Nature reserves in Russia
Encyclopedia
Zapovednik is an established term on the territory of the former Soviet Union
for a protected area which is kept "forever wild". It is the highest degree of environmental protection for the assigned areas that are strictly protected, and maybe restricted to the public.
The closest English term is "scientific nature reserve
" or literally nature sanctuary (compare to animal sanctuary
), however zapovediks are not necessarily connected with nature only as there could be historical-cultural, historical-archeological, and other types of zapovedniks of cultural or natural heritage.
The term was used in the former Soviet Union and still is in the Russian Federation as well as in some of the other 14 former Soviet republics. Human use is generally limited to scientific research or educational purposes. However, many reserves have areas with different degrees of protection, and sometimes other activities (such as grazing
) are permitted to a certain extent. Zapovednik refers to the reserve, staff and infrastructure.
Other types of protected areas include national nature park
s, zakaznik
s (reserve / managed resource area), nature monuments (often individual trees, geological exposures, or other small areas) etc. Some zapovedniks are recognized as biosphere reserve
s (biosphere sanctuaries).
In Russia
there are 101 zapovedniks covering about 330000 square kilometres (127,413.7 sq mi), or about 1.4% of the country's total area. They include everything from isolated patches of steppe to large tracts of Siberia
and the Arctic
, and range in size from Galich'ya Gora at 2.31 km² (570 acres) to Great Arctic State Nature Reserve
at 41692 square kilometres (16,097.4 sq mi). The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources oversees 99 of the zapovedniks. Il'menskiy is, however, administered by the Russian Academy of Sciences
, and Galich'ya Gora by Voronezh University.
The fundamental idea is the exclusion of people and the prohibition of economic activity, the only exceptions being non-intrusive access allowed to scientists and rangers. Zapovedniks are intended to be parcels of untouched natural ecosystems that can be studied as etalony (эталоны) or standards with which to compare managed ecosystems, such as are created in agriculture and forestry. To this end, zapovedniks need to be large enough to be self-sufficient, with a complete range of trophic level
s up to the top predators.
In 1910 the theory of zapovednost was taken a step forward by I.P.Borodin, who argued that zapovedniks should not be established piece-meal, but as a planned system of reserves including samples of all the main natural regions in the country.
In the 1940s Aldo Leopold understood the need for zapovednik-type reserves: "While even the largest wilderness areas become partially deranged, it required only a few wild acres for J.E.Weaver to discover why the prairie flora is more drought-resistant than the agronomic flora which has supplanted it." The answer was that the wild prairie had a much more complex, and more efficient, root system, and this could only have been discovered by studying the undisturbed natural ecosystem.
Of course it would be difficult, if not impossible, to establish a 'perfect' zapovednik today, entirely natural and self-sufficient, especially in view of downstream effects involving pollution and greenhouse gases. Nevertheless many Russian zapovedniks are a good approximation to the ideal, and have been operating as scientific institutions for many decades.
The applied-science motivation for setting up zapovedniks was continued in the first state-organized zapovednik. Barguzin Nature Reserve
was established by the tsarist government in 1916 on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal
. Its purpose was to protect and study a population of sable - a valuable species, which was declining due to hunting for its fur. Other zapovedniks appear to have been set up at about the same time but either lapsed (e.g. Sayan) or did not receive formal recognition until later (e.g. Kedrovaya Pad').
Lenin's nationalization of the land in 1917 and 1918 created a legally favourable environment for the Soviet zapovednik system, since problems with securing large areas of land for this purpose from private owners immediately disappeared. Fortunately Lenin appears to have had a genuine interest in nature protection, and this perhaps partly explains why permission was granted promptly for the creation in 1919 of Astrakhan Zapovednik in the Volga Delta
on the north-western shore of the Caspian Sea.
The legal recognition of zapovedniks was put on a firm basis by a measure 'On the Protection of Nature Monuments, Gardens and Parks', signed into law by Lenin in 1921. Although creation of zapovedniks went ahead, the legislation also allowed for national parks, though for some reason none was set up in the Soviet Union for another half century.
By 1933 there were 15 state zapovedniks in Russia, and by 1995 115 had been established. The average area of new zapovedniks declined from 780 km² in 1916-25 to 110 km² in 1936-45, and then rose to 5,060 km² in 1986-95. In 2007 there were 101 operating zapovedniks, reflecting a small number of new ones opened since 1995, but also two periods of closures and contraction of the system. The first of these was planned by A.V.Malinovski and carried out in 1951, with a view to turning the zapovedniks into 'commercial-and-research' institutions, as well as releasing substantial areas of protected forest for commercial exploitation. Over the next 10 years the zapovednik system recovered somewhat, but in 1961 Nikita Khrushchev
criticized it, famously referring to a film about Altay Zapovednik in which a scientist was shown watching a squirrel gnawing a nut. Six zapovedniks were closed, and others were amalgamated or reduced in area.
Although the ideal zapovednik is an institution with an extensive area of unspoilt natural ecosystems used only for scientific research, and a resident staff of scientists and rangers, the history of many zapovedniks has in fact been rather different, sometimes involving closure, exploitation (including felling of forest), and eventual reopening. Even so, some zapovedniks have had an almost 'unblemished' history, and most retain the original vision of being scientific research institutions not catering for public recreation.
This is a highly simplistic classification: each major zone is divided into subzones, and there are transitional vegetation types. Moreover many zapovedniks, especially if in a transitional zone or covering a range of altitudes, will contain examples of several vegetation types.
With those qualifications, the numbers of zapovednik sites (some zapovedniks occupy widely dispersed sites, some of which are here counted separately) in the different zones are as follows: Arctic desert and tundra - c.15; taiga - c.40; deciduous forest - c.13; steppe - c.30. About half a dozen are predominantly montane, especially in the Caucasus. Komandorsky and Wrangel Island are remote islands. A few are mainly wetlands.
Non-intervention management is difficult to practise in steppe zapovedniks, which are often far too small to support a self-sustaining ecosystem including wild herbivores (such as saiga) that may have been migratory. Resort is sometimes made to various mowing regimes, which however cannot satisfactorily replace natural processes insofar as it does not recycle nutrients and organic matter through the herbivore and carnivore food chain, and cannot replicate trampling effects.
An important activity in all zapovedniks is regular monitoring of seasonal events (phenology
). This is now standardized in a programme of observations known as the Chronicle of Nature (Летопись природы). The name was suggested by A.N.Formozov in 1937 although a monitoring programme was being developed by V.N.Sukachev in 1914 and G.A.Kozhevnikov in 1928. Instructions for conducting the Chronicle of Nature are periodically updated.
Under the pressure to become self-financing, some zapovedniks have tried at various times to develop ecological tourism - usually in the reserve's buffer zone, so avoiding infringement of the principle of zapovednost. In some cases tourism does however become a serious problem on account of the proximity of recreation centres, e.g. at Teberdinsky Zapovednik in the Caucasus
. The Dombai recreation center, long a favorite Russian alpine skiing
destination, is located near the center of the zapovednik, and the impact of tourism in the area as more Russians and foreigners come to visit has created pressure on the preserved ecosystems around it.
Regular long-term monitoring of natural phenomena in zapovedniks has also provided a baseline set of data which is now valuable for assessing how anthropogenic pressure, primarily through climate change, is affecting natural ecosystems. Since the latter perform essential functions such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, it is obviously important to know how these ecosystem services are being affected by anthropogenic pressure. There is an argument for establishing a well funded global network of zapovedniks in order to increase our understanding of anthropogenic pressures on all the natural ecosystems of the world.
as biosphere reserve
s.
as natural World Heritage Site
s:
Typically, a nature reserve occupies only a part of the much larger World Heritage site.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
for a protected area which is kept "forever wild". It is the highest degree of environmental protection for the assigned areas that are strictly protected, and maybe restricted to the public.
The closest English term is "scientific nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
" or literally nature sanctuary (compare to animal sanctuary
Animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to place animals with individuals or groups, instead maintaining each animal until his or her natural death...
), however zapovediks are not necessarily connected with nature only as there could be historical-cultural, historical-archeological, and other types of zapovedniks of cultural or natural heritage.
The term was used in the former Soviet Union and still is in the Russian Federation as well as in some of the other 14 former Soviet republics. Human use is generally limited to scientific research or educational purposes. However, many reserves have areas with different degrees of protection, and sometimes other activities (such as grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
) are permitted to a certain extent. Zapovednik refers to the reserve, staff and infrastructure.
Other types of protected areas include national nature park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, zakaznik
Zakaznik
Zakaznik is a type of protected area in Russia and other former Soviet republics such as Ukraine that meets World Conservation Union's category III, or more frequently category VII criteria....
s (reserve / managed resource area), nature monuments (often individual trees, geological exposures, or other small areas) etc. Some zapovedniks are recognized as biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
s (biosphere sanctuaries).
In Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
there are 101 zapovedniks covering about 330000 square kilometres (127,413.7 sq mi), or about 1.4% of the country's total area. They include everything from isolated patches of steppe to large tracts of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, and range in size from Galich'ya Gora at 2.31 km² (570 acres) to Great Arctic State Nature Reserve
Great Arctic State Nature Reserve
The Great Arctic State Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia...
at 41692 square kilometres (16,097.4 sq mi). The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources oversees 99 of the zapovedniks. Il'menskiy is, however, administered by the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
, and Galich'ya Gora by Voronezh University.
Theory of zapovednost
The theoretical justification for the zapovedniks is known as zapovednost (заповедность) - strictly meaning 'the state of being protected in a zapovednik'. It was developed in the 1890s and early 20th century, principally by the soil biologist V.V.Dokuchaev.The fundamental idea is the exclusion of people and the prohibition of economic activity, the only exceptions being non-intrusive access allowed to scientists and rangers. Zapovedniks are intended to be parcels of untouched natural ecosystems that can be studied as etalony (эталоны) or standards with which to compare managed ecosystems, such as are created in agriculture and forestry. To this end, zapovedniks need to be large enough to be self-sufficient, with a complete range of trophic level
Trophic level
The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in a food chain. The word trophic derives from the Greek τροφή referring to food or feeding. A food chain represents a succession of organisms that eat another organism and are, in turn, eaten themselves. The number of steps an organism...
s up to the top predators.
In 1910 the theory of zapovednost was taken a step forward by I.P.Borodin, who argued that zapovedniks should not be established piece-meal, but as a planned system of reserves including samples of all the main natural regions in the country.
In the 1940s Aldo Leopold understood the need for zapovednik-type reserves: "While even the largest wilderness areas become partially deranged, it required only a few wild acres for J.E.Weaver to discover why the prairie flora is more drought-resistant than the agronomic flora which has supplanted it." The answer was that the wild prairie had a much more complex, and more efficient, root system, and this could only have been discovered by studying the undisturbed natural ecosystem.
Of course it would be difficult, if not impossible, to establish a 'perfect' zapovednik today, entirely natural and self-sufficient, especially in view of downstream effects involving pollution and greenhouse gases. Nevertheless many Russian zapovedniks are a good approximation to the ideal, and have been operating as scientific institutions for many decades.
History
The first zapovedniks were set up in the steppe region of the Russian Empire in the 1890s. Some at least were equipped with research stations. Dokuchaev was the guiding spirit behind these early zapovedniks. Steppe was chosen for the first zapovedniks on account of the rapid disappearance of virgin steppe as it was ploughed up, and because it was thought that ploughing might be exacerbating the effects of drought; clearly research was needed in order to understand the steppe and how it could be best exploited.The applied-science motivation for setting up zapovedniks was continued in the first state-organized zapovednik. Barguzin Nature Reserve
Barguzin Nature Reserve
Barguzinsky Nature Reserve is a zapovednik located in Buryatia on the west slope of the Barguzin Range, including the northeast shores of the Lake Baikal and a part of the lake itself. The name of the preserve comes from the Barguzin River.The area of the reserve is...
was established by the tsarist government in 1916 on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
. Its purpose was to protect and study a population of sable - a valuable species, which was declining due to hunting for its fur. Other zapovedniks appear to have been set up at about the same time but either lapsed (e.g. Sayan) or did not receive formal recognition until later (e.g. Kedrovaya Pad').
