Mongolia - Russia - Uvs Nuur Basin

The Uvs Nuur Basin (1,068,853 ha), is the northernmost of the enclosed basins of Central Asia. It takes its name from Uvs Nuur Lake, a large, shallow and very saline lake, important for migrating birds, waterfowl and seabirds. The site is made up of twelve protected areas representing the major biomes of eastern Eurasia. The steppe ecosystem supports a rich diversity of birds and the desert is home to a number of rare gerbil, jerboas and the marbled polecat. The mountains are an important refuge for the globally endangered snow leopard, mountain sheep (argali) and the Asiatic ibex.

Year of Inscription: 2003
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/769

FB Swap with Galina

 

Russia - Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve

Located well above the Arctic Circle, the site includes the mountainous Wrangel Island (7,608 km2), Herald Island (11 km2) and surrounding waters. Wrangel was not glaciated during the Quaternary Ice Age, resulting in exceptionally high levels of biodiversity for this region. The island boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific walrus and the highest density of ancestral polar bear dens. It is a major feeding ground for the grey whale migrating from Mexico and the northernmost nesting ground for 100 migratory bird species, many endangered. Currently, 417 species and subspecies of vascular plants have been identified on the island, double that of any other Arctic tundra territory of comparable size and more than any other Arctic island. Some species are derivative of widespread continental forms, others are the result of recent hybridization, and 23 are endemic. 

Date of Inscription: 2004 

Postcard 1: private swap with ikkyo

Russia - Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent

The Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent were part of the northern lines of the Sasanian Persian Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea. The fortification was built in stone. It consisted of two parallel walls that formed a barrier from the seashore up to the mountain. The town of Derbent was built between these two walls, and has retained part of its medieval fabric. The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century.

Date of Inscription: 2003

Postcard 1 & 2: Both received from a private swap with kill-hatori

 

Russia - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments

The 'Venice of the North', with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban project begun in 1703 under Peter the Great. Later known as Leningrad (in the former USSR), the city is closely associated with the October Revolution. Its architectural heritage reconciles the very different Baroque and pure neoclassical styles, as can be seen in the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage.

Date of Inscription: 1990

Postcard 1: rec Aug 2011 from levirin - BIG UNESCO RR #24 - levirin

and the matching stamp on the back! thanks levirin!

Postcard 2: octoberRR - 57 - solaveika 

 

Postcard 3: Switzerland to the rest of the world tag - marina 

 

Postcard 4: mayrr - 05 - mad_madchen

 

Postcard 5: MayRR - #42 - tu-zi

Postcard 6: swap bot card from soulcracked

 

Postcard 7: many themes RR #446 from tanya, rec in november 2011

Russia - Ensemble of the Ferrapontov Monastery

The Ferapontov Monastery, in the Vologda region in northern Russia, is an exceptionally well-preserved and complete example of a Russian Orthodox monastic complex of the 15th-17th centuries, a period of great significance in the development of the unified Russian state and its culture. The architecture of the monastery is outstanding in its inventiveness and purity. The interior is graced by the magnificent wall paintings of Dionisy, the greatest Russian artist of the end of the 15th century. 

 Date of Inscription: 2000 

 Postcard 1: BIG UNESCO RR 8 from poncha

 

Russia - Western Caucasus

The Western Caucasus, extending over 275,000 ha of the extreme western end of the Caucasus mountains and located 50 km north-east of the Black Sea, is one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that has not experienced significant human impact. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals, and its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The site has a great diversity of ecosystems, with important endemic plants and wildlife, and is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison. 


Date of Inscription: 1999


Postcard 1: Meet up RR 50B from raima 

Russia - Central Sikhote-Alin

The Sikhote-Alin mountain range contains one the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. In this mixed zone between taiga and subtropics, southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as the brown bear and lynx. The site stretches from the peaks of Sikhote-Alin to the Sea of Japan and is important for the survival of many endangered species such as the Amur tiger. 


Date of Inscription: 2001 


Postcard 1: BIG UNESCO RR 9 from reddew

Russia - Historical Centre of the City of Yaroslavl

Situated at the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosl Rivers some 250 km north-east of Moscow, the historic city of Yaroslavl developed into a major commercial centre from the 11th century. It is renowned for its numerous 17th-century churches and is an outstanding example of the urban planning reform Empress Catherine the Great ordered for the whole of Russia in 1763. While keeping some of its significant historic structures, the town was renovated in the neoclassical style on a radial urban master plan. It has also kept elements from the 16th century in the Spassky Monastery, one of the oldest in the Upper Volga region, built on the site of a pagan temple in the late 12th century but reconstructed over time. 


