摘要: Justification of Outstanding Universal Value　　Peasant cultural landscape of Kenozero with its monuments of wooden architecture has reasons to be included in the World Heritage list as an outstanding e

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

　　Peasant cultural landscape of Kenozero with its monuments of wooden architecture has reasons to be included in the World Heritage list as an outstanding example of the Northern European peasant cultural landscape formed in the XII-XVI centuries which preserved on its territory cultural traditions and archaic or relic forms of folk art and nature management. One can see here harmonious fusion of ancient rural settlements with a traditional for Russian North system of agricultural lands, which reflects the practice of communal farming existing for many centuries and individual characteristics of trade and agricultural household way of life. There are unique

　　wooden temples (including architectural ensemble of St. George Church built in the XVIII century in Fedorovskaya village and ensemble of a bell tower and two temples of the XVIII century - hip Church of Christ's Precious wood and Church of John the Baptist in Filippovskaya village) as well as 35 chapels built in XV III-X IX centuries, over 30 worship and holy crosses, 49 “sacred” groves, 52 monuments of archeology.

　　Cult monuments have distinct interior decoration - painted heavens - chapel vaults with ample paintings on biblical topics (17 of them are preserved). Many chapels are situated in “sacred” groves - islets of particularly worshiped woods, which remained since paganism. Many holy crosses are also there. Such high density of “sacred” groves and chapels makes Kenozero a unique region with no analogues on the territory of Russia or other countries. Kenozero is a peculiar cultural area representing an exceptional value as a phenomenon of live culture as well, expressed in traditional know ledge, skills, notions, nature of preservation of cultural monuments, technologies of house-building and home adorning, life organization and features of festive culture. This is one of the main regions where Russian mythopoetics is formed. This form of art preserved ancient legends of Kyivska Rus, which was stated by leading Russian ethnographers as early as in the mid-XIX century and became the legacy of world folklore and profoundly influenced culture of Russian Northern regions.

　　Criterion (iii): A peasant archaic landscape of outstanding com position and preservation, a place where exists a vivid relic peasant culture with its unique material evidence, namely a very rare assembly of chapels decorated with paintings of «heavens» and «holy groves», unique monuments of national temple architecture, traditions of house building and household.

　　Criterion (iv): An outstanding example of cultural medieval landscape illustrating one of the most crucial historical periods of the development of Russian North during the colonization of Novgorod, which started in the XVI century and which has determined its definitive landscape.

　　Criterion (v): An outstanding example of cultural landscape of Russian North which has been formed as a result o f a combination of a traditional land-tenure, as well as an economy based on fishing and agriculture with a traditional system of peasant settlements preserved from the XVI century. This settlement is vulnerable because of modern social and economic process.

　　Criterion (vi): One of the key centres of Russian epic arts that has enriched the global folkloristics. A place with preserved spiritual practices and means of sacralization of the environment.

　　Criterion (vii): An outstanding example of a hominized nature of Russian North, where national architectural forms and the mosaic of traditional agricultural lands reinforce lyrical accents of Russian landscape. Fanciful outlines of gulfs and the diversity of big and small water surfaces create a picture, astonishing for its color palette and its pattern picture.