Kizhi Museum
Federal State Budget Institution “Kizhi State Open Air Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography”

Point 5а:

Revise the management plan to ensure that the conservation and protection of attributes that convey the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property drive decision-making; the revised Management Plan should include regulations for land use and for new developments, provisions for the management of the agricultural landscape, a sustainable tourism strategy, risk preparedness measures and measures for monitoring the state of archaeological resources

The Management Plan (hereinafter referred to as MP) of the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ was revised in 2013. Katri Lisitzin (Sweden), a Consultant for Cultural Heritage provided advisory assistance in the MP development. When finalizing the document the most serious attention was paid to the UNESCO/ICOMOS monitoring mission recommendations and the World Heritage Committee decision.

The main goals of the Management Plan are:

1. Conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the WHS;
2. Creation of conditions for the sustainable development of the territory;
3. Achievement of social consensus in conservation, use and sustainable development of the WHS.

All the MP activities and projects are aimed at conservation of the WHS OUV and special historical, cultural and natural environment. The document includes risks analysis and protection measures for the WHS (MP, Chapter 6.5.) and provides adjustment of the disaster risk management plan for the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ in 2014 (MP, Chapter 10.1.5.). The landscape approach is used in the process of the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ management planning. The MP defines the target state of the landscape, the main criteria for its conservation and the principles of the landscape management on the basis of its exceptional value (MP, Chapter 6.6.). The landscape management provides in particular „creation of conditions for traditional agriculture development on Kizhi Island and within the WHS buffer zone with the participation of the local population“ (MP, Chapter 6.6.2.).

The MP offers mechanisms that are aimed at the sustainable development of the area and that do not affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the Property (MP, Chapter 7). Creating conditions for tourism sustainable development provides the opportunity to prevent the further degradation of the area. Moreover, it is the only possible mechanism for developing the territory and the local community without damaging the WHS (MP, Chapter 7.1.). The MP includes the elaboration of the tourism sustainable development strategy based on the marketing research of the target audience and calculation of the permissible anthropogenic load on the Property and the historical landscape (MP, Chapter 10.2.1).

The main principle of the development of the territory surrounding the WHS is revitalization of the Kizhi architectural ensemble historical environment (MP, Chapter 7). Social and economic development of the area is also a necessary condition for the WHS conservation. It can help to avoid the final degradation of the territory, departure of the last local residents (bearers of the traditional culture) and outflow of the qualified professionals necessary to maintain the WHS.

In accordance with the Management Plan the elaboration of the town-planning and land use regulations, and development of the Velikaya Guba rural settlement with maximum conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the WHS and historical landscape (MP, Chapter 10.1.6.) as well as finalization of the master plan of the Velikaya Guba rural settlement (MP, Chapter 10.2.3.) are scheduled for 2014.

For more detailed information on the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ MP finalization see Chapter 2.1 of the Report.

Point 5b:

Halt all proposed new developments in the buffer zone and setting of the property, including visitor and administration facilities, until the Management Plan has been revised and until Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessments have been undertaken to take into account the expected impacts and compatibility of development with the OUV of the property

At present, all works on the project of the administrative and public centre on Kizhi Island have been suspended in accordance with the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee. The Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessments will be undertaken in order to take into account the expected impacts and compatibility of development with the OUV of the property. Necessary adjustments will be introduced into the project based on the assessment results.

The WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ MP defines the tools for maintaining the target state of the landscape and resisting challenges and risks. The main tool is the method of expert impact assessment on the WHS and environment (visual and historical features of landscapes). The proposed method allows predicting the consequences of various „intrusions“ in the landscape environment. Any new development or other „intrusion“ has to pass the procedure of the expert impact assessment on the WHS (visual landscape features – the natural background of the WHS) at the level of an idea in order not to allow the unpredictable consequences to violate the harmonious visual perception of the Kizhi Pogost and the surrounding historical landscape (MP, Chapter 6.6.2.).

Point 5c:

Enhance the implementation of the fire protection and security plans to improve the level of protection and quality of the environment at the property.

The project documentation on reconstruction of external fire-extinguishing system of the Kizhi Pogost was executed to improve the quality of the ensemble security system. The documentation has been partially approved and submitted to the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage for the Republic of Karelia for the state ecological expertise. The documentation is currently being adjusted according to the remarks of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage for the Republic of Karelia.

In 2013 they checked the level of fire retardant treatment of the restoration site near the Church of the Transfiguration (the area is 1076 square meters) and scaffolding platforms used for restoration of the Church of the Intercession roofs (the area is 730 square meters) with a subsequent treatment of the above-mentioned platforms with flame retardants.

For more detailed information on protection of the WHS from emergency situations see Chapter 2.5 of the Report.

Point 5d:

Finalize the development of Guiding Principles for the restoration projects that relate the conservation work to the key attributes of the property.

In 2013, the museum finalized the development of Guiding Principles for the WHS restoration. They were included in the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ MP (MP, Chapter 6.1.2.).

The international charters, standards and guidelines for cultural heritage management were taken as the basis while forming the Principles for the Kizhi architectural ensemble restoration:

• Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage,
• The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, 1964,
• Principles of Conservation of Historic Timber Structures, ICOMOS, 1999,
• The Nara Document on Authenticity, 1994,
• Guidelines for Selecting Log Repair Methods, ICOMOS, 2010,
• Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding and Contemporary Role of Historic Areas, UNESCO, 1976.

Point 6:

submit the project proposal, technical specifications and heritage and environmental impact assessments, for the Office and Public Centre of the Kizhi Museum and for any other planned development projects, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies prior to committing to its implementation.

At present, all works on the project of the administrative and public centre on Kizhi Island have been suspended until Heritage and Environmental Impact Assessments have been undertaken. Necessary adjustments will be introduced into the project based on the assessment results.

Point 7:

submit to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies the draft Management Plan in three printed and electronic copies.

The Kizhi Museum submitted the revised draft of the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ MP to the World Heritage centre (through the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation) in January, 2014.

Point 8:

invite an ICOMOS advisory mission in early 2014 to assess the progress made in the restoration works and on the implementation of the above.

The Kizhi Museum submitted a request to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation on possibility to carry out an ICOMOS advisory mission in April 2014 to assess the progress made in the restoration works and in the implementation of the World Heritage Committee’s recommendations.

Point 9:

submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session in 2014.

The Kizhi Museum submitted the report on the state of conservation of the WHS „Kizhi Pogost“ and the implementation of the World Heritage Committee’s recommendations to the World Heritage centre (through the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation) in January 2014.