Alexander Barabanov Profile

Alexander Barabanov
Alexander Barabanov.

I work in finance field. I started to specifically target UNESCO Heritage sites while travelling approximately from 2006. Currently I'm combining several long trips to WHS rich remote regions with weekend visits just to reach one specific site (mainly in Europe). 

Of course, there is certain percentage of oddly sites, when you're asking yourself, what I am doing here, but in general these sites are special and very rewarding to reach and see. The uniqueness is often in their diversity and globality. Visting them and exploring some specific aspects of human activity and nature phenomona increases significantly knowledge horizons. During the process you will find out details of mercury mining, will see thin layer of soil containing remains of 60 million years old, admire mosaics from V century or climb Africa's highest mountain. I think that WHS travelling will be gaining popularity and we also have to contribute to this process.

Visited Sites Alexander Barabanov

Load map Toggle Missing/Visited

Legend

  • Cultural
  • Natural
  • Mixed

Recent Reviews Alexander Barabanov


Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake

Alexander Barabanov Russia - 10-Aug-24

Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake

Visited Kenozero in July 2024 during the days, when it was inscribed (and the news was read out by the guide).Kenozero National Park is a remote place requiring 1,200 km drive (including 80 km of gravel roads) from Moscow or flight to Arkhangelsk and still 470 km drive by rail / car. This seclusion resulted in the preserved mix of cultural, ethnographic, spiritual and architectural heritage coupled by natural landscape and rich biodiversity of the region. Cultural landscape is integrated with the pattern of lakes and adjacent agricultural and forest lands.The park is divided into two sectors: Plesetsk sector (northern part) and Kargopol sector (southern part)

Read On

Petroglyphs of the Lake Onega and the White Sea

Alexander Barabanov Russia - 05-Nov-21

Petroglyphs of the Lake Onega and the White Sea

Visited Belomorsk cluster in October 2021. Logistics – flight to Karelia’s capital Petrozavodsk, then 370 km by rented car via surprisingly good road to Belomorsk. Petrozavodsk’s national museum of Karelia has dedicated room with a couple of original stone petroglyph stelas and description. There is also museum in Belomorsk, but unfortunately it’s closed on Sundays and I didn’t visit. There are two main areas in this cluster – Zalavruga and Besovy Sledki (translated as Demon’s footprints). Between them a number of minor sites are also inscribed, but they require very detailed map to be identified among the forest and river shores and the glyphs are faded

Read On

Golden Mountains of Altai

Alexander Barabanov Russia - 10-Nov-20

Golden Mountains of Altai

Visited this site in September 2020. Our first priority was a trip to Plateau Putorana with the group tour, but unfortunately the minimum required number of tourists was not met and the tour was cancelled. We therefore arranged in short notice for an individual tour around so called Golden circle of Altay. Altay is one of the most popular tourist regions of Russia and offers significant variety of natural landscapes (mountains, waterfalls, passes, rivers, lakes, geysers, stone formations) and cultural sights (petroglyphs, monasteries, mounds). The main logistic hint about classic route is that it is not looped, and at some point, you need to change car to boat in order to cross Lake Teletskoye (otherwise driving back the same road)

Read On

Virgin Komi Forests

Alexander Barabanov Russia - 04-Oct-20

Virgin Komi Forests

Visited this site in August 2020 as weekend trip from Moscow. I decided to visit Manpupuner Plateau, which is located in the heart of Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve, part of Virgin Komi Forests site. The quick visit here without hard backpacking is only possible with helicopter tour. The logistics has changed as compared with visit made by Martina Ruckova back in 2017. The change is explained to improve accessibility of the helicopter flight due to weather conditions. You first fly on your own to Ukhta, then the car drives you 170 km through sometimes good and sometimes awful road to Troizko-Pechorsk. Troizko-Pechorsk is a depressive municipal village located on the shores of the Pechora River and is the closest large inhabited point to the Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve

Read On

Lena Pillars

Alexander Barabanov Russia - 11-Aug-20

Lena Pillars

Visited this remote site in August 2020. Yakutsk (population over 300 thousand) is one of the largest cities not accessible by road full year. It seems that Lena Bridge would finally be constructed by 2025, meaning that the city will be connected with federal roads. Current ferry system can only operate during summer time, requires up to 4-5 hours waiting during peak time, then it takes 1.5 hours for ferry transfer itself via 16-km fairway. During winter, the road goes on ice and becomes dangerous at border temperatures. Yakutsk is the mammoth and diamond capital of Russia with some dedicated museums and exhibitions

Read On

Profile Data

Name
Alexander Barabanov
Country
Russia
Most Impressive
Machu Picchu, Brugge, Angkor Vat
Proposal
Volgograd (Stalingrad battlefield monuments), Old city of Pskov, Manhattan Iconic highscrapers from 30s like Empire State Building or Chrysler Building, certainly some nature park from Faroe Islands, Por-Bazhyn (Tuva)
Rating Stats
Angkor 5
Bagan 5
Brugge 5
Iguacu 5
Prague 5
Vienna 5
Arles 4
Lyon 4
Mostar 4
Orange 4
Paphos 4
Shibam 4
Babylon 3.5
Butrint 3.5
Novgorod 3.5
Samarra 3.5
Sviyazhsk 3.5
Telc 3.5
Bolgar 3
Bosra 3
Graz 3
Konso 3
Macao 3
Nancy 3
Nisa 3
Reims 3
Sarazm 3
Sheki 3
Susa 3
Timgad 3
Tipasa 3
Trebic 3
Yin Xu 3
Al Ain 2.5
Ivrea 2.5
Tiya 2.5
Battir 2
Tyre 2
Qalhat 1.5

Reviewed TWHS

Top 50 Missing Sites

  1. Alexandria, ancient remains and the new library
  2. Andaman Islands
  3. Bagan
  4. Baikonur Cosmodrome / Cape Canaveral
  5. Chernobyl
  6. Communist heritage of Volgograd
  7. Cultural Landscape of Santorini
  8. Dzongs of Bhutan
  9. Ephesus
  10. Fortified City of Famagusta
  11. Historic University Towns of Oxford and Cambridge
  12. Mecca, Kaaba
  13. Mount Rushmore
  14. Neuschwanstein Castle
  15. Rainforests of Polynesia
  16. Scrovegni's Chapel
  17. Silk Roads
  18. Svalbard
  19. Transiberian Railway
  20. Vatnajökull National Park