Lenin's nationalization of the land in 1917 and 1918 created a legally favourable environment for the Soviet zapovednik system, since problems with securing large areas of land for this purpose from private owners immediately disappeared. Fortunately Lenin appears to have had a genuine interest in nature protection, and this perhaps partly explains why permission was granted promptly for the creation in 1919 of Astrakhan Zapovednik in the Volga Delta
Volga Delta
The Volga Delta is the largest river delta in Europe, and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast, north-east of the republic of Kalmykia. The delta is located in the Caspian Depression—the far eastern part of the delta...
on the north-western shore of the Caspian Sea.
The legal recognition of zapovedniks was put on a firm basis by a measure 'On the Protection of Nature Monuments, Gardens and Parks', signed into law by Lenin in 1921. Although creation of zapovedniks went ahead, the legislation also allowed for national parks, though for some reason none was set up in the Soviet Union for another half century.
By 1933 there were 15 state zapovedniks in Russia, and by 1995 115 had been established. The average area of new zapovedniks declined from 780 km² in 1916-25 to 110 km² in 1936-45, and then rose to 5,060 km² in 1986-95. In 2007 there were 101 operating zapovedniks, reflecting a small number of new ones opened since 1995, but also two periods of closures and contraction of the system. The first of these was planned by A.V.Malinovski and carried out in 1951, with a view to turning the zapovedniks into 'commercial-and-research' institutions, as well as releasing substantial areas of protected forest for commercial exploitation. Over the next 10 years the zapovednik system recovered somewhat, but in 1961 Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
criticized it, famously referring to a film about Altay Zapovednik in which a scientist was shown watching a squirrel gnawing a nut. Six zapovedniks were closed, and others were amalgamated or reduced in area.
Although the ideal zapovednik is an institution with an extensive area of unspoilt natural ecosystems used only for scientific research, and a resident staff of scientists and rangers, the history of many zapovedniks has in fact been rather different, sometimes involving closure, exploitation (including felling of forest), and eventual reopening. Even so, some zapovedniks have had an almost 'unblemished' history, and most retain the original vision of being scientific research institutions not catering for public recreation.
Environments protected
It is not easy to summarize the coverage of ecosystems protected by zapovedniks, but a rough idea can be gained by counting the number of reserves in the main natural-vegetation zones. On the map these are, from north to south:- Arctic desert (treeless; no continuous vegetation cover) and tundra (treeless; small shrubs, sedges, mosses)
- taiga (coniferous boreal forest with admixture of birch and other deciduous trees)
- deciduous forest (discontinuous zone dominated by oak and other deciduous species)
- steppe (treeless, dominated by forbs in the north and grasses in the south).
This is a highly simplistic classification: each major zone is divided into subzones, and there are transitional vegetation types. Moreover many zapovedniks, especially if in a transitional zone or covering a range of altitudes, will contain examples of several vegetation types.
With those qualifications, the numbers of zapovednik sites (some zapovedniks occupy widely dispersed sites, some of which are here counted separately) in the different zones are as follows: Arctic desert and tundra - c.15; taiga - c.40; deciduous forest - c.13; steppe - c.30. About half a dozen are predominantly montane, especially in the Caucasus. Komandorsky and Wrangel Island are remote islands. A few are mainly wetlands.
Management and uses
Although the principle of zapovednost stipulates no economic use, in practice zapovedniks have often been required to contribute to the national economy. Voronezh Zapovednik, for instance, bred European beavers for reintroduction to other areas in support of the fur industry. Several zapovedniks have also been regarded as a breeding ground for other commercially valuable fur-bearing animals, such as sable and desman, allowing them to spread into neighboring unprotected areas to support commercial trapping.Non-intervention management is difficult to practise in steppe zapovedniks, which are often far too small to support a self-sustaining ecosystem including wild herbivores (such as saiga) that may have been migratory. Resort is sometimes made to various mowing regimes, which however cannot satisfactorily replace natural processes insofar as it does not recycle nutrients and organic matter through the herbivore and carnivore food chain, and cannot replicate trampling effects.
An important activity in all zapovedniks is regular monitoring of seasonal events (phenology
Phenology
Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate...
). This is now standardized in a programme of observations known as the Chronicle of Nature (Летопись природы). The name was suggested by A.N.Formozov in 1937 although a monitoring programme was being developed by V.N.Sukachev in 1914 and G.A.Kozhevnikov in 1928. Instructions for conducting the Chronicle of Nature are periodically updated.
Under the pressure to become self-financing, some zapovedniks have tried at various times to develop ecological tourism - usually in the reserve's buffer zone, so avoiding infringement of the principle of zapovednost. In some cases tourism does however become a serious problem on account of the proximity of recreation centres, e.g. at Teberdinsky Zapovednik in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. The Dombai recreation center, long a favorite Russian alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
destination, is located near the center of the zapovednik, and the impact of tourism in the area as more Russians and foreigners come to visit has created pressure on the preserved ecosystems around it.
International significance of the zapovednik system
The anthropogenic impact on the environment - due to pollution, climate change and ultimately human population growth - is generating increasingly serious problems, the solution of which will depend on a better understanding of the biosphere than we already have. To provide conditions in which such an understanding can be developed, it is essential to preserve as far as possible intact examples of natural ecosystems, and the zapovedniks are the only large system of protected areas created primarily for this purpose. In the case of soil erosion, for example, it is only by comparing soil formation and loss rates from intact steppe or prairie and from the same kind of land under intensive agriculture that we can appreciate how destructive of natural capital the latter often is.Regular long-term monitoring of natural phenomena in zapovedniks has also provided a baseline set of data which is now valuable for assessing how anthropogenic pressure, primarily through climate change, is affecting natural ecosystems. Since the latter perform essential functions such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, it is obviously important to know how these ecosystem services are being affected by anthropogenic pressure. There is an argument for establishing a well funded global network of zapovedniks in order to increase our understanding of anthropogenic pressures on all the natural ecosystems of the world.
List of zapovedniks in Russia
| Name | Location | Size km² (sq. mi.) | Year founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altai | Altai Republic Altai Republic Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:... |
8812 (3402) | 1932 | Part of Golden Mountains of Altai Golden Mountains of Altai Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of an UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain, and the Ukok Plateau... World Heritage Site. |
| Astrakhan | Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups... |
668 (258) | 1919 | Consisting of 3 areas in Volga River Volga River The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage... delta at the Caspian Sea |
| Azas | Tyva Republic Tuva The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the... |
3340 (1290) | 1985 | |
| Barguzin Barguzin Nature Reserve Barguzinsky Nature Reserve is a zapovednik located in Buryatia on the west slope of the Barguzin Range, including the northeast shores of the Lake Baikal and a part of the lake itself. The name of the preserve comes from the Barguzin River.The area of the reserve is... |
Buryat Republic | 3744 (1446) | 1916 | Part of Lake Baikal Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the... World Heritage Site. |
| Basegi | Perm Krai Perm Krai Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject... |
380 (147) | 1982 | In central Urals Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia... on Basegi Range |
| Bashkirski | Bashkortostan Bashkortostan The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa... Rep. |
496 (192) | 1930 | Consisting of 2 sites in the southern Urals |
| Bastak | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
918 (354) | 1997 | |
| Baikal Baikalsky Nature Reserve The Baikal Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in southern Buryatia, Russia, established in 1969 for preserving the nature along the Lake Baikal and central part of the Chamar-Daban Range. The area of this nature reserve is 165,700 hectares... |
Buryat Republic | 1657 (640) | 1969 | Located on terraces of south shore of Lake Baikal in Khamar-Daban Range |
| Baykal-Lena | Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:... |
6599 (2548) | 1986 | Part of Lake Baikal World Heritage Site, includes the headwaters of the Lena River Lena River The Lena is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean . It is the 11th longest river in the world and has the 9th largest watershed... west of Lake Baikal |
| Belogore | Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population: 1,532,670 .-History:... |
21 (8) | 1999 | |
| Bogdinsko- Baskunchakski |
Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups... |
185 (71) | 1997 | In western part of the Caspian lowland on the left bank of Volga River, includes Lake Baskunchak Baskunchak Lake Baskunchak is a salt lake of 115 km² in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located at , about 270 km north of the Caspian Sea, and 53 km east of the Volga. Since 1997 the area is strictly protected as nature reserve.... (largest salt lake in the country) |
| Bolon | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
1036 (400) | 1997 | |
| Bolshaya Kokshaga | Mari El Mari El The Mari El Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Population: -Geography:The republic is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain of Russia, along the Volga River. The swampy Mari Depression is located in the west of the republic... Republic |
216 (83) | 1993 | |
| Bolshekhekhtsir | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
454 (175) | 1963 | Isolated highland region (Bolshoy Khekhtsir) near confluence of Amur and Ussuri River Ussuri River The Usuri ula is a river in the south of the Outer Manchuria and east of Inner Manchuria . It rises in the Sikhote-Alin range, flowing north, forming part of the Sino-Russian border based on the Sino-Russian Convention of Peking in 1860, until it joins the Amur River at Khabarovsk . It is... s |
| Botcha | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
2670 (1031) | 1994 | Includes the Botcha River basin in the northern Sikhote-Alin Sikhote-Alin The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok... Mountains |
| Bryansk Forest | Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. Population: 1,278,087 .-History:... |
122 (47) | 1987 | |
| Bureya | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
3580 (1382) | 1987 | Includes mountains between Pravaya Bureya and Levaya Bureya Rivers |
| Caucasus Western Caucasus The Western Caucasus is a western region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia, extending from the Black Sea to Mount Elbrus.-World Heritage Site:... |
Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai -External links:* **... Republic of Adygea Rep. |
2803 (1082) | 1924 | Part of Western Caucasus Western Caucasus The Western Caucasus is a western region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia, extending from the Black Sea to Mount Elbrus.-World Heritage Site:... World Heritage Site |
| Central Black-Earth | Kursk Oblast Kursk Oblast Kursk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kursk.-Geography:The oblast occupies the southern slopes of the middle-Russian plateau, and its average elevation is from 177 to 225 meters . The surface is hilly, and intersected by ravines... Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population: 1,532,670 .-History:... |
51 (20) | 1935 | Consisting of 6 sites of forests and steppe Steppe In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes... s dissected by ravines |
| Central Forest | Tver Oblast Tver Oblast Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno... |
214 (83) | 1931 | |
| Central Siberia | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
10220 (3946) | 1985 | Consisting of taiga on the western slopes of the Central Siberian Plateau Central Siberian Plateau The Central Siberian Plateau is made up of sharply demarcated surfaces of varying altitudes occupying most of Siberia between the Yenisei and Lena rivers. It extends over an area of 3.5 million km². The highest point is the Putoran Mountains rising to 1701 m. To the north of the plateau are... |
| Cherny Zemli | Kalmykia Kalmykia The Republic of Kalmykia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: It is the only Buddhist region in Europe. It has also become well-known as an international chess mecca because its former President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is the head of the International Chess Federation .-Geography:*Area:... Rep. |
1219 (470) | 1990 | |
| Dagestan | Republic of Dagestan Rep. | 191 (74) | 1987 | Consisting of 2 sites along the Caspian Sea coast |
| Dalnevostochny Morskoy (Far-East Marine) |
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
643 (248) | 1987 | Consisting of 3 marine areas and 12 islands in the Sea of Japan Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific... |
| Darwin | Vologda Oblast Vologda Oblast Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque... Tver Oblast Tver Oblast Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno... |
1127 (435) | 1945 | |
