International Day of Monuments and Historic Sites (18/04)

The motto of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, which is celebrated annually in the world on April 18, is the words: «Let's preserve our historical homeland».

This Day, also known as World Heritage Day, was established in 1982 by the Assembly of the International Council for the Conservation of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), created by UNESCO.

The holiday has been celebrated since 1984 in order to attract public attention to the protection and preservation of world cultural heritage. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about the diversity of world heritage and the forces that are being put into protecting and preserving it.

ICOMOS itself, an association of professionals, was founded in 1965. The organization unites over 10 thousand individual members from 151 countries and 30 international scientific committees. ICOMOS activities aimed at preserving and protecting cultural heritage are based on the principles enshrined in 1964 by the International Charter for the Preservation and Revitalization of Monuments and Historical Sites (Venice Charter).

One of the main documents for the protection of cultural heritage is the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted at the general session of UNESCO in 1972 and entered into force in December 1975. The document provided definitions of cultural and natural heritage. Cultural heritage is considered to be monuments (architectural and works of monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings), groups of individual or related buildings, objects of human creation or joint works of nature and man, as well as territories that have outstanding universal value from a historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view.

Natural heritage is considered to be natural objects or clearly defined natural areas that have outstanding universal value from an aesthetic or scientific point of view, or natural beauty. Natural heritage also includes geological and physiographic formations and areas which constitute habitat for endangered animal and plant species of value in terms of science or conservation.

States parties to the convention have an obligation to ensure the protection, preservation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage located on their territory. As of 2020, 194 countries have acceded to and become member states of the convention. The World Heritage List (which is updated at least every two years) currently includes 1,121 sites located in 167 participating States. In addition to prestige, the status of a UNESCO site means that it has the right to additional guarantees of safety and integrity, timely and high-quality restoration, priority in financing, as well as control over the state of preservation.

The UNESCO World Heritage List contains 29 Russian sites – 18 cultural and 11 natural. There are also approximately 150 thousand cultural heritage sites of federal and regional significance in the country. The basic law in the field of preservation, use and state protection of cultural heritage sites (historical and cultural monuments) is Federal Law of June 25, 2002 N 73-FZ «On cultural heritage sites (historical and cultural monuments) of the peoples of the Russian Federation».

Unfortunately, this law is not always observed. Monuments, historical sites and protected areas are mercilessly destroyed. According to experts, every year the country loses up to 200 historical and cultural monuments, and some cultural objects of the past have already been lost forever.

Stonehenge, England (Photo: Timo Kohlbacher, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

In Europe, work to preserve historical and cultural monuments and sites is also ongoing. For example, in France, restoration work is being carried out on landscapes of memorial sites after archaeological excavations. In the north of England, the Hadrian's Wall, built under the Roman Emperor Hadrian to protect the northern borders of the empire and stretching for 117 kilometers, has been preserved in a practically untouched form.

Today's holiday — is an occasion to once again draw the attention of the general public and government officials to the protection and preservation of various local monuments and historical sites and objects of world cultural heritage. In addition, for several years ICOMOS has been offering different topics for celebrating the International Day of Monuments and Historical Sites.

Therefore, on this day, as part of the celebration, various conferences on the preservation and protection of cultural heritage, speeches by scientists, exhibitions of photographs, as well as a number of other events are held. For example, some museums and exhibition halls on this day (as well as on International Museum Day) can be accessed for free. Visitors can also visit architectural complexes and historical buildings, which are closed to the public on ordinary days.



• Infographics – poster «April 18 — International Day of Monuments and Historic Places»

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