Included in the Natural World Heritage List in 1998, the Golden Mountains of Altai consist of five specially-preserved natural areas totaling more than 1.64 million hectares chosen around the mountainous region of Altai. The nomination for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List was prepared with the help of the Fund for 21^st Century Altai, Greenpeace Russia, and the Department of Geography at Altai State University

 

Situated in the southern part of Altai and bordered on the West by Katun’ State Nature Reserve, Belukha Park, established in 1997, occupies a total of 262.8 thousand hectares.

Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia, at a height of 4506 meters.It is considered sacred amongst the Altai people.

 

 

 

This 252,904 thousand hectare wildlife preserve was created in 1994. Situated on a highland plateau with altitudes ranging from 2000 to 3000 meters, the preserve shares a border with China on the South and Kazakhstan on the West.

 

Extending from Chulyshman River Valley and Lake Teletskoye to the borders of the Tuva and Khakassia Republics, Altai State Nature Reserve, established in 1932, occupies a territory of 881,481 thousand hectares.

 

 

These 93.7 thousand hectares, serving as a buffer zone for Altai State Nature Reserve, preserve the unique Teletskoye taiga on the lake’s western shore. 

 

 

On November 16, 1972, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

 

The purpose of the Convention’s enactment, and its acting goal, are to provide recognition, protection, conservation, and popularization of those sites named cultural and natural heritage objects, to ensure their transfer to future generations, and also to draw the involvement of the world community.

 

For this purpose, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization founded the World Heritage Commission (an intergovernmental commission for the protection of cultural and natural heritage objects of prominent, world-wide importance) and also the World Heritage Fund.

 

In 2007, the number of supporters of the Convention totaled 184 governments, and by the middle of 2007 the list of world heritage objects included 166 natural, 660 cultural, and 25 both natural and cultural objects in 141 countries.

 

Each state presents the World Heritage Commission with a list of worthy candidate sites of world heritage with prominent and universal value, from which the Commission formulates a Natural World Heritage List.

 

In Russia, 20 objects have been included in the World Heritage List amongst which are the five natural territories in Mountainous Altai – “The Golden Mountains of Altai” Greenpeace Russia takes constant part in this process, in its eighteenth session, adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Convention became effective on December 17, 1975.

 

 

As of 2006, Ukok Plateau is endangered by construction plans for a gas pipeline to China, in connection with which the Quebec Commission of World Heritage adopted the 2008 decision, 33 COM 7B.27, which requests Russia’s clear confirmation of the decision to abandon the Altai gas pipeline construction project though Ukok Plateau and advises the Russian Federation to undertake effective measures to prevent illegal activities which would negatively affect or could potentially negatively affect the World Heritage Object’s integrity.