Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands

• 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

On 30 November 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, an executive summary of which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/632/documents. Additional information was also provided on 22 March 2021. The report and additional information address the recommendations of the Committee adopted at its 43rd session (43 COM 7B.88) and provides a detailed overview of work undertaken and planned, as follows:

• The Ministry of Culture has approved the development of a comprehensive Concept for the development of the Solovetsky archipelago - now in progress;
• A Master Plan for the property, that takes account of the Concept, is being developed in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, and will:
  • Articulate a vision of the islands’ conservation and development for the next ten years,
  • Define strategies for spatial development that bring together natural, social, cultural and historical aspects, and respect the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV),
  • Provide a comprehensive framework for managing change including ways to improve the lives of both the monastic and local communities;
• The Fund for the Conservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago (the Fund) set up in 2018 is working actively and effectively and has supported the Master Plan, education, waste disposal and promotional activities for local communities, and conservation;
• Annual meetings at the property are attended by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, representatives of the Solovetsky Monastery, the Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region, the Head of the Republic of Karelia, the heads of some ministries and departments, as well as the Chairman of the Fund;
• Key projects now have comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) prepared and details of both are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for Technical Review by ICOMOS (these have included the new airport building, the new hospital, the possible reconstruction of St. Onufrievskaya’s church, and new freight and passenger terminals);
• A draft three-year action plan for conservation projects has been prepared for the main monastic buildings and their ancillary structures, and for the canal and lake system;
• Work on revising the plans for the new museum is still on-going. The airport runway will not be extended, a decision to demolish the old timber hospital building has been abandoned, and an educational complex is planned based on the existing school, nursery school and outbuildings, rather than on constructing a new school;
• In the additionally submitted information, the State Party shifts from the term ‘Master Plan’ to ‘Development Strategy’, making also suggestions on how to harmonize the terminology used in the Russian and the English documents, as the translation of the Russian term for ‘Master Plan’ has the meaning of both ‘General Plan’ and ‘Development Strategy’;
• Work to grant the property the status of a site of religious and historical interest at the national level to ensure the national protection of the property is in its completion phase. In this context, a Historic and Cultural Core Plan has been prepared.

The Master Plan under development for the property is a major step forward. Its objective is to articulate a vision of the islands’ conservation and development for the next ten years. The Plan is based on a detailed consideration of the key attributes of OUV, both material and immaterial, and encompasses the sacred and secular landscapes, the religious activities of Solovetsky Monastery, and the needs of religious, secular and pilgrim communities. It aims to secure optimal management of the property through identifying strategies that can frame both day-to-day management and development. It is stressed that the term ‘development’ will relate only to processes that support the preservation and optimisation of the interrelated natural, social and cultural and historical systems of the islands, as reflected in their OUV.

Although the Master Plan will ultimately encompass the whole Archipelago, its first phase concentrates on the main monastic complex and adjacent Solovetsky settlement where the need to resolve competing pressures is perhaps greater than elsewhere, and where ‘area planning design’ is urgently needed. The Plan identifies various spatial themes related to the “ambience and aura of the place”, and how these are perceived and relate to the different communities – that is Monastic, local people, and pilgrims/visitors. The main outputs of the Master Plan will be adjustments to protection zones and spatial regulations, as a basis for future land use and development plans, and detailed development of the Management Plan.

The Master Plan is being developed with advisory assistance from ICOMOS through reviews and virtual meetings, and this process has so far been productive. The outline framework of the Plan is already being used in relation to how forthcoming projects are planned and designed, including proposals to rationalise the jetties for passengers and goods and a new airport building. For both projects, low-key designs have been developed for timber structures that reflect and complement local building traditions. The regular submission of documentation and HIAs for these projects to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS is noted, as are ICOMOS’ positive reviews of recent submissions.

The development of the Master Plan, combined with the support of the now-active Fund for the Conservation and Development of the Solovetsky Archipelago (the Fund), have together revitalized and coordinated the way the property develops forward planning, with a high-level engagement of the Orthodox Church, the Arkhangelsk Region, the Republic of Karelia, and national ministries and departments. Conservation projects are being developed for the main monastic structures as well as for service buildings (the Solovetsky Monastery having the most complete set in Russia) as well as for the needs of the local community in relation to medical, education, transport and waste disposal facilities. Proposals are currently being developed for the vernacular buildings, as well as the extensive canal and lake system, and a Visitor Strategy.

The long list of conservation projects planned for development over the next two years is welcomed. More details are needed, though, on how the projects for the restoration and conservation of the main monastic buildings will include improved supervision, processes and materials, following the halting of inappropriate work.

It is noted that a project is being developed for the repair and restoration of the large, early-19th-century Saint Petersburg Hotel that was largely destroyed by fire in the 1990s. Given the size and prominence of these ruins near the Monastery, it would be helpful for details to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies at the earliest stage possible.

The suggestion by the State Party to adjust the terminology in English and Russian documents is noted. In order to avoid misunderstanding and miscommunication, it is recommended that the State Party provide an overview on the list of terms in Russian, adding the English translation used in previous documents submitted to the World Heritage Centre and the English translation the State Party wishes to use in future documents.