| Dauriya | Chita Oblast Chita Oblast Chita Oblast was a federal subject of Russia in southeast Siberia, Russia. Its administrative center was the city of Chita. It had extensive international borders with China and Mongolia and internal borders with Irkutsk and Amur Oblasts, as well as with the Buryat and the Sakha Republics. Its... |
448 (173) | 1987 | |
| Denezhkin Kamen | Sverdlovsk Oblast Sverdlovsk Oblast Sverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: -Geography:... |
782 (302) | 1991 | Originally founded in 1946 with 1350 km2 but not operational between 1960 and 1990 |
| Erzi | Ingushetia Ingushetia The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg... Rep. |
60 (23) | 2000 | |
| Galichya Gora | Lipetsk Oblast Lipetsk Oblast Lipetsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia which was formed on January 6, 1954. Its administrative center is the city of Lipetsk... |
2.30 (0.89) | 1925 | From 1952 to 1970 it was an experimental farm; consisting of 6 sites in the Don River Don River (Russia) The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov.... basin |
| Great Arctic Great Arctic State Nature Reserve The Great Arctic State Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia... |
Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
41692 (16097) | 1993 | Includes 7 sites on mainland and islands of Taymyr Peninsula Taymyr Peninsula The Taymyr Peninsula is a peninsula in the Far North of Russia, in the Siberian Federal District, that forms the northernmost part of mainland Eurasia and Asia... |
| Gydan | Yamalo-Nenets Okrug Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug , is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard. Population: -Geography and natural history:... |
8782 (3391) | 1996 | Located on peninsulas and islands in Kara Sea Kara Sea The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya.... , includes 718 km2 of sea |
| Ilmen | Chelyabinsk Oblast Chelyabinsk Oblast -External links:*... |
304 (117) | 1920 | Established as a mineralogical reserve in the southern Urals |
| Jerginski | Buryat Republic | 2379 (919) | 1992 | Includes the upper Barguzin River in the Barguzin Range Barguzin Range Barguzin Range is a range in Buryatia, Russia along the North-Eastern shore of Baikal.Its length is 280 km, height up to 2,840 m. It is mostly covered by larch taiga. The range bounds the Barguzin Valley from the North-West. A part of the Barguzin Preserve is located on the Western slopes of the... |
| Jugjurski | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
8600 (3320) | 1990 | Includes coastal ridges and some islands of Sea of Okhotsk Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaidō to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and... |
| Kabardino-Balkarski | Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria The Kabardino-Balkar Republic , or Kabardino-Balkaria , is a federal subject of Russia located in the North Caucasus. Population: -Geography:The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part.... |
828 (320) | 1976 | Consisting mostly of glacier and bare rock in Caucasus Mountains |
| Kaluzhskiye Zaseki | Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kaluga.-Geography:Kaluga Oblast is located in the central part of the East European Plain. The Smolensk Highland lays in the western and north-western part of the oblast, while the Central Russian Highland -... |
185 (71) | 1992 | |
| Kandalaksha | Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:... |
705 (272) | 1932 | Consisting of the coast and islands around White Sea White Sea The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of... and Kola Peninsula Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast... |
| Katun | Altai Republic Altai Republic Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:... |
1520 (587) | 1991 | Includes the upper Katun River in the Altay Mountains Altay Mountains The Altai Mountains are a mountain range in East-Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their sources. The Altai Mountains are known as the original locus of the speakers of Turkic as well as other members of the proposed... ; part of Golden Mountains of Altai Golden Mountains of Altai Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of an UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain, and the Ukok Plateau... World Heritage Site |
| Kedrovaya Pad | Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
179 (69) | 1925 | Includes mountains and valley of Kedrovaya River |
| Kerzhinski | Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Nizhny Novgorod Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Nizhny Novgorod. Population: The oblast is crossed by the Volga River. Apart from Nizhny Novgorod's metropolitan area, the biggest city is Arzamas... |
469 (181) | 1993 | |
| Khakasski | Khakassia Khakassia The Republic of Khakassia or Khakasiya is a federal subject of Russia located in south-central Siberia. Its capital city is Abakan, which is also the largest city in the republic... Rep. |
2680 (1035) | 1991 | Formed from the merger of Little Abakan and Chazy in 1999 |
| Khanka | Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
393 (152) | 1990 | Consisting of part of Khanka Lake Khanka Lake Khanka Lake , is a transboundary freshwater body located on the border between Primorsky Krai, Russia and Heilongjiang province, Northeast China . At its closest point, it is situated east of the city of Jixi, Heilongjiang... and its surroundings on the Chinese border |
| Khingan | Amur Oblast Amur Oblast Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky... |
972 (375) | 1963 | Includes part of Malyi Khingan Lesser Khingan Lesser Khingan is a mountain range in China's Heilongjiang Province and the adjacent parts of Russia's Amur Oblast and Jewish Autonomous Oblast.... Range on the border with China |
| Khopyor | Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on June 13, 1934.-Main rivers:*Don*Voronezh*Bityug*Khopyor-Economy:... |
162 (63) | 1935 | Consisting of forests and steppes along the Khopyor River Khopyor River Khopyor is a river in European Russia, the biggest left tributary of the Don River. Length 979 km, watershed: 61,100 km², mouth width: 300m.Navigable up to 323 km... |
| Kivach Kivach Nature Reserve Kivach is a 104.6 km² Russian nature reserve located in Kondopozhsky District of Republic of Karelia, which includes the famous 10.7 m Kivach waterfall on the Suna River. The reserve was established in 1931 to study and protect Karelian taiga... |
Karelia Rep. Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas... |
109 (42) | 1931 | |
| Kologrivski Forest | Kostroma Oblast Kostroma Oblast Kostroma Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kostroma.Major historic towns include Kostroma, Sharya, Nerekhta, Galich, Soligalich, and Makaryev. Textile industries have been developed there since the early 18th century... |
589 (227) | 2006 | |
| Komandor Komandorsky Zapovednik Komandorsky Nature Reserve is a zapovednik located on the Commander Islands, Kamchatka Krai, Russia.The total area of the preserve is 3,648,679 ha of which 2,177,398 ha are marine buffer zone. The land territory includes most of Bering Island, all of Medny Island, as well as thirteen... |
