desert and tropical islands dominate. This is perhaps most apparent in images used to ‘sell’ Australia in international tourism campaigns (Gorman-Murray et al; Waitt). But on the other hand, I argue, the snow country is also prominent in Australian lives, lifestyles and mythologies, evinced through several measures. At one level, the Australian Alps in New South Wales and Victoria, in particular, are widely known for winter ski and snow sports tourism, with alpine resorts generating $1.318 billion in economic activity and 17,030 jobs in 2005 (NIEIR). At another level, the Australian Alps have been a focus of national socioeconomic development through the Snowy Mountains Scheme’s massive engineering project, completed between 1949 and 1974. Apart from national development goals around power generation and farmland irrigation, the Scheme also brought large-scale non-British migration with far-reaching implications in shaping modern Australian society (Lennon). And from yet another perspective, the Australian Alps have their own particular place in settler mythologies through narratives of the cattlemen and stockmen of ‘the high country’ (a settler descriptor for the Alps) (Lennon; Truscott). The snow country, then, and especially the Australian Alps, does play a significant role in discourses of Australian nationhood, belonging and identity. I argue that the importance of the Australian Alps in national imaginaries is heightened in the current context of societal and political apprehension about the effects of human-induced climate change on Australia. Already the warmest and driest continent, modelling suggests the effects of global warming on Australia will be severe, with south-east Australia – the most temperate part of the continent, where both the Alps and the bulk of the population are located – becoming even drier and warmer (Lowe). The Garnaut Climate Change Review (www.garnautreview.org.au) indicates that without immediate measures, many of Australia’s fragile landscapes will be radically altered as soon as 2050, including the Murray-Darling Basin, the Great Barrier Reef, the Kakadu Wetlands and the Australian Alps (Garnaut, Draft Report; Garnaut, National Press Club Address; Peatling). With regard to the snow country, research from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) indicates imminent significant reduction in the area, depth and duration of snow cover in the Alps as a result of warming and drying, with high impact scenarios estimating more than 90% shrinkage in snow cover by 2050 (Hennessey et al). This will have severe impacts on local ecosystems (Pickering et al) and ski tourism (Bicknell and McManus). But what effect might this have on the cultural significance of the snow country in national imaginaries? How will the Alps be re-valued in light of climate change? Equally, this demands consideration of how the Alps are currently, and have previously been, placed in discourses of nationhood and identity, and whether these tropes are reflected, enhanced and/or transformed in the context of climate change. To address these issues, this essay provides three narratives about how the Australian Alps have been viewed and valued in national imaginaries, each focusing on past, present and ‘future’ visions of the snow country. I begin with the present, noting how the Alps are currently figured discursively as a unique national landscape. Present evocations are, of course, based on past practices, lives and mythologies, and so in the second narrative I turn to the Alps’ settler histories. I focus on the town of Kiandra, its association with snow and alpine imagery, and the way it provided a vector for further settlement and use of the Alps. But Kiandra is now a ghost town, serving as a harbinger of possible alpine futures. So the last narrative turns to concerns about the future of the Australian Alps, and what lessons could be learnt from the expected impact of climate change on the snow country. As this ordering suggests, rather than a presenting a wholly linear argument, these narratives bounce off each other, constellating temporally and spatially diverse perspectives on the Australian Alps. The data interpreted in this essay are drawn from current media commentaries, archival sources, landscape photography (of Kiandra), and a survey on the cultural significance of the Australian snow country in the light of climate change. Throughout the discussion I use a range of descriptors for the snow country – countryside, landscape and environment, for instance. While I recognise that some of these terms have distinct definitions in certain disciplines – e.g. contentions within cultural geography about the application of ‘landscape’ (Merriman et al) – I employ them in an interchangeable and non-technical manner to describe the snow country. The Australian Alps: a Unique National Landscape The Australian snow country comprises the alpine and sub-alpine bioregions – a particular group of landscapes with distinct flora and fauna determined by a combination of climate, altitude and seasonal snow cover, and thus restricted to the more mountainous terrain in the continent’s south-east corner (AALC). As Figure 1 below indicates, the largest (and most famous) zone of snow country is the Australian Alps, which stretch across NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Roughly 90% of this landscape is sub-alpine snow gum woodland, while the remaining 10% is the true alpine zone above the treeline, comprising herbaceous plants, shrubs and grasses. Snow cover in both the alpine and sub-alpine zones is seasonal, lasting from roughly May to October, but longer at higher altitudes and latitudes. Overall, the snow country makes up less than 1% of Australia’s land area, and over half of this is in the mainland Alps. Despite its limited range, this countryside is a critical component of wider ecological and hydrological conditions: the small area of high rainfall and snow cover comprising the Australian Alps “determine[s] the distribution of water to rivers, and therefore to people, in a way that affects the whole of south-eastern Australia” (Slattery 5). Figure 1: Australian alpine and sub-alpine areas. Hydrological importance aside, the Australian Alps are also culturally significant in national imaginaries. In June 2008, the Alps were chosen as one of only eight ‘national landscapes’ to be featured in Tourism Australia’s new eponymous marketing initiative, pitched as a “unique Australian destination” to international tourists (Talip 4). The ‘National Landscapes’ campaign explicitly links the snow country with national identity, configuring the Alps as an archetypical Australian landscape. Peter Jacobs, the Australian Alps Region National Landscapes Steering Committee chairman, explained the connection between the landscape and a unique Australian experience: Touring in the high country and experiencing the vast alpine landscapes, the beautiful, majestic snow gum forest is a feature that really stands out for people. And the other thing that people often find a bit odd about the Australian Alps, especially from overseas, is the snow experience and although we’re not necessarily trying to compete with international larger resorts, the whole concept of snow in Australia and being able to ski and see a snow-covered alpine landscape is very unique. (Talip 4) Snowy climatic conditions, then, are a critical element in the Alps’ national importance. But at the same time, the significance of the Australian Alps as a national landscape is not due simply to winter ski tourism. Other cultural narratives render the snow country central to Australian nationhood and cultural identity. These are also iterated by Peter Jacobs: “It’s a lot to do with the stories of […] early settlers like cattlemen and miners, the Man from Snowy River. There’s a real cultural link to the adventure of the Alps” (Talip 4). Jacobs thus draws attention to the place of the Alps in some of the central motifs of Australia’s defining bush mythologies – the pioneering cattlemen and stockmen, their role in domesticating the countryside, and their memorialisation in the well-known narrative of The Man from Snowy River (Truscott). While these configurations are white and masculine, certainly not all-inclusive or mindful of Indigenous displacement, they have been nevertheless fundamental in framing the cultural heritage and legacy of the Australian Alps. The Man from Snowy River, writt

Possible policies and actions to protect the soil cultural and natural heritage of Europe

The purpose of this study is to highlight the conceptual and methodological approaches as well as practical experience in creating of an Atlas Information System of natural and cultural heritage of Ukraine (AIS PiKS) and to outline the directions of its long-term development. AIS PiKS means a problemoriented information system that provides an opportunity to store, systematize and analyze a large amount of accounting and statistical information that will present a modern and clear information picture of the state and trends of the development trends of objects and territories of the country's natural and cultural heritage and its regions, and present it with traditional and modern means of visualization; to assist the bodies of state administration in the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of natural and cultural heritage, such as accounting, protection, conservation and use of its objects and territories etc. At the first stage of its development, AIS PiKS was reflected in the form of appropriate blocks of the electronic Atlas "Population of Ukraine and its natural and cultural heritage" (hereinafter – the Atlas). The development of the atlas was completed in 2020 by the Institute of Geography of NASU. Among the many scientific and applied tasks that were solved, the focus is on research of their thematic component, among them – the theoretical development of the component structure and content of AIS PiKS, development of conceptual and terminological apparatus, analysis, and visualization of various spatial and descriptive information. The formation of information database AIS PiKS was carried out in the presence of a huge number of potential mapping objects, inefficiently functioning state accounting system of PiKS objects and territories and the need to supplement existing lists with data on spatial localization of mapping objects, visualization of topographic location and necessary attributive (descriptive) information. The need to present a wide range of data from areas related to geography (primarily culture) required the search for new conceptual approaches, methodological solutions, and relevant information sources. As a result, the first in Ukraine specialized thematic maps of ethnocultural, religious and scientific and technical heritage were created, which is a scientific novelty of the Atlas. For the first time in Ukraine, сultural-landscape zoning of Ukraine has been developed at the macro level, thus starting to fill a gap of the absence of domestic developments of this kind. The map "Cultural-landscape zoning of Ukraine" became one of the key topics of the electronic atlas "Population of Ukraine and its natural and cultural heritage". The study identified proposals on the main directions of development and practical application of AIS PiKS. Besides actualization of data, they involves the development of the main ideas and areas of research planned in the Atlas, especially on complex electronic atlases, the deepening of the regional aspect of case studies of cultural and natural heritage through inclusion in the systems of national and regional strategy, spatial development planning, research on integrated study of territory, mapping and development of CLZ of cultural and natural heritage of regions and administrative districts, etc.

The global economy growth is depending more on the development of service sectors and the digital technologies. Tourism as one of the most important service sectors, is driving cultural heritagelobal economy because it employs people and guarantees more revenues for local communities by using resources involved. Anyway, the use of resources has led to the need for sustainable development, since the future of next generations depends on the finite resources. Tourism is one of the industries that have embraced the sustainable development philosophy since it can be managed to be more careful about the resources, without compromising revenues. The most important elements for visitors and as such, for tourism development in a country are its resources in cultural and natural heritage. There is a close relationship between tourism and heritage. Cultural heritage can attract tourists to a site, and for this reason tourism can be also seen as the industry, which may be more interested in protecting this heritage. Digital technologies are sustaining the tourism industry in all its value chain, by bettering processes, by introducing innovative products, by bettering destinations marketing etc. But what is more important the digital technologies can contribute to manage the tourism sites in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of digitalization of cultural heritage in developing a sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Since cultural heritage tourism is one of the most important niche market in tourism, as ascertained by WTO, heritage sites need to be managed sustainably and this could be done by using digital technologies. The illustration of Albania as a case study will show the process and steps to be followed to benefit adequately from the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in heritage sites. The methodology is following the two steps: literature review and case study illustration, which will try to identify the right use of digital technologies that would help in achieving sustainability in heritage sites. Albania as the case study in question, is one of the latest destinations that has emerged in the Balkans only in the last decade. The tourism sector is growing and is being seen as one of the most important sectors for Albanian economy. Albania is differentiating its brand mainly by its natural and cultural heritage. There are different types of protected areas as part of natural heritage, while there is a list of cultural objects, museums, castles, festivals etc. as part of cultural heritage. The tourism flow in these sites is growing. On the other hand, tourism activities of different subsectors in Albania, are being more and more sustained by digital technologies. We have examples of using applications for reservations in accommodation business, social media for tourism sites and different digital technologies used by tour operators and marketing organization. The latest initiative is the digitalization of cultural heritage by the Ministry of culture. But the role of digital technologies is still weak in sustainable development in digital sites. The recommendations are focused in strengthening this role in types of heritage sites.

The purpose of the study is to identify the causes and develop recommendations for the development of software for memory institutions in the digitalization of cultural heritage. Research Methods. Based on empirical research and analysis of the software’s state and technology of domestic memory institutions, an overview of approaches to software development in the heritage sector has been made. The analysis of slow implementation of software in domestic memory institutions, which negatively influences the processes of digitalization, in particular the development of information resources and digital collections, electronic accounting of funds, is conducted. The basic approaches to the provision of information productions by software and organization of effective interaction of the software life cycle subjects are defined. The scientific novelty lies in the effective way of project management of software and technological developments proposed for domestic memory institutions from the formation of technical specifications to implementation. Recommendations are given on ensuring the quality of interfaces and websites of digital resources and online services of memory institutions. Conclusions. The application of the research results will improve the quality of resources and services in the domestic cultural heritage, the availability of digital resources and services to a wide audience of users. This will contribute to the digital development and integration of national cultural heritage into global information systems, integrated digital resources, increase the share of domestic content in the world historical and cultural resource, and create a positive image of Ukraine as part of European and world history and a modern IT subject in the cultural heritage sector. The material is designed for executives and professionals of memory institutions, students and IT professionals focused on digitalisation of the heritage and the creative industries.

Globalization has created new challenges and threats. The article identifies threats and challenges of globalization that have the most devastating effect on cultural and natural heritage. It analyzes efforts of the international community to minimize them. The article studies economic, foreign policy, environmental and cultural threats to the world cultural heritage. Heritage sites can be destroyed as a result of environmental and technological challenges, extremist movements and wars, uncontrolled urbanization, predatory exploitation of nature and cultural objects for commercial purposes, and rapid development of international tourism. All these factors have a negative impact on cultural and natural heritage sites. The problem of protection of natural and cultural heritage is of institutional and documentary nature. The UNESCO international organization deals with World Heritage issues, compiling a list of endangered objects of cultural and natural significance. It combines international efforts to preserve and popularize them because of their special cultural, historical or environmental significance. Damage or extinction of cultural objects is tragic for the world heritage. Due to new dangers, the entire international community must participate in the protection of the natural and cultural heritage sites. Problems that cause irreparable harm to the world heritage are due to human activities. It is necessary to develop measures that could be a response to the problems of cultural heritage protection in the context of globalization. It is necessary to make people respect cultural and natural heritage and inform them about dangers threatening cultural objects.

Formulation of the problem. Nowadays in Ukraine there is a significant gap in the application of cultural-landscape approach and the lack of cultural and landscape zoning (CLZ) at different taxonomic levels, as one of the fundamental stages in the protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage, which is recognized in a number of international documents by the world community. The purpose of the article. The purpose of this study is to develop methodological approaches to CLZ in Ukraine. Analysis of recent research and publications. The study and analysis of the experience of differentiation and zoning of different level territories on the basis of cultural and landscape approach in some European countries showed the crucial role of CLZ in studying cultural landscapes and planning management actions for their protection, conservation and use. Methodology and results. The overall purpose of CLZ was to identify, define and differentiate integral natural and cultural systemic territorial formations of different levels, which form a set of interconnected cultural landscapes in a given area. The main factors of cultural-landscape differentiation of Ukraine at the macro level were natural-geographical, ethnographic, linguistic, historical-geographical, historical-political and administrative-territorial features and features of spatial localization and concentration of natural and cultural heritage - immovable and intangible. The information base for conducting the CLZ were researches that reflects the territorial differentiation of Ukraine by these groups of features and has developed appropriate zoning schemes with their cartographic implementation. The taxonomic system of the country's CLZ has been developed. It consists of two levels: 14 cultural-landscape regions and 52 cultural-landscape macro-districts; 26 cultural and landscape regions have been identified as a separate taxon, outside of the hierarchy, according to the administrative-territorial division of the country. The most important result of the study – the map "Cultural-landscape zoning of Ukraine", became one of the key topics of the electronic atlas "Population of Ukraine and its natural and cultural heritage". The development of the atlas was completed in 2020 by the Institute of Geography of NASU. Scientific novelty and practical significance. For the first time in Ukraine, CLZ has been developed at the macro level, thus starting to fill a gap of the absence of domestic developments of this kind. The study identified proposals on the main directions of development and practical application of CLZ in the field of protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage through inclusion in the systems of national and regional strategy, spatial development planning, research on integrated study of territory, mapping and development of CLZ regions and administrative districts, etc.

The rapid growth of the threat to the destruction of natural and cultural values prompted the world community to realize the need to join efforts to preserve the achievements of nature and culture. Henceforth, the importance of the factor of cooperation in international relations becomes greater. The article considers multilateral cooperation in the field of preservation of cultural and natural heritage in the Arctic. The Arctic is a territory where the interests of many states overlap, so cooperation issues are particularly important here. The Arctic region has a unique natural and cultural heritage that needs constant protection. The authors aim at analyzing the modern system of defense of the world cultural and natural heritage, developed by UNESCO. The authors mean the world heritage as the most valuable foundation, a set of artifacts of spiritual and material culture created by man, and the wealth created by nature, inherited from past generations are preserved at present and transferred to future generations. The article pays attention not only to sites already on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but also to those that are to be included on the UNESCO List. Special attention is paid to the interaction of Russia and UNESCO on the issues of identifying new sites of natural and cultural heritage in the Arctic.

The research is placed in the scenario, confirmed by the NUA, in which the environment (as a set of ecosystem resources) plays a fundamental role for the sustainable development of territories as an element capable of generating resources, producing economic flows and increasing awareness and knowledge. Italy has a rich and diversified natural and cultural heritage whose management, however, presents numerous problems. This conservative and sectorial management model does not enhance the social and economic potential of the territorial heritage and does not favour the integration of resources. Indeed, cultural and natural heritage is never shaped as convertible entity, under certain conditions, into economic capital on a sustainable basis. Yet such an approach could bring about a change in perspective and a new vision of countrywide heritage: the status of an “active component of society” would replace its passive consideration in terms of potential availability and inheritance. The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that looks at the actions implemented in the sectors of low, socio-economic and cultural resource management, related to natural and cultural heritage. The study also moves in a multi-level logic with references to the local scale, focusing on a case study (Taranto in Apulia, Italy) as an example of the effects that policymakers’ actions have had on natural and cultural heritage, an expression of socio-economic territorial structure. Starting from the UE legislative framework, where NUA fully recognises the close link between human well-being and the health of natural and cultural systems, it comes to the identification of possible jurisdictional remedies useful to highlight the unavoidable link between cultural heritage and natural heritage. It is in this framework that the use of Payment for Ecosystem Services is proposed for cultural heritage in addition to natural heritage, a potentially useful tool in this “resistance” phase for combining the practices of economic exploitation with the need to safeguard heritage. In this way - this is the highly innovative feature of NUA - the idea that sustainability is purely an environmental issue is definitively abandoned. Therefore, it is affirmed the existence of a multidimensional development system and the evidence of a series of related critical issues. Payment of Ecosystem Services on cultural and natural heritage could support a sustainable decision-making in a long-term perspective, incorporating factors and actions designed to conserve and in some cases enhance local capital.

The purpose of the publication is to highlight the main results of the development of the first Ukrainian interactive atlas “Population of Ukraine and its natural and cultural heritage”. It was created in accordance with the Memorandum of Cooperation between the NAS of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. According to analysis of previous researches, there have been no attempts to map the complex and long-term processes of interaction between the population and its natural and cultural heritage so far in Ukraine and abroad. The Atlas provides knowledge and information about the historical stages of development of the population of Ukraine and the formation of its cultural and natural heritage in the following sections: 1. Ukraine in the European space - 3 maps; 2. Population - the subject of heritage formation - 57 maps; 3. Natural and cultural heritage - 28 maps; 4. Protection, preservation, restoration and using of natural and cultural heritage - 9 maps. The Atlas was developed using the updated AtlasSF Atlas Solutions Framework, one of the previous versions of which was used to create the Electronic version of the National Atlas of Ukraine. The modern architecture of AtlasSF allows integrating the developed atlas both in the atlas information system, and in the atlas geoinformation system of cultural heritage. All types of information resources were used to create the Atlas: maps, texts, photos, statistics. The interactive atlas contains 97 vector maps, texts, photos and tables.

