Alexander Barabanov Profile
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
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- ●● Cultural
- ●● Natural
- ●● Mixed
Recent Reviews Alexander Barabanov
Golden Mountains of Altai
Alexander Barabanov Russia - 10-Nov-20
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 OnVirgin Komi Forests
Alexander Barabanov Russia - 04-Oct-20
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 OnLena Pillars
Alexander Barabanov Russia - 11-Aug-20
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 OnVolcanoes of Kamchatka
Alexander Barabanov Russia - 11-Aug-20
Visited this amazing site in July 2020. We were part of probably the first organized tourist groups after removing regional Covid restrictions. Kamchatka is considered one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world and is also part of iconic highlights of Russia. It is still not possible to determine exact number of volcanoes on the peninsula; usually the sources indicate 29 active volcanos and approximately 300 dormant volcanos. From time to time devastating eruptions take place; the latest was in 1975-1976. However many active volcanos continue to eject ash with various level of density and are closely monitored scientifically. On average, there are 3-7 eruptions each year in Kamchatka.
Read OnMedici Villas and Gardens
Alexander Barabanov Russia - 21-Dec-19
Visited interior of 4 villas in one day on Sunday in November 2019. This could only be done with advance planning, pre-booking and using rented car as follows.
Villa di Poggio a Caiano – this one has regular opening hours, it opens at 08:30 and there is free accompanied tour each hour. Villa has extraordinary interior, including original frescos by Andrea del Sarto in the central hall on the first floor. There is little to add to the previous reviews. Villa Artiminio (Ferdinanda) – this is private property now, which includes winery, hotel and restaurant. There are occasionally guided visits and we booked one in advance for 11:30 for 12 euro. Villas was built in 1596 as a hunting lodge
Read OnProfile 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)
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 14.09.20
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Visited WHS
Rating StatsAngkor 5Brugge 5Iguacu 5Palmyra 5Prague 5Québec 5Vienna 5Arles 4Avignon 4Belfries 4Lyon 4Mostar 4Orange 4Paphos 4Ping Yao 4Salzburg 4Tallinn 4Tamgaly 4Kazan Kremlin 3.5Novgorod 3.5Ohrid Region 3.5Ouro Preto 3.5Soltaniyeh 3.5Sviyazhsk 3.5Takht-e Soleyman 3.5Telc 3.5Bisotun 3Bolgar 3Bosra 3Burgundy 3Dengfeng 3Derbent 3Djémila 3Graz 3Lumbini 3Macao 3Morelia 3Nancy 3Nessebar 3Provins 3Reims 3Sarazm 3Shushtar 3Susa 3Timgad 3Tipasa 3Trebic 3Vézelay 3Yin Xu 3Camagüey 2Jelling 2Le Havre 2Nesvizh 2Reviewed WHS
- Golden Mountains of Altai
- Virgin Komi Forests
- Lena Pillars
- Volcanoes of Kamchatka
- Medici Villas and Gardens
- Brú na Bóinne
- Krzemionki prehistoric striped flint mining region
- Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios
- Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture
- Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs
- Pyramids (Memphis)
- Sarazm
- Grimeton Radio Station
- Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
- Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
- Champagne
- Desembarco del Granma National Park
- Camagüey
- First Coffee Plantations
- Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios
- San Pedro de la Roca Castle
- Cienfuegos
- Old Havana
- Western Caucasus
- Stevns Klint
- Christiansfeld
- Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes
- Kernavë
- Sviyazhsk
- Bolgar
- Rock-Art of the Mediterranean Basin
- Kremlin and Red Square
- Fujisan
- Tomioka Silk Mill
- Solovetsky Islands
- Mount Taishan
- Soltaniyeh
- Santa Maria de Guadelupe
Visited TWHS
Reviewed TWHS
Top 50 Missing Sites
- Alexandria, ancient remains and the new library
- Andaman Islands
- Bagan
- Baikonur Cosmodrome / Cape Canaveral
- Chernobyl
- Communist heritage of Volgograd
- Cultural Landscape of Santorini
- Dzongs of Bhutan
- Ephesus
- Fortified City of Famagusta
- Historic University Towns of Oxford and Cambridge
- Mecca, Kaaba
- Mount Rushmore
- Neuschwanstein Castle
- Rainforests of Polynesia
- Scrovegni's Chapel
- Silk Roads
- Svalbard
- Transiberian Railway
- Vatnajökull National Park