Council of Europe

Kostomuksha Strict Nature Reserve

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The Kostomuksha Nature Reserve is a Karelian part of the Russian-Finnish Friendship Nature Reserve. There are numerous lakes, Kiitehenjarvi beeing the largest among them with sinuate shores and uncountable large and small islands. Surrounded by primarily dense spruce and pine forests many hundred years of age and rare meadows that have appeared on the places of abandoned Karelian villages - it is very picturesque. The Kamennaya river, flowing from the lake is rapid in the upper reaches and, on contrary, in the lower reaches it is slowly twisting between sandy hills.

For information:
Boris Kashevarov
Lenin str., 9-6
186989 Kostomuksha Karelia,
RUSSIA
Tel.: +7 814-59-21872
E-mail: root@zapovednic.goc.karelia.su

Website
EUNIS factsheet

Oka National Biosphere Reserve

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Website
EUNIS factsheet

Teberda National Reserve

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Teberdinsky Zapovednik, in Russia's Caucasus Mountains, preserves one of the planet's most diverse temperate ecosystems in its near pristine state. The protected area is situated along a vertical shift of 3,000 meters on the northern spurs of the Great Caucasus Range in the Karachaevo-Cherkesia Republic. Majestic mountains with sharp summits and toothed ridges shroud enormous amphitheaters of ice and snow. Below, emerald alpine meadows and dark green conifer forests teem with Caucasian chamois and endemic West Caucasian tur. The Caucasian bison, once near extinction, now thrives in the sanctity of this nature reserve. Teberdinsky was granted UNESCO biosphere status in 1997.

For information:
Salpagarov, Djapar Seitovich, Director
Russia 357192, Karachaevo-Cherkesia Republic, Karachaevsky raion, Teberda, per. Baduksky, 1
Tel.: (7-878-22) 607-32
E-mail: teberda@ns.svkchr.ru

Website
EUNIS factsheet

Tsentralno-Chernozemny Biosphere Reserve

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Animal and plant life abounds where Russia's wide-open steppe (or grassland) meets the southern edge of the temperate forest belt. Although much of the steppe in Western Russia has been plowed and forests cleared for agriculture, island-like remnants of forest-steppe habitat have been preserved in the Tsentralno-Chernozemny Zapovednik, located in the Kursk Region. The nature reserve protects the last in the world intact black earth soils, also known as chernozem - the broad strip of fertile land that stretches across southern Russia. Created in 1935 to preserve the last unplowed areas of original steppe habitat, today the Tsentralno-Chernozemny Zapovednik protects a mixture of steppe, forest, and swamp communities on six different territories.

For information:
Vlasov, Andrey Aleksandrovich, Director
Russia 307028, Kursk Oblast, Kursk raion, pos. Zapovedny
Tel/Fax: +7 712 57-72-94
E-mail: zapoved@kursknet.ru

Website
EUNIS factsheet