The Arkhangelsk region has enormous natural resources, nature reserves, national parks, sanctuaries and other cultural monuments, which are under special federal protection. The territory of the region is huge. It includes 107 objects. National parks include Vodlozersky, Kenozersky and Russian Arctic. The status of the reserve has Pinezhsky.
Vodlozersky Park
The territory between the Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia and the Onega District of the Arkhangelsk Region is occupied by the Vodlozersky National Park. He, like other reserves of the Arkhangelsk region, is protected at the federal level. This is the world of primeval forest, lost among civilization. The park is inhabited by many species of birds and animals: lynx, brown bear, wolverine, badger, marten, otter, elk, fox, reindeer, whooper swan, gray crane, bean goose, eagle owl, large owl, capercaillie, hazel grouse, black grouse and especially valuable large breeding rare birds of prey white-tailed eagle, golden eagle,osprey.
All reserves of the Arkhangelsk region are very picturesque. But each is unique in its own way. In the Vodlozersky park, desert swamps are located and seem to rest. The park has many quiet lakes and a branched river web. The sky seems too close, overhanging. The immense distance of Russian nature opens before your eyes, which the reserves of the Arkhangelsk region have, islands with lonely chapels.
Nature dominates in these parts: wild forest, water and swamps. The park has five residential villages with a population of about 500 people. Naturally, the reserves of the Arkhangelsk region are to some extent virgin and not inhabited by people. The bulk of the population in Vodlozerskoye is concentrated in the village of Kuganavolok. It also houses the administration of the park.
From north to south, the park has a length of up to 160 kilometers, and from west to east - up to 50 kilometers. The total area of the park is 0.5 million hectares. Popular in these places is water tourism. Especially along the Ileksa River, across Lake Vodlozero and ending on the Vama River. Entering the reserves and parks of the Arkhangelsk region, which are under special control of the state, the park is developing and open to tourists. It provides services of recreational fishing, guest tourism, horse trails, hunting tourism. International tourism programs have been developed here. The park is included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
In the possession of the park - the forests of the European taiga. This is the largest array in Europe. These are dark coniferous spruce forests, light pine forests, giant Siberian larches. The trees have an average age of up to 240 years, but there are pines and spruces that are already 500 years old.
Kenozersky Park
On the territory of the Plesetsk and Kargopol districts there is an object that is included in the reserves and national parks of the Arkhangelsk region - the Kenozero National Park. It includes lakes Kenozero, Lekshmozero and a number of small lakes on the eastern margin of the ice sheet of Karelia. Portages pass through the park - a unique monument of water and land routes, along which the Russians mastered this territory. The historical landscape of Kensky portage is of exceptional value. Here you can see medieval settlements, chapels, boat piers, walk along the road leading through the forest. All this is of great scientific and historical value.
Russian Arctic - national park
Created on 2009-15-06. The territory includes the islands of Big and Small Oransky, Gemskerk, Severny, Loshkina, Novaya Zemlya and others. Land area - 632,090 ha, water area - 793,910 ha.
The park has no permanent human settlements. The territory is washed by the Barents Sea from the west, which does not freeze completely due to the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current. The park is not far from the mainland, therefore it is endowed with a wide variety of life forms: polar bears, seals, walruses, harp seals, reindeer, arctic foxes. There are 64 species of plants that wake up in the short northern summer. On the Orange Islands with gentle cliffsabout 20 species of birds breed, 5 of them even hibernate.
Pinezhsky Nature Reserve
Who is interested in what kind of reserves there are in the Arkhangelsk region, probably heard about Pinezhsky. It was founded in 1974 and covers an area of 41,244 hectares. Forests - 37.1 thousand hectares, and swamps - 2600 hectares. Relief:
- flat swampy plain;
- