Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

i
ii
iii
iv
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
x

Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands

Russian Federation
Factors affecting the property in 2018*
  • Air transport infrastructure
  • Interpretative and visitation facilities
  • Legal framework
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Other Threats:

    Poor state of conservation of the monastic irrigation system

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Inadequate coordinated management between national, local and religious authorities
  • Lack of appropriate legal measures and rules for conservation, restoration, management and use of World Heritage properties of religious interest
  • Poor state of conservation of the monastic irrigation system
  • Inappropriate location of the planned Museum Complex
  • Construction of an airport building
  • Lack of adequate development control processes and Master Plan
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2018
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2018

On 10 January 2018, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/632/documents/. Progress with the implementation of the Committee's recommendations is reported as follows:

  • Several consultative meetings have been held with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to discuss the revised plans of the new building of the Museum Complex, especially on 20 October 2017 where. proposals for adjustments of the architectural design were presented to the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS following Paragraph 10 of Decision 41 COM 7 B.49;
  • A new draft Master Plan will be considered by the working group and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for consideration;
  • After some further revision, the final draft Management Plan was considered by the working group in October 2017 and provided to the World Heritage Centre in December 2017;
  • Regarding the Monastic irrigation system; in 2013, a status report was prepared on the Solovetsky water complex, specifying monitoring, restoration and hydrogeological studies, which will provide solutions for the repair and restoration of the main hydraulic structures, as well as further identify steps leading to the overall restoration of all structures of the water complex. In January 2018, an order was issued by the government to establish the territory of the Solovetsky archipelago as a religious historical site;
  • Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for major renovation and construction projects have been prepared and submitted to the World Heritage Centre. No construction will be commenced until conclusions on the HIA have been reached.

In line with Decision 41 COM 7B.49, a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission was carried out from 23 to 27 April 2018.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2018

At the time of drafting this report, the joint World Heritage/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission has been carried out but its report has not yet been finalized. Its results will be examined by the Committee at its 43rd session, as per Decision 41 COM 7B.49. However, the report will be available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/632/documents/ prior to the 42nd session.

The Terms of Reference for the mission agreed with the State Party included review of the scope of the development that is being considered for the property over the next decade, especially in relation to the provision of upgraded housing and sewage system, education, health and tourism facilities and other specific needs of the Monastic community and local residents; the emerging Conservation and Master Plans; the current management structures; progress with the conservation of the monastic irrigation system; and revised plans for the Museum Complex.

In advance of the finalization of mission report, it can be reported that the mission experts were informed of the creation of a Fund for the Conservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago chaired by the Director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies. It can also be reported that further to a meeting held between the State Party, the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS on 20 October 2017 and the technical review by ICOMOS (dated 25 October 2017), the mission supported the revised architectural plans for the Museum building, which include removing more of the partly built museum and re-shaping what remains as a mainly grass-covered below-ground building. However, further comments on plans for the wider overall Museum Complex programme that involves the re-use of existing buildings will be provided in the 2018 mission report.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2018
42 COM 7B.29
Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands (Russian Federation) (C 632)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B.Add2,
  2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.49, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
  3. Acknowledges the information provided by the State Party concerning the progress made with the development of the Master Plan and Management Plan;
  4. Notes that the report of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission will be examined at the 43rd session of the Committee in 2019;
  5. Also notes that the mission supported the revised plans for re-shaping the partly constructed existing museum building; and that the 2018 mission report will provide additional recommendations on the wider overall Museum Complex programme that involve a range of existing buildings;
  6. Welcomes the decision by the State Party to create a Fund for the Conservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago;
  7. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on the recommendations of the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.
Draft Decision: 42 COM 7B.29

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B.Add.2,
  2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 7B.49, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
  3. Acknowledges the information provided by the State Party concerning the progress made with the development of the Master Plan and Management Plan;
  4. Notes that the report of the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission will be examined at the 43rd session of the Committee in 2019;
  5. Also notes that the mission supported the revised plans for re-shaping the partly constructed existing museum building; and that the 2018 mission report will provide additional recommendations on the wider overall Museum Complex programme that involve a range of existing buildings;
  6. Welcomes the decision by the State Party to create a Fund for the Conservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago;
  7. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and on the recommendations of the 2018 Reactive Monitoring mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.
Report year: 2018
Russian Federation
Date of Inscription: 1992
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2018) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 42COM (2018)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


top