Białowieża Forest

Belarus Postcard of Białowieża Forest

The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site, on the border between Poland and Belarus, is an immense range of primary forest including both conifers and broadleaved trees covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. Situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, this transboundary property is exceptional for the opportunities it offers for biodiversity conservation. It is home to the largest population of the property’s iconic species, the European bison.

 Belarus

 Poland

N52 43 39 E23 58 52

Date of Inscription: 1979

Extension: 1992,2014

Criteria: (ix)(x)

Ref: 33ter

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Struve Geodetic Arc

Norway

Finland

Ukraine

Russia

Belarus

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks.

Belarus

Estonia

Finland

Latvia

Lithuania

Moldova, Republic of

Norway

Russian Federation

Sweden

Ukraine

N59 3 28 E26 20 16

Date of Inscription: 2005

Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)

Ref: 1187

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh

 

Brief Description

The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh is located in central Belarus. The Radziwill dynasty, who built and kept the ensemble from the 16th century until 1939, gave birth to some of the most important personalities in European history and culture. Due to their efforts, the town of Nesvizh came to exercise great influence in the sciences, arts, crafts and architecture. The complex consists of the residential castle and the mausoleum Church of Corpus Christi with their setting. The castle has ten interconnected buildings, which developed as an architectural whole around a six-sided courtyard. The palaces and church became important prototypes marking the development of architecture throughout Central Europe and Russia.

Belarus

Minsk Province (Minskaya Voblasts')

N53 13 22.008 E26 41 29.004

Date of Inscription: 2005

Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)

Ref: 1196

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Mir Castle Complex

Brief Description

The construction of this castle began at the end of the 15th century, in Gothic style. It was subsequently extended and reconstructed, first in the Renaissance and then in the Baroque style. After being abandoned for nearly a century and suffering severe damage during the Napoleonic period, the castle was restored at the end of the 19th century, with the addition of a number of other elements and the landscaping of the surrounding area as a park. Its present form is graphic testimony to its often turbulent history.

Belarus

Grodno Province (oblast), Korelichi District

N53 27 3.9 E26 28 21.8

Date of Inscription: 2000

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 27 ha

Ref: 625

Source:  http://whc.unesco.org