National parks of Russia

Sablinsky Ridge, Yugyd Va National Park, on the west slope of the Northern Ural Mountains

There are currently 48 national parks in Russia, a list of which is given below. Together they cover approximately 155,672 square kilometers (60,105 sq mi).

Overview

Map of national parks in Russia

The oldest parks in Russia are Sochinsky and Losiny Ostrov (1983); Samarskaya Luka (1984); Mariy Chodra (1985); Bashkiriya, Prielbrusye, Pribaykalsky, and Zabaykalsky (1986).

According to the law on the protected areas of Russia, national parks are areas of land and water devoted to nature protection, ecological education, and scientific research. They contain sites of particular ecological, historical and aesthetic value. Regulated tourism is permitted. The area of each park is divided into zones according to various functions. There should be a strictly protected area managed as a zapovednik, and also recreational and buffer zones in which economic activity is allowed, such as tourism, traditional land use, and benign forms of agriculture and forestry. The strictly protected function is sometimes fulfilled by a neighbouring official zapovednik; for instance, Barguzin Zapovednik adjoins Zabaykalsky National Park on the east side of Lake Baikal. In 2001 Vodlozersky National Park received UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, followed by Smolenskoye Poozerye and Ugra National Park in 2002, and two others (Valdaysky and Kenozersky) in 2004. The newest park is Bikin National Park, created in late 2015.

The national parks are currently the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia).

