Decision : 36 COM 7B.84
Historic Centre of the City of Yaroslavl (Russian Federation) (C 1170)

The World Heritage Committee,

1.   Having examined Document WHC-12/36.COM/7B.Add,

2.   Recalling Decision 35 COM 7B.103, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),

3.   Expresses its concern at the impact of a considerable number of major projects completed in recent years in the property and its buffer zone on the overall urban silhouette and on the harmonious relationship of the 16th- 18th century buildings within their planned urban surroundings;

4.   Notes the highly negative impact of the reconstructed Cathedral of the Assumption on the skyline of the property; and considers that the proposed addition of a tall bell tower could irreversibly damage the skyline;

5.   Also notes that certain projects have been halted and considers that these need major reconsideration if they are to be acceptable;

6.   Further notes that inadequacies within the current protection and management arrangements, and the apparent ease with which planning constraints are avoided, has contributed towards negative development;

7.   Strongly urges the State Party to establish an appropriate management system for the property in order to handle planning permissions in a clear and transparent manner, to ensure effective coordination between the authorities concerned and stakeholders and to improve monitoring, as well as to consider appointing a property manager;

8.   Also urges the State Party to finalize the Urban Master Plan, underpinned by a clear understanding of the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value, to ensure that Area Regulations are related to the attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value in terms of the character of urban fabric, its scale, and strong silhouettes, and to develop an Urban Traffic Plan to minimize car traffic within the property;

9.   Further urges the State Party to produce a management plan for the property and a conservation strategy that might inform decisions on reconstruction and re-development projects;

10.  Urges furthermore the State Party to regulate the buffer zone in federal law;

11.  Requests the State Party to develop guidelines for the planning and design of new construction to regulate scale, massing and materials to ensure compatibility with the attributes that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and reiterates its request to the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, in line with Paragraph 172 of Operational Guidelines, documentation of all current and proposed major projects, together with Heritage Impact Assessments, in line with ICOMOS Guidance, for review and comments prior to their approval;

12.  Also requests the State Party to ensure that development projects are supported by adequate archaeological investigations and recording;

13.  Strongly recommends to the State Party to develop a national law for all cultural World Heritage properties in the Russian Federation to ensure that they meet the State Party's obligations to the Convention;

14.  Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2013, a state of conservation report for the property that addresses the above points for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 37th session in 2013.