 Date of Inscription: 2005 


 Postcard 1: BIG UNESCO RR #9 from SixthSense 

 

 Postcard 2: Unesco RR 135 from levirin

 

Russia - Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands

The Solovetsky archipelago comprises six islands in the western part of the White Sea, covering 300 km2 . They have been inhabited since the 5th century B.C. and important traces of a human presence from as far back as the 5th millennium B.C. can be found there. The archipelago has been the site of fervent monastic activity since the 15th century, and there are several churches dating from the 16th to the 19th century.

Date of Inscription: 1992
further Informations: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/632

AugustRR from 14-raima

AprilRR - annet013

Russia - Volcanoes of Kamchatka

This is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The six sites included in the serial designation group together the majority of volcanic features of the Kamchatka peninsula. The interplay of active volcanoes and glaciers forms a dynamic landscape of great beauty. The sites contain great species diversity, including the world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional concentrations of sea otter, brown bear and Stellar's sea eagle. 

Date of Inscription: 1996 

Postcard 1: August RR - 5 - mad_madchen 

 

Postcard 2: BIG UNESCO RR #31 - levirin 

Russia - Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin

Built on an ancient site, the Kazan Kremlin dates from the Muslim period of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. It was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 and became the Christian See of the Volga Land. The only surviving Tatar fortress in Russia and an important place of pilgrimage, the Kazan Kremlin consists of an outstanding group of historic buildings dating from the 16th to 19th centuries, integrating remains of earlier structures of the 10th to 16th centuries. 


Date of Inscription: 2000 


 Postcard 1: BIG UNESCO RR 31 from nekarerina 

Postcard 2: JulyRR from 32-mapache 

Russia - White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal

These two artistic centres in central Russia hold an important place in the country's architectural history. There are a number of magnificent 12th- and 13th-century public and religious buildings, above all the masterpieces of the Collegiate Church of St Demetrios and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Date of Inscription: 1992

Postcard 1: Architectural Complex from the village of Kideksha, 12th -18th Century - rec from aknel via Unesco Tag - July 2011

first from right: kizhi churches , middle one: voronet monastery, Romania (Churches of Moldavia)

Postcard 2: rec this card twice! januaryRR - 42 - mukaltin and Big Unesco RR #7 - poncha 

 

 Postcard 3: official Postcrossing card RU-520731 

Russia - Virgin Komi Forests

The Virgin Komi Forests cover 3.28 million ha of tundra and mountain tundra in the Urals, as well as one of the most extensive areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in Europe. This vast area of conifers, aspens, birches, peat bogs, rivers and natural lakes has been monitored and studied for over 50 years. It provides valuable evidence of the natural processes affecting biodiversity in the taiga. 


Year of Inscription: 1995 


Postcard 1: Big Unesco RR #7 - siguanea 

Russia - Putorana Plateau

This site coincides with the area of the Putoransky State Nature Reserve, and is located in the central part of the Putorana Plateau in northern Central Siberia. It is situated about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle. The part of the plateau inscribed on the World Heritage List harbours a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems. A major reindeer migration route crosses the property, which represents an exceptional, large-scale and increasingly rare natural phenomenon. 

Date of Inscription: 2010 

Russia - Lake Baikal

Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Known as the 'Galapagos of Russia', its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science. 

Date of Inscription: 1996 

Postcard 1: Switzerland to the rest of the world tag - received from ??? 

 

Postcard 2: JuneRR - 05 - mad_madchen 

Russia - Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow

Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century, the Kremlin (built between the 14th and 17th centuries by outstanding Russian and foreign architects) was the residence of the Great Prince and also a religious centre. At the foot of its ramparts, on Red Square, St Basil's Basilica is one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monuments.

Date of Inscription: 1990

Postcard 1: Monthly RR from Marja

Postcard 2: Interior of the Terem Palace - juneRR - 62 - lemon_pie 

 

 Postcard 3: unwritten 

 

Postcard 4: unwritten

 

Postcard 5: Panoramic RR from MZebra 

Russia - Kizhi Pogost

Lately i got tons of Kizhi Cards - so i've decided to scan this one first, even it's a long way to "R" and Russia ;). Btw: This one is Post #100! One Week, hundert postings - i won't be able to do that much updates in the coming days, but i will try to keep it updated as i got the cards.


The pogost of Kizhi (i.e. the Kizhi enclosure) is located on one of the many islands in Lake Onega, in Karelia. Two 18th-century wooden churches, and an octagonal clock tower, also in wood and built in 1862, can be seen there. These unusual constructions, in which carpenters created a bold visionary architecture, perpetuate an ancient model of parish space and are in harmony with the surrounding landscape. 
Date of Inscription: 1990

Postcard 1: julyRR - 05 - mad_madchen

Kizhi Pogost Stamp issued in 2008

Postcard 2: BIG Unesco RR #6 - received from startinka 

Postcard 3: Unesco tag bantik 

Postcard 4: Unesco RR #37 from jenta

 

Postcard 5: official Postcrossing Card RU-540341

 

Postcard 6: official Postcrossing card RU-546055