List of national parks of Russia

Name	Photo	Location	Created	Park URL	Area	Description
Alaniya		North Ossetia-Alania	1998	Ала́ния	54,926 hectares (212.1 sq mi)	Alaniya lies on the north slope of the central Caucasus Mountains. The park includes the 13 km long Karaugom Glacier, the deep forest valley of the Urukh River, and steppe grasslands. Archaeological ruins dot the park, from the Bronze Age Koban culture to the medieval Alans people. The host Republic of North Ossetia-Alania takes its name from the Alans.
Alkhanay		Zabaykalsky Krai	1999	Алханай	138,234 hectares (533.7 sq mi)	Sacred to the indigenous Buryats people, as well as modern Bhuddists, Mt. Alkhanai is the central focus of the park. (The Dalai Lama has made two unofficial visits). The surroundings are a prime example of "Daurian forrest steppe", in the transition zone between the Siberian taiga to the north, and the Mongolian steppe just to the south.
Anyuysky		Khabarovsk Krai	1999	Анюйский	429,370 hectares (1,657.8 sq mi)	The park is important because it creates an ecological corridor - from the low floodplain habitat of the Amur River, up through the forested Anyuy River basin, to the high levels of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in the Russian Far East. The local indigenous people are the Nanai people, traditionally a fishing and hunting culture.
Bashkiriya		Bashkortostan	1986	Башкирия	92,000 hectares (355.2 sq mi)	Bashkiriya covers a large contiguous forest and network of dissected river valleys on the southern end of the Ural mountains. The park is a buffer between the industrialized flat lands to the west, and the mountainous and sparsely-populated Shulgan-Tash nature reserve and Allyn-Solok ("Golden Bee Tree") entomological reserve to the east.
Beringia		Chukotka Autonomous Okrug	2013	Берингия	3,053,233 hectares (11,788.6 sq mi)	Until 11,000 BCE, the Beringia "land bridge" allowed humans to pass between Asia and North America. Russia's Beringia National Park is the western side of what is now the Bering Strait, with the US Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Alaska on the eastern side.
Bikin		Primorsky Krai	2015	Бикин	1,160,500 hectares (4,480.7 sq mi)	Created Nov. 3, 2015, Bikin National Park protects the largest remaining old-growth mixed forest in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as the territory of 10% of all Amur tigers in the wild. The park also protects the forest culture of the 600 indigenous inhabitants that remain in the Bikin River basin, the Udeghes and Nanai people.
Buzuluksky Bor	150px	Samara Oblast / Orenburg Oblast	2007	Бузулукский бор	106,000 hectares (409.3 sq mi)	Buzuluksky Bor is the largest grove of isolated high pine trees in the world. Surrounded by a sea of steppes on the Eastern Russian Plain between the Volga River (west) and the southern Ural Mountains (to the east), the park is the sandy remains of what was once a river delta into the Caspian Sea. There is oil underneath Buzuluksky, adding pressure to the site.
Chavash Varmane Bor		Chuvashia	1993	Чаваш Вармане	25,200 hectares (97.3 sq mi)	Chavash Varmane Bor is a large contiguous (unbroken) forest in the middle Volga River region. The park was created to serve the dual purpose of preserving biological diversity and the protection of a site representative of the Chuvash people.
Chikoy		Zabaykalsky Krai	2014	Чикой	666,468 hectares (2,573.2 sq mi)	The park is at the headwaters of the Chikoy River, which flows west into the Selenga River and Lake Baikal, 250 miles to the northwest. It is in the transition zone between the Siberian taiga to the north and Mongolian steppe to the south.
Kalevalsky	150px	Republic of Karelia	2007	Калевальский	74,400 hectares (287.3 sq mi)	The Kalevalsky pine forest covers one of the last, large old-growth boreal pine forest in Europe. It is situated on the border between Russia and Finland at about the mid-point from south to north. The park is located in the Republic of Karelia. The Kalevala, an epic poem of Finnish and Karelian oral folklore, was drawn from this region.
Curonian Spit		Kaliningrad Oblast	1987	Куршская коса	6,621 hectares (25.6 sq mi)	The 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. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by the two countries.