Kamchatka Krai | 36487 (14088) | 1993 | Includes the Commander Islands off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west... in the Pacific Ocean |
| Komsomolsk | Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai Khabarovsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Russian Far East. It lies mostly in the basin of the lower Amur River, but also occupies a vast mountainous area along the coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. The administrative center of the krai is the... |
645 (249) | 1963 | Originally near Komsomolsk-on-Amur Komsomolsk-on-Amur Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, situated on the left bank of Amur River. It is located on the BAM railway line, northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: -Geography and climate:... then relocated to mountainous area west of Amur River in 1980 |
| Koryak | Koryak Okrug | 3272 (1263) | 1995 | Includes lowland and highland sites of lakes, bogs, and tundra in the north of Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west... |
| Kostamuksha | Karelia Rep. Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas... |
475.69 (183.66) | 1983 | In 1990 it was joined with protected areas in Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... to form transborder Friendship Nature Reserve |
| Kronotski | Kamchatka Krai | 11420 (4409) | 1934 | Part of Volcanoes of Kamchatka World Heritage Site. |
| Kurils | Sakhalin Oblast Sakhalin Oblast Sakhalin Oblast is a federal subject of Russia comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.The oblast has an area of 87,100 km² and a population of 546,695... |
654 (253) | 1984 | Includes 3 sites on Kuril Islands Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater... and Kunashir Island Kunashir Island Kunashir Island , possibly meaning Black Island or Grass Island in Ainu, is the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands, which are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan .... |
| Kuznetski-Ala-Tau | Kemerovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast Kemerovo Oblast , also known as Kuzbass after the Kuznetsk Basin, is a federal subject of Russia , located in southwestern Siberia, where the West Siberian Plain meets the South Siberian mountains... |
4130 (1595) | 1989 | |
| Lapland Lapland Biosphere Reserve Lapland Biosphere Reserve is a zapovednik in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, beyond the Arctic Circle, occupying an area of 2,784 km² to the northwest of Lake Imandra, including 86 km² of inland water... |
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:... |
2784 (1075) | 1930 | Includes mountains, taiga, and tundra of Kola Peninsula Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast... |
| Lazovski | Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
1209.89 (467.13) | 1940 | Formerly called Sudzukhinski and originally part of Sikhote-Alin Sikhote-Alin The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok... reserve |
| Lena Delta Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve is a Zapovednik located in the delta of the Lena River in Sakha Republic, in the far north of eastern Siberia, Russia. It has a total land area of , making it the largest protected area in Russia. The delta itself has a size of about , making it one of the largest of... |
Sakha (Yakutiya) Rep. | 14330 (5533) | 1985 | Includes the Lena River Lena River The Lena is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean . It is the 11th longest river in the world and has the 9th largest watershed... delta on the Arctic coast of the Laptev Sea Laptev Sea The Laptev Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, the Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya and the New Siberian Islands. Its northern boundary passes from the Arctic Cape to a point with co-ordinates of 79°N and 139°E, and ends at the Anisiy... |
| Little Sosva | Khanty-Mansi Okrug Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug , also known as Yugra, is a federal subject of Russia . Population: The people native to the region are the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob Ugric people... |
2256 (871) | 1976 | Includes part of the former Kondo-Sosva reserve |
| Lower Svir Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve The Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve is a 416 km² zapovednik in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, established in 1980. It occupies lowlands on the right bank of the lower Svir River, including a portion of the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga and its waters. The zapovednik's northern border coincides with the... |
Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position... |
416 (161) | 1980 | Includes bogs and forest of the shores of Svir River Svir River Svir is a river in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows from Lake Onega west to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest lakes of Europe. It is the largest river flowing into Lake Ladoga.... and Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:... |
| Magadan | Magadan Oblast Magadan Oblast Magadan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Magadan.... |
8838 (3412) | 1982 | Includes 4 sites around northern coast of Sea of Okhotsk Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaidō to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and... |
| Mordovski | Mordovia Mordovia The Republic of Mordovia , also known as Mordvinia, is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Saransk. Population: -Geography:The republic is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain of Russia... Rep. |
322 (124) | 1936 | |
| Nenets | Nenets Okrug Nenets Autonomous Okrug Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a federal subject of Russia .It has an area of 176,700 km2 and population of 42,628 as of the preliminary results of the 2010 Census , 21,296 of whom live in Naryan-Mar, the administrative center.-Geography and ecology:The arctic ecology of this... |
3134 (1210) | 1997 | Includes part of the Pechora River Pechora River The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers... delta and some islands of the Barents Sea Barents Sea The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents... |
| Nora | Amur Oblast Amur Oblast Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky... |
2112 (815) | 1998 | |
| North Osetia | North Ossetia-Alania North Ossetia-Alania The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania is a federal subject of Russia . Its population according to the 2010 Census was 712,877.-Name:... |
295 (114) | 1967 | Consisting of north slope of Great Caucasus Mountains |
| Nurgush | Kirov Oblast Kirov Oblast Kirov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. Population: -History:In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vyatka remained a place of exile for opponents of the tsarist regime, including many prominent revolutionary figures.In 1920, a number of... |
57 (22) | 1994 | Includes floodplain of Vyatka River Vyatka River The Vyatka River is a river in Kirov Oblast and the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, right tributary of the Kama River. It is 1,314 km in length. The area of its basin is 129,000 km².... , with numerous channels and ox-bow lakes |
