Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritages are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. This Convention entered into force on December 17, 1975. The number of the States Parties amounted 134 by May 1, 2004. According to the Convention each State Party recognizes that the duty of ensuring the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage and situated on its territory, belongs primarily to that State.

In 1978 the first outstanding cultural and natural properties were included into the World Heritage List . These were four natural and eight cultural sites. By May 2005 the World Heritage List included 611 cultural, 154 natural and 23 mixed (natural and cultural) sites.

Russia ratified the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on October 12, 1988 being the part of the USSR. By May 2005 there are 8 natural and 13 cultural World Heritage sites in Russia.

The World Heritage sites are to be studied and monitored by many ways. However the role of using Earth's images from Space is great due to this data relative cheapness and objectivity.