Kenozersky		Arkhangelsk Oblast	1991	Кенозерский	139,663 hectares (539.2 sq mi)	The park has many cultural monuments, one being Porzhensky Pogost, which is St. George church with the bell-tower (both from the 18th century) surrounded by the wooden wall with gates and towers (1789). The park is on the divide between the Atlantic and Arctic basis. Since 2004, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Khvalynsky		Saratov Oblast	1994	Хвалынский	25,524 hectares (98.5 sq mi)	Khvalynksy NP encompasses a raised plateau of chalk hills of the Volga Uplands, covered in mixed oak-linden and conifer forests, along the west side of the Volga River. It is about 1,000 km north of the Caspian Sea, in Saratov Oblast overlooking the Saratov Reservoir.
Losiny Ostrov		Moscow Oblast	1983	Лосиный Остров	11,600 hectares (44.8 sq mi)	Literally, 'Moose Island', Losiny Ostrov is the first national park of Russia. It is located in Moscow and Moscow Oblast and is the third largest forest in a city of comparable size, after Table Mountain National Park (Cape Town) and Pedra Branca State Park (Rio de Janeiro).
Mariy Chodra		Mari El Republic	1985	Марий Чодра	36,600 hectares (141.3 sq mi)	Mariy Chodra was created to protect rare plants: more than 115 rare plant species are documented. There are fourteen tourist routes in the park; the most popular attractions being Yalchik, Glukhoye, and Kichiyer Lakes, the rafting on the Ilet and Yushut Rivers, Pugachov's Oak, and the Maple Mountain.
Meshchyora		Vladimir Oblast	1992	Мещёра	118,900 hectares (459.1 sq mi)	Meshchyora NP covers extensive wetlands (swamps, peat bogs, rivers and lakes) - an extremely rich habitat for biodiversity - and pine/birch woodlands in the Meshchera Lowlands on the East European Plain in Vladimir Oblast, about 120 km east of Moscow. The area is associated with the medieval Meshchera tribe.
Meschyorsky		Ryazan Oblast	1992	Мещерский	105,014 hectares (405.5 sq mi)	"Meshchersky" (Мещёрский) National Park is not to be confused with "Meshchyora" (Мещёра) National Park, which is just to the north, over the border in Vladimir Oblast. The neighboring parks cover similar wetlands (swamps, peat bogs, rivers and lakes) and pine/birch woodlands in the Meshchera Lowlands.
Nechkinsky		Udmurt Republic	1997	Нечкинский	20,753 hectares (80.1 sq mi)	Nechkinsky NP is an important biological and cultural reserve of Udmurtia (the Udmurt Republic), situated in the middle valley of the Kama River, its tributary the Siva River, and the coastal part of the Votkinsk reservoir. The territory is mostly forest and river floodplains, with a number of ancient archaeological sites on the grounds. It is near the city of Izhevsk, on the west side of the Ural Mountains.
Nizhnyaya Kama		Tatarstan	1991	Нижняя Кама	26,587 hectares (102.7 sq mi)	Literally translated as "Lower Kama National Park", Nizhnyaya Kama is a national park in the center of Russia, located in Tukayevsky and Yelabuzhsky Districts of Tatarstan. It was established April 20, 1991 to protect coniferous (mostly pine) forests at the banks of the Kama River.
Onezhskoye Pomorye	150px	Arkhangelsk Oblast	2013	Онежское Поморье	201,670 hectares (778.7 sq mi)	The park occupies much of the Onega Peninsula and adjacent parts of the White Sea. There are no all-season means of land transportation to the mainland. Most of the area is covered by forest.Moose, eurasian brown bear, gray wolf, and red fox are common in the park. Beluga whale occurs in the White sea. In the winter, the sea is frozen.
Orlovskoye Polesye		Oryol Oblast	1994	Онежское Поморье	77,745 hectares (300.2 sq mi)	Orlovskoye Polesye is situated in the middle of the Central Russian Upland straddling the Znamensky and Khotynetsky districts of Oryol Oblast. The territory is a hills cut with ravines and gullies. The highest elevation is 250 meters above the sea level. In the low-lying areas there are muskeg with cranberries.
Paanajärvi	150px	Republic of Karelia	1992	Паанаярви	104,371 hectares (403.0 sq mi)	Paanajärvi National Park is located in the Karelia Region of northern Europe, along the Finnish–Russian border. It protects 1,043.71 square kilometres (402.98 sq mi) of pristine Scandinavian and Russian Taiga ecoregion forest habitats, lakes, and rivers.
Pleshcheyevo Ozero		Yaroslavl Oblast	1997	Плещеево озеро	23,790 hectares (91.9 sq mi)	Pleshcheyevo NP covers Lake Pleshcheyevo and surrounding areas. The lake is highly popular for recreational use, as an ecological habitat, and is a former resort for the Russian tsars. The lake is located about 130 km northeast of Moscow, in the basin of the Upper Volga. On the southeast shore is the resort town of Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl Oblast.