The doctrine of the Kyrgyz Republic "National Spirit — global heights" as an ideological and strategic guideline is necessary for the sustainable development of the Kyrgyz Republic. In the context of historical challenges, mistakes in public administration, loss of trust and a decrease in the effectiveness of public institutions, the country needs an updated development concept based on spiritual and moral values, national identity and modern approaches. The article is relevant because it answers the key question: how to ensure the harmonious development of education, science, culture and environmental protection in order to strengthen statehood and achieve world-class progress. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to implement the main directions of the Doctrine and show that its implementation will allow: to strengthen national identity and statehood; to develop the system of education, science, culture and environmental protection at the modern level; to create conditions for the formation of a harmoniously developed, highly educated and cultured society.; to put the Kyrgyz Republic on the path of accelerated progress and strengthen its position in the world community. In conclusion, the article highlights the importance of preserving the unique cultural and historical space of the Kyrgyz Republic, which forms the national identity and spiritual values of the people. Awareness of the importance of natural and cultural heritage, as well as the responsibility of preservation, become fundamental elements of civic consciousness. In today's world, where globalization and urbanization threaten traditional values, the integration of knowledge about the native land into the educational programs of universities is crucial. Higher education is becoming a key mechanism for students to develop environmental, cultural and civic competence, which in turn contributes to the sustainable development of the country and the strengthening of its national values. The hypothesis of the article is that the integration of knowledge about natural resources, historical experience and values of the native land into the educational programs of higher educational institutions of the Kyrgyz Republic will not only preserve the cultural and historical heritage, but also form a responsible attitude among future specialists towards the natural and cultural riches of the country, which will become the basis for the sustainable development of the state and society. in general. It is recommended to develop and implement training courses that emphasize the importance of Kyrgyzstan's cultural and natural heritage, including practical exercises and field research. It is necessary to establish partnerships between universities and local communities to work together to preserve natural and cultural resources, which will allow students to gain practical experience and deepen their knowledge. It is recommended to intensify scientific research in the fields of ecology, cultural anthropology and history, which will allow for a deeper understanding and preservation of the unique aspects of Kyrgyz identity.

A nation’s cultural and natural heritage is the wealth of the people it belongs to and one of the key elements for the creation of national identity and affirmation in the process of globalization. The aim of our study was to examine the attitudes, knowledge and thoughts of primary and secondary school students related to natural and cultural heritage. A total of 322 respondents from primary and secondary schools in Split-Dalmatia County, Šibenik-Knin County, and Zagreb County participated in the research. Our results indicate that secondary school students show better knowledge of cultural and natural heritage of their homeland and a higher degree of interest in learning about these contents than students in the final grades of primary school. Moreover, secondary school students more than primary school students recognize the value of attaching importance to these topics within the work of educational institutions and in various school subjects. In addition, secondary school students expressed a greater awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage and its connection with the development of the economy and the preservation of national identity compared to primary school students. No differences were found among students in terms of the impact of cultural heritage on encouraging their creativity, but it was shown that more frequent visits to archaeological institutions were associated with a higher interest in heritage-related content.

Mountain areas of Europe have been managed by humans for a long time, leading to a prevalence of semi-natural habitats in mountain landscapes today. These landscapes contain both natural and cultural heritage; however, natural and cultural heritage are rarely considered together when valuing landscapes and developing management plans in protected areas. Here we present a case study of seven protected areas in the mountains of Great Britain and Norway. We take a long-term perspective on landscape and land-use change and propose an integrated model of landscape valuation on the basis of combined natural and cultural heritage. Our model plots indicators of natural and cultural heritage along a gradient of land-use intensity, allowing simultaneous assessment and highlighting how valuation depends on what type of heritage is considered. We show that while contemporary land-use changes follow similar trajectories in Norway and Britain, different land-use histories mean that the loss of heritage differs between the regions. The model presented here thus allows for the consolidation of valuation based on both cultural and natural heritage in landscapes.

Museums, libraries and archives have long been considered the retainers of some form of collective memory. Within the last twenty years, the term ‘memory institution’ has been coined to describe these entities, which is symptomatic of the fact that such places are increasingly linked through digital media and online networks. The concept of the memory institution is also part of the vocabulary used to promote broader cultural integration across nations, and appears in discussions of European heritage and in policy documents concerning the digitization of cultural heritage collections. To explore the relationship between cultural heritage, memory and digital technology further, this paper will examine the large-scale digitization project Europeana, under which museums, libraries and archives are re-defined as cultural heritage institutions or memory institutions. My purpose is to trace the conceptual trajectory of memory within this context, and to address how the idea of a European cultural memory structured by technology holds implications for institutions traditionally associated with practices of remembering.Key words: Cultural heritage, collective memory, digitization, network, memory institution, Europe, integration