Cultural landscape as a legal concept

The article studies the cultural landscape as a legal concept. It first makes a short introduction to the history of the notion and its definitions in general international law and the law of the Council of Europe. Then it seeks to assess the meaning of a cultural landscape within the system of the European Landscape Convention and the influence of the European legal concept on the legal orders of the member-states in comparative perspective. Further on the article interprets the concept of landscape quality objective and its interconnection with the regional policy and sustainable development. Finally the article considers possible accession of the Russian Federation to the European Landscape Convention, legal consequences of such accession and country's incorporation into the European system of multi-level governance.