Over the last decades, the number of artificial reservoirs around the world has considerably increased. This leads to the formation of new shorelines, which are highly dynamic regarding erosion and deposition processes. The present work aims to assess the direct human action along the largest reservoir in Europe—Kuibyshev (Russian Federation) and to analyse threatened cultural heritage sites from the coastal area, with the help of historical maps, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), and topographic surveys. This approach is a necessity, due to the oscillating water level, local change of climate, and to the continuous increasing of natural hazards (in this case coastal erosion) all over the world. Many studies are approaching coastal areas of the seas and oceans, yet there are fewer studies regarding the inland coastal areas of large artificial reservoirs. Out of the total number of 1289 cultural heritage sites around the Kuibyshev reservoir, only 90 sites are not affected by the dam building; the rest had completely disappeared under the reservoir’s water. The scenario of increasing and decreasing water level within the reservoir has shown the fact that there must be water oscillations greater than ±1 m in order to affect the cultural heritage sites. The results show that the coastal area is highly dynamic and that the complete destruction of the last remaining Palaeolithic site (Beganchik) from the shoreline of Kuibyshev reservoir is imminent, and immediate mitigation measures must be undertaken.

This work is continuation of the research aimed at developing of a system for analysing of risks of destruction of archaeological objects of Volga-Bulgaria period (X–XIII centuries AD) on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan. Most of the Volga-Bulgaria settlements located on the small rivers banks. This fact is determining the risk of their destruction by natural processes. In order to identify the risk of transformation of archaeological sites by fluvial processes bank erosion dynamics at Lukovskoe fortified settlement evaluated. Modern field survey with use of UAV and GNSS methods applied to study the relief of monument territory. The measured data were analysed using the Geographical Information System (GIS) to evaluate intensity of bank erosion. Historical maps, archival remote sensing data and actual orthophotoplans compared to get quantitative characteristics of monument territory damage. The main factors that influence bank erosion at Lukovskoe fortified settlement placement are the meandering of the Kubnya riverbed, bank height and the ground that forms it. This study shows that remote sensing and 3-D-modelling on the base of UAV survey is very important in study of fluvial processes dynamics as a factor of archaeological objects destruction. The results of research will help to identify trends in monuments state and to quantify the risks of their destruction.