| Oka | Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:... |
557 (215) | 1935 | Includes bogs, forest, and dunes along the Oka River Oka River Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds... |
| Olyokma | Sakha (Yakutiya) Rep. | 8471 (3271) | 1984 | Includes hills and mountains on the right bank of Olyokma River Olyokma River The Olyokma River is a tributary of the Lena in eastern Siberia. To the west is the Vitim River, to the south the Shilka River and Amur River and to the east, the upper Aldan River. Its right branch, the Tungur River, leads to a portage to the Shilka. Yerofey Khabarov used this route to travel... |
| Orenburg | Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkalov... |
217 (84) | 1989 | Consisting of 4 sites of hills and steppe in the southern Urals |
| Pasvik | Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:... |
146 (56) | 1992 | Includes taiga in the Paz River basin near the Norwegian border |
| Pechora-Ilych Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Komi Republic, Russia. It currently occupies 7,213 square kilometers and forms the core of the World Heritage Site Virgin Komi Forests.-Location:... |
Komi Republic Komi Republic The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain... |
7213 (2785) | 1930 | Includes part of the Virgin Komi Forests Virgin Komi Forests The Virgin Komi Forests is a natural UNESCO World Heritage site in the Northern Ural mountains of the Komi Republic, Russia. At 32,800 km² it is the largest virgin forest in Europe.The Virgin Komi Forests belong to the Ural Mountains taiga ecoregion... World Heritage site |
| Pinega | Arkhangelsk Oblast Arkhangelsk Oblast Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea.... |
515 (199) | 1974 | Consisting mostly of taiga along the Pinega River Pinega River The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky, Pinezhsky, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin... |
| Polist | Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²... |
380 (147) | 1994 | Includes part of the largest raised-bog system in Europe (Polisto-Lovatskaya) |
| Poronayski | Sakhalin Oblast Sakhalin Oblast Sakhalin Oblast is a federal subject of Russia comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.The oblast has an area of 87,100 km² and a population of 546,695... |
567 (219) | 1988 | Consisting of 2 sites of taiga lowland and hills on Sakhalin Island |
| Prioksko-Terrasny Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Biosphere Reserve is one of Russia's smallest zapovedniks , sprawling over an area of 5,000 hectares along the left bank of the Oka River in the Serpukhov District of Moskva Oblast. It was established in 1945 as part of the Moscow Nature Reserve and is home to 900 plant... |
Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject... |
49 (19) | 1945 | Includes unusual meadow-steppe vegetation ('Oka Flora') |
| Prisurski | Chuvash Rep. | 91 (35) | 1995 | |
| Privolzhskaya Forest-steppe | Penza Oblast Penza Oblast -External links:* *... |
84 (32) | 1989 | Consisting of 5 sites in a forest-steppe zone |
| Putorana | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
18873 (7287) | 1988 | Includes mountains, taiga, tundra, and lakes in northern Siberia |
| Rdeyski | Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast Novgorod Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located there... |
369 (142) | 1994 | Borders on Polist Zapovednik; part of largest raised-bog system in Europe |
| Rostov | Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia... |
95 (37) | 1995 | |
| Sayano-Shushenski | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
3904 (1507) | 1976 | Includes part of the Sayan Mountains Sayan Mountains The Sayan Mountains are a mountain range between northwestern Mongolia and southern Siberia, Russia.The Eastern Sayan extends from the Yenisei River at 92° E to the southwest end of Lake Baikal at 106° E... |
| Shulgan-Tash | Bashkortostan Bashkortostan The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa... Rep. |
225 (87) | 1986 | Formerly part of Bashkirski Zapovednik |
| Sikhote-Alin Sikhote-Alin The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok... |
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
4010 (1548) | 1935 | Part of Sikhote-Alin World Heritage Site |
| Sokhondo | Chita Oblast Chita Oblast Chita Oblast was a federal subject of Russia in southeast Siberia, Russia. Its administrative center was the city of Chita. It had extensive international borders with China and Mongolia and internal borders with Irkutsk and Amur Oblasts, as well as with the Buryat and the Sakha Republics. Its... |
2110 (815) | 1973 | |
| Stolby | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
471 (182) | 1925 | Includes part of the Sayan Mountains Sayan Mountains The Sayan Mountains are a mountain range between northwestern Mongolia and southern Siberia, Russia.The Eastern Sayan extends from the Yenisei River at 92° E to the southwest end of Lake Baikal at 106° E... |
| South Urals | Bashkortostan Bashkortostan The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa... Rep. |
2530 (977) | 1978 | Includes part of the southern Ural Mountains Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia... |
| Taymyr | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... |
17819 (6880) | 1979 | Includes part of the northernmost forest in the world, Lake Taymyr Lake Taymyr Lake Taymyr is a lake of the central regions of the Taymyr Peninsula in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russian Federation. It is located south of the Byrranga Mountains.... , and Arctic desert on spurs of the Byrranga Mountains Byrranga Mountains The Byrranga Mountains are a mountain range in the middle of the Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia, Russia, located north and west of Lake Taymyr. They run for about 1,100 km, forming a looping curve that runs roughly in a southwest to northeast direction... |
| Teberda | Karachay-Cherkessia Karachay-Cherkessia The Karachay-Cherkess Republic , or Karachay-Cherkessia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: -Geography:*Area: *Borders:**internal: Krasnodar Krai , Kabardino-Balkar Republic , Stavropol Krai .... |
850 (328) | 1936 | Consisting of 2 sites of forest and glaciers in the Caucasus Mountains |
| Tigirekskiy | Altai Republic Altai Republic Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:... |
407 (157) | 1999 | |
| Tunguska | Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk... Evenkia Evenk Autonomous Okrug Evenk Autonomous Okrug , or Evenkia, was a federal subject of Russia . It had been created in 1930. Its administrative center was the urban-type settlement of Tura... |
2970 (1147) | 1995 | Site of the 1908 Tunguska event Tunguska event The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m... |
| Ubsunurski Depression | Tyva Republic Tuva The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the... |
3230 (1247) | 1993 | Part of Uvs Nuur basin World Heritage Site, together with Uvs Nuur State Nature Reserve in Mongolia Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest... |
