A regular session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, during which it will consider including 31 sites in its World Heritage List, will open in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

The list of candidate sites includes historic architectural landmarks in the southern Russian port city of Astrakhan and the towns of Uglich and Pskov, as well as the Lena Pillars National Park in the Far Eastern Sakha Republic, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It’s the first time Russia will host the World Heritage Committee session. The country currently holds the rotating chair of the committee, which consists of representatives of 21 UNESCO member states.

The session will run until July 6.

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