Pribaikalsky		Irkutsk Oblast	1986	Прибайкальский	417,300 hectares (1,611.2 sq mi)	Pribaikalsky National Park covers the southwest coast of Lake Baikalin southeastern Siberia. The coastal strip includes some mountain ridges to the west as well as offshore islands such as Olkhon Island to the east. It is about 50 km southeast of the city of Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast.
Pripyshminskiye Bory	150px	Sverdlovsk Oblast	1993	Припышминские Боры	49,050 hectares (189.4 sq mi)	Pripyshminskie Bora is located on the western edge of the West Siberian Plain . It protects a complex of pine and birch forests. About 10% of the area is non-forested marshes, ponds, hayfields and pastures.
Prielbrusye		Kabardino-Balkaria	1986	Приэльбрусье	1,010,200 hectares (3,900.4 sq mi)	Prielbrusye is centered on Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe at 5,632 meters above sea level. The relative isolation of steep gorges has led to high levels of endemism and biodiversity. The park is in the central Caucusus, just northwest of Alaniya National Park.
Russian Arctic		Arkhangelsk Oblast	1986	Русская Арктика	1,426,000 hectares (5,505.8 sq mi)	Russian Arctic National Park covers a large and remote area of the Arctic Ocean, the northern part of Novaya Zemlya (Severny Island), and Franz Josef Land.
Russky Sever		Vologda Oblast	1992	Русский Север	166,400 hectares (642.5 sq mi)	The name of the park means Russian North in Russian. The park protects natural and cultural landscapes around Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and Ferapontov Monastery, places of great historical significance.
Samarskaya Luka	150px	Samara Oblast	1984	Самарская Лука	134,000 hectares (517.4 sq mi)	The park (in English, "Samara Bend") is on the 180-degree bend of the Volga River as it flows south by the City of Samara. It is on the shore of the Kuibyshevskoye water reservoir, and on the north it has a border with Zhigulevsky Zapovednik. Most of the bedrock is karst (limestone) formation.
Saylyugemsky		Altai Republic	2010	Сайлюгемский	118,380 hectares (457.1 sq mi)	Created as a special preserve for the Altai Snow Leopard and the Altai mountain sheep (argali), Saylyugemsky National Park rises in the Altai-Sayan Mountains, on the border between Russia and Mongolia.
Sebezhsky		Pskov Oblast	1996	Себежский	50,021 hectares (193.1 sq mi)	Sebezhsky National Park is located in the southwestern part of Sebezhsky District, where the national park is located, is essentially hilly landscape of glacial origin with many lakes. The area is forested, with pine, spruce, mixed, and alder forests.
Shantar Islands		Khabarovsk Krai	2014	Шантарские острова	250,000 hectares (965.3 sq mi)	The Shantar Islands are a group of 15 islands that lie off the coast of Khabarovsk Krai, in the Sea of Okhotsk. Most of the islands have rugged cliffs, and the highest point is 720 meters. They are home to Steller Sea Lions, seals, and Bowhead whales.
Shorsky		Kemerovo Oblast	1989	Шорский	418,000 hectares (1,613.9 sq mi)	Shorsky National Park is a forested, mountainous area in southwestern Siberia, where The West Siberian Plain meets the South Siberian Mountains. It is representative of areas with dark taiga tree cover (92% of the park is forested).
Smolenskoye Poozerye	150px	Smolensk Oblast	1992	Смоленское Поозерье	146,237 hectares (564.6 sq mi)	"Smolensk Lakes" is a forest-wetland ecosystem of 35 lakes and surroundings in the northwest of Smolensk Oblast near the Russian border with Belorus. It is in the basin of the Daugava (river) (also called the "Western Dvina" River), about 40 miles (64 km) north of the city of Smolensk.
Smolny		Republic of Mordovia	1995	Смольный	36,500 hectares (140.9 sq mi)	The park has a representative lowland river environment, with a slow current. The lakes and swamps are mainly concentrated in the floodplain of the Alatyr River. Marshes are mainly lowland. A few bogs are located in the southern and central parts of the park. There are many springs.
Sochi		Krasnodar Krai	1995	Сочинский	193,737 hectares (748.0 sq mi)	The park occupies the Greater Sochi area, from the border with the Tuapsinsky District, between the mouths of Shepsi River and Magri River in the north-west, to the border with Abkhazia along the Psou River in the south-east, and between the Black Sea to the water divide crest of the Greater Caucasus.
