Struve Geodetic Arc

Struve Geodetic Arc*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Belarus  Estonia  Finland  Latvia  Lithuania  Norway  Moldova  Russia  Sweden  Ukraine
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Reference	1187
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2005  (29th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km. The chain was established and used by the German-born Russian scientist Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve in the years 1816 to 1855 to establish the exact size and shape of the earth. At that time, the chain passed merely through two countries: Sweden-Norway and the Russian Empire. The Arc's first point is located in Tartu Observatory, where Struve conducted much of his research. In 2005, the chain was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Measurement of the triangulation chain took place between 1816 and 1855. It comprises 258 main triangles and 265 geodetic vertices. The northernmost point is located near Hammerfest in Norway and the southernmost point near the Black Sea in Ukraine.

Chain

Map of the Struve Geodetic Arc. The red points are the World Heritage Sites.

Norway

• Fuglenes in Hammerfest
• Raipas in Alta
• Luvdiidcohkka in Kautokeino
• Baelljasvarri in Kautokeino

Sweden

• "Pajtas-vaara" (Tynnyrilaki) in Kiruna
• "Kerrojupukka" (Jupukka) in Pajala
• Pullinki in Övertorneå
• "Perra-vaara" (Perävaara) in Haparanda

Finland

• Stuor-Oivi (currently Stuorrahanoaivi) in Enontekiö
• Avasaksa (currently Aavasaksa) in Ylitornio
• Tornea (currently Alatornion kirkko) in Tornio
• Puolakka (currently Oravivuori) in Korpilahti
• Porlom II (currently Tornikallio) in Lapinjärvi
• Svartvira (currently Mustaviiri) in Pyhtää

Russia

• "Mäki-päälys" (Mäkinpäällys) in Hogland
• "Hogland, Z" (Gogland, Tochka Z) in Hogland (60°5′9.8″N 26°57′37.5″E / 60.086056°N 26.960417°E / 60.086056; 26.960417)

Estonia

• "Woibifer" (Võivere) in Avanduse
• "Katko" (Simuna) in Avanduse
• "Dorpat" (Tartu Observatory) in Tartu. (58°22′43.64″N 26°43′12.61″E / 58.3787889°N 26.7201694°E / 58.3787889; 26.7201694)

Latvia

• "Sestu-Kalns" (Ziestu) in Sausneja
• "Jacobstadt" (Jekabpils) in Jekabpils

Lithuania

• "Karischki" (Gireišiai) in Panemunėlis (55°54′09″N 25°26′12″E / 55.9025°N 25.43667°E / 55.9025; 25.43667)
• "Meschkanzi" (Meškonys) in Nemenčinė (54°55′51″N 25°19′00″E / 54.93083°N 25.316667°E / 54.93083; 25.316667)
• "Beresnäki" (Paliepiukai) in Nemėžis (54°38′04″N 25°25′45″E / 54.63444°N 25.42917°E / 54.63444; 25.42917)

Belarus

• "Tupischki" (Tupishki) in Oshmyany district (54°17′29″N 26°2′43″E / 54.29139°N 26.04528°E / 54.29139; 26.04528)
• "Lopati" (Lopaty) in Zelva district (53°33′37″N 24°52′11″E / 53.56028°N 24.86972°E / 53.56028; 24.86972)
• "Ossownitza" (Ossovnitsa) in Ivanovo district (52°17′21″N 25°38′58″E / 52.28917°N 25.64944°E / 52.28917; 25.64944)
• "Tchekutsk" (Chekutsk) in Ivanovo district (52°12′55″N 25°33′12″E / 52.21528°N 25.55333°E / 52.21528; 25.55333)
• "Leskowitschi" (Leskovichi) in Ivanovo district (52°9′38″N 25°34′17″E / 52.16056°N 25.57139°E / 52.16056; 25.57139)

Moldova

• "Rudi" near Rudi village, Soroca district (48°19′05″N 27°52′35″E / 48.31806°N 27.87639°E / 48.31806; 27.87639)

Ukraine

• Katerinowka in Antonivka, Khmelnytsky Oblast (49°33′57″N 26°45′22″E / 49.56583°N 26.75611°E / 49.56583; 26.75611 )
• Felschtin in Hvardiiske, Khmelnytsky Oblast (49°19′48″N 26°40′55″E / 49.33°N 26.68194°E / 49.33; 26.68194 )
• Baranowka in Baranivka, Khmelnytsky Oblast (49°08′55″N 26°59′30″E / 49.14861°N 26.99167°E / 49.14861; 26.99167 )
• Staro-Nekrassowka (Stara Nekrasivka) in Nekrasivka, Odessa Oblast (45°19′54″N 28°55′41″E / 45.33167°N 28.92806°E / 45.33167; 28.92806 )

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Struve Geodetic Arc

• Listing on UNESCO website
• A UNESCO article about the chain
• FIG - Proposal to UNESCO for the Struve Geodetic Arc to become a World Heritage Monument
• J.R. Smith. The Struve Geodetic Arc

Links to related articles v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Belarus Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park (with Poland) · Mir Castle Complex · Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwiłł Family at Nesvizh · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Estonia Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Finland Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki · Fortress of Suomenlinna · High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago (with Sweden) · Old Rauma · Petäjävesi Old Church · Verla Groundwood and Board Mill · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Latvia Historic Centre of Riga · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Lithuania Curonian Spit (with Russia) Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė) Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) Vilnius Historic Center v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Moldova Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Norway Bryggen · Rock Art of Alta · Røros Mining Town · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) · Urnes Stave Church · Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago · West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Russia Central Sikhote-Alin · Curonian Spit (with Lithuania) · Ferapontov Monastery · Golden Mountains of Altai · Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye · Kazan Kremlin · Kizhi Pogost · Lake Baikal · Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent · Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings · Moscow Kremlin and Red Square · Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent · Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments · Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) · Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad · Uvs Nuur Basin (with Mongolia) · Virgin Komi Forests · Volcanoes of Kamchatka · Western Caucasus · White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal · Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve · Historical Centre of the City of Yaroslavl v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Sweden Agricultural Landscape of Stora Alvaret (Southern Öland) · Birka and Hovgården · Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå · Engelsberg Ironworks · High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago (with Finland) · Naval Port of Karlskrona · Laponian Area · Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain, Falun · Rock Carvings in Tanum · Royal Domain of Drottningholm · Skogskyrkogården · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) · Varberg Radio Station (Grimeton VLF transmitter) · Hanseatic Town of Visby v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Ukraine Kiev: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings / Kiev-Pechersk Lavra · L'viv - the Ensemble of the Historic Centre  · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries)  · Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (with Slovakia)