Anisimov, I.O. Correlation of the terms “underwater cultural heritage” and “world cultural and natural heritage”

Abstract: The contents and topicality of this article are defined with the growing interest to the issue of the place of underwater cultural heritage within the concept of the world cultural and natural heritage. The object of studies involves the terms of “cultural heritage”, “natural heritage”, “underwater cultural heritage” as provided for by the UNESCO Conventions concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972 and on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage of 2001. The author finds out that these categories have certain defining criteria, such as importance, origin and authenticity. As a basic method the author applies comparative legal method. For the first time the author provides comparative analysis of the categories “underwater cultural heritage” and “world cultural and natural heritage” based upon a number of defining criteria: archaeological and historical value (importance), degree of value (importance), localization, origin, integrity and authenticity of an object and the temporal criterion. The scientific novelty of the study is due to revealing the common components in the said legal categories. The conclusion is made that the underwater cultural heritage is a part of world cultural heritage of a humanity in spite of its specificities due to localization of objects. It is manifested by a range of common defining criteria for the legal categories of “underwater cultural heritage” and “world cultural and natural heritage”, such as value, origin and authenticity of objects. The author draws an analogy between the role of the world cultural heritage in the development of human civilization and the universal value of underwater cultural heritage, which is manifested in cultural, scientific, technical, economic, eco-biological, social, and geopolitical aspects. Based upon the research the author formulates a conclusion on the need to develop criteria for the cultural, historical and archaeological importance for the objects of underwater cultural heritage in order to improve their protection. The results of studies may be used when developing the cultural criteria for the objects of underwater cultural heritage.

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