Taganay		Chelyabinsk Oblast	1991	Таганай	56,800 hectares (219.3 sq mi)	Taganay is a group of mountain ridges in the Southern Urals, on the territory of Chelyabinsk Oblast, with the highest point rising 1178 m. above sea level.
Tarkhankut		Autonomous Republic of Crimea	1991	Тарханкутский	10,900 hectares (42.1 sq mi)	The park is located on the western tip of the Tarkhankut peninsula in the Black Sea region. The park is predominantly steppe areas Tarkhankut hills and beams (White, Castel, Ternovaya), which cut into the hill. The park surrounds virtually all West Coast.
Tunkinsky		Buryatia	1991	Тункинский	1,183,662 hectares (4,570.1 sq mi)	Tunkinsky is in south central Siberia, and covers a mountainous region centered on the Irkut River valley (also referred to as the Tunka Valley) that continues from the rift valley of Lake Baikalsouthwest to the border of Mongolia. To the north and west of the valley is the eastern edge of the Sayan Mountains.
Udegeyskaya Legenda	File:Udegeyskaya Legende boundaries.svg	Primorsky Krai	1991	Удэгейская легенда	103,744 hectares (400.6 sq mi)	Udege Legend covers the richest coniferous-deciduous forest on the western slope of the Central Sikhote-Alin mountains of the Russian Far East. The park is designed to protect west-slope river valley habitat, and to support the remnant of the indigenous Udege people. The area is known for abundant fishing and boating on the streams and rivers. It is also a refuge for the endangered Amur Tiger.
Ugra		Kaluga Oblast	1997	Угра	98,600 hectares (380.7 sq mi)	Ugra National Park is a forested areas southwest of Moscow. It is located in the Kaluga region, the valleys of the rivers Ugra, Zhizdra, Vyssa and Oka.
Valdaysky		Novgorod Oblast	1990	Валдайский	158,500 hectares (612.0 sq mi)	Since 2004, the National Park has the status of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Valdaysky National Park, which includes the town of Valday, Lake Valdayskoye, and the northern part of Lake Seliger, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Central Russia and has well-developed tourist infrastructure.
Vodlozersky		Arkhangelsk Oblast	1991	Водлозерский	428,000 hectares (1,652.5 sq mi)	The park area includes Lake Vodlozero, the river basin of the Ileksa, the main inflow of the lake, and the upper course of the Vodla. In 2001, Vodlozersky was designate a UNESCO Biodiversity Reserve site.
Yugyd Va		Komi Republic	1994	Югыд ва	1,891,700 hectares (7,303.9 sq mi)	The Yugyd Va park covers a territory in the Northern Ural Mountains and adjacent foothills and flatlands. The entire park is within the Pechora River basin, i.e. west of the Europe-Asia continental divide; this means that all of it is geographically in Europe.
Zabaykalsky		Buryat Republic	1986	Забайкальский	269,000 hectares (1,038.6 sq mi)	Zaybaykalsky National Park covers a section of the eastern shore of Lake Baikal.
Land of the Leopard		Primorsky Krai	2012	Земля леопарда	80,000 hectares (308.9 sq mi)	The main aim of the park is to preserve and restore the population of the unique spotted cat - the Amur leopard, which number in Russia is now only about 50 individuals. Today, more than half of them lives in the "Land of the Leopard." In addition, there lives and another cat, listed in the Red Book - the Amur tiger.
Zov Tigra		Primorsky Krai	2007	Зов Тигра	83,384 hectares (321.9 sq mi)	Zov Tigra is a mountainous refuge for the endangered Amur Tiger. The park encompasses an area of 83,384 hectares (206,046 acres; 834 km2; 322 sq mi) on the far southeast coast of Russia's Far East in the federal district Primorsky Krai (in English, "Maritime Region").
Zyuratkul		Chelyabinsk Oblast	1993	Зюраткуль	88,200 hectares (340.5 sq mi)	Notable features include Zyuratkul' Lake, a rare mountainous body of water for the Urals 754 m above sea level, with a surface area of 13,2 km2 and a maximum depth of 8 m. Water is slightly mineralised (≈50 mg/L). Because of its clear water and spectacular landscape around, Zyuratkul' is often called "Ural Ritsa". -

See also

• Protected areas of Russia
• Nature Reserves (Zapovedniks) of Russia

External links

• Biodiversity Conservation Center/Tsentr dikoy prirody, Moscow: page and map on each park, in Russian.
• Centre for Russian Nature Conservation/Russian Conservation News.