Kenozero Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Russia’s Arkhangelsk region, inscribed in July 2024, is a cultural landscape within Kenozero National Park, shaped by Slavic colonization since the 12th century. Spanning forests, lakes, and traditional wooden villages, it blends Finno-Ugric forestry with Slavic agriculture, featuring iconic wooden churches and chapels adorned with painted “heavens” ceilings. This remote site, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2004, reflects centuries of communal land management and spiritual ties to nature, offering a glimpse into the Russian North’s heritage.

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