| Upper Taz | Yamalo-Nenets Okrug Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug , is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard. Population: -Geography and natural history:... |
6313 (2437) | 1986 | Includes bogs and taiga on the upper portion of the Taz River Taz River The Taz is a river located in western Siberia, has a length of 1401 km and drains a basin estimated at 150,000 km².The Taz River flows into the Tazovskaya Guba, a roughly 250 km long estuary that begins in the area of Tazovskiy town and ends in the Gulf of Ob... |
| Ussuri | Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok... |
404 (156) | 1932 | Includes western spurs of Sikhote-Alin Sikhote-Alin The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok... Mountains draining into the Ussuri River Ussuri River The Usuri ula is a river in the south of the Outer Manchuria and east of Inner Manchuria . It rises in the Sikhote-Alin range, flowing north, forming part of the Sino-Russian border based on the Sino-Russian Convention of Peking in 1860, until it joins the Amur River at Khabarovsk . It is... |
| Vishera | Perm Krai Perm Krai Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject... |
2412 (931) | 1990 | Includes part of the northern Urals in the Vishera River basin |
| Visim | Sverdlovsk Oblast Sverdlovsk Oblast Sverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: -Geography:... |
135 (52) | 1946 | |
| Vitim | Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:... |
5850 (2259) | 1982 | Consisting mountains of the Kodar Range in the Vitim River Vitim River Vitim River is a major tributary of the Lena River. With its source east of Lake Baikal, the Vitim flows 1,978 km north through the Transbaykalian Mountains and the town of Bodaybo. The river peaks in June and freezes from November to May. It is navigable from the Lena to Bodaybo. Upstream,... basin |
| Volga-Kama | Tatarstan Tatarstan The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,... Rep. |
101 (39) | 1960 | Consisting of 2 sites of forest along Volga River Volga River The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage... |
| Voronezh | Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on June 13, 1934.-Main rivers:*Don*Voronezh*Bityug*Khopyor-Economy:... |
311 (120) | 1927 | Includes half of Usmanski Forest along the Voronezh River Voronezh River Voronezh is a river in Tambov, Lipetsk, and Voronezh Oblasts in Russia, a left tributary of the Don. The Voronezh River is 342 km in length. The area of its drainage basin is 21,600 km². It freezes up in the first half of December and stays under the ice until late March. The lower... |
| Vorona | Tambov Oblast Tambov Oblast Tambov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tambov. Population: down from 1,178,443 recorded by the 2002 Census.Tambov Oblast is situated in forest steppe.-Birth rate:... |
103 (40) | 1994 | Includes forest, steppe, and wetlands in the Vorona River valley |
| Wrangel Island Wrangel Island Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180° meridian. The International Date Line is displaced eastwards at this latitude to avoid the island as well as the Chukchi Peninsula on the Russian mainland... |
Chukotka Okrug Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subject of Russia located in the Russian Far East.Chukotka has a population of 53,824 according to the 2002 Census, and a surface area of . The principal town and the administrative center is Anadyr... |
22260 (8595) | 1976 | Part of 'Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve' World Heritage Site |
| Yugan | Khanty-Mansi Okrug Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug , also known as Yugra, is a federal subject of Russia . Population: The people native to the region are the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob Ugric people... |
6490 (2506) | 1982 | |
| Zeya | Amur Oblast Amur Oblast Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky... |
994 (384) | 1963 | Includes part of the Tukuringr Range and the Zeya River Zeya River Zeya River , 1,242 km long, is a northern tributary of the Amur River. It rises in the Tokiysky Stanovik mountain ridge, a part of the Stanovoy Range. The first Russian to enter the area was Vassili Poyarkov.... basin |
| Zhiguli | Samara Oblast Samara Oblast Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:... |
231 (89) | 1927 | On Samarskaya Luka Peninsula and islands in Volga River |
- Source:
Biosphere reserves
Since 1978, more than thirty of Russia's nature reserves have been designated by UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
s.
World Heritage Sites
Some of the nature reserves in Russia are also protected by the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as natural World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s:
- Lake BaikalLake BaikalLake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
(includes Barguzin Zapovednik); - Western CaucasusWestern CaucasusThe Western Caucasus is a western region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia, extending from the Black Sea to Mount Elbrus.-World Heritage Site:...
(includes Caucasus Biosphere Reserve, parts of Teberda Biosphere Reserve and Sochi National Park); - Sikhote-AlinSikhote-AlinThe Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok...
(includes Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik); - Golden Mountains of Altai (includes Altai and Katun zapovedniks);
- VolcanoVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es of Kamchatka (includes Kronotski Zapovednik and three national parks); - Curonian SpitCuronian SpitThe Curonian Spit is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and its northern within southwestern Lithuania...
(includes Curonian Spit National Park); - Virgin Komi ForestsVirgin Komi ForestsThe Virgin Komi Forests is a natural UNESCO World Heritage site in the Northern Ural mountains of the Komi Republic, Russia. At 32,800 km² it is the largest virgin forest in Europe.The Virgin Komi Forests belong to the Ural Mountains taiga ecoregion...
(includes Pechora-Ilych Biosphere ReservePechora-Ilych Nature ReservePechora-Ilych Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Komi Republic, Russia. It currently occupies 7,213 square kilometers and forms the core of the World Heritage Site Virgin Komi Forests.-Location:...
); - Uvs Nuur basin (includes Uvs Nuur Nature Reserve);
- Wrangel IslandWrangel IslandWrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180° meridian. The International Date Line is displaced eastwards at this latitude to avoid the island as well as the Chukchi Peninsula on the Russian mainland...
(includes Wrangel Island Zapovednik).
Typically, a nature reserve occupies only a part of the much larger World Heritage site.
External links
- Description (text, images) of 47 zapovedniks and national parks arranged by bio-region.
- List of Russian zapovedniks with brief description of each, contact details, and coordinates for map shown above.
- Russia's Zapovednik System Reaches Out.
- Taking the Future of Russia's Protected Areas in Their Own Hands: Zapovednik Directors Meet in Vladivostok.
- Tsentr dikoy prirody. Lists all zapovedniks, with maps and images. In Russian.
- The Altai Reserve