Decision 45 COM 7B.197

Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands (Russian Federation) (C 632)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7B.159 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
3. Welcomes progress towards the designation of the property as a religious-historical site, to reinforce conservation of the archipelago as a living, sacred, cultural landscape with intertwined culture, nature, people and process and strong intangible associations; and requests the State Party to clarify that this designation will protect all the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);
4. Appreciates concerns over the translation of the term ‘Master Plan’ and agrees that in future, this will be referred to as ‘Master Plan (Development Strategy)’ in state of conservation documents and as ‘Development Strategy’ locally;
5. Notes that the Master Plan (Development Strategy) is nearing completion for the settlement part of the main island, reiterates its request for this to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before final approval, and further notes that a Management Plan will be developed once the Master Plan (Development Strategy) has been approved;
6. Also welcomes the process that is now in place for major restoration projects which involves support from the Ministry of Culture, Solovetsky Museum, Solovetsky Monastery and the Russian Orthodox Church and the use of contractors licensed by the Ministry, and requests the State Party to submit details of major conservation projects to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies in advance of work commencing;
7. Notes the extensive list of projects that have been undertaken over the past two years, including routine conservation work, emergency repairs and large-scale projects, welcomes the dialogue between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS, as well as the ICOMOS technical reviews, which have been provided, and encourages the State Party to take into account their recommendations;
8. Commends the creative proposals to re-shape the half-built museum building, in response to the Committee’s request at its 40th session to halt work, demolish what had already been built, and submit new proposals, and considers that the submitted plans, which reduce the existing half-built structure to one storey, cover it with a grass roof and screen it with planted trees, result in an acceptable, if not ideal, building that does not impact adversely on the property’s OUV, but recalls that this is an appropriate solution in these circumstances;
9. Further welcomes the collection of scientific documentation for the restoration of parts of the main island’s hydrological systems which present serious problems, underlines the crucial impact of this single system of 52 lakes and several kilometres of canals, dating mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries, on the cultural landscape of the main island and on the supply of water to the monastery from the Sacred Lake, and welcomes the commitment of the State Party to take into account the recommendations of the missions and the advice of ICOMOS experts as this project develops;
10. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies the proposed reconstruction (restoration) concept for the ‘lost’ monastic sites and areas related to former economic activities, once it has been developed and before its implementation;
11. Further notes that Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) have been introduced for all new construction, encourages the State Party to extend this measure to major conservation projects, appreciates the detailed HIAs which have already been provided, and requests that in future such assessments for major restoration projects as well as for new construction be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, accompanied by copies of the proposed plans, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
12. Reiterates its request that details of the repair and restoration project of the largely destroyed, early-19th-century Preobrazhenskaya Hotel be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies at the earliest stage possible, considering its prominence near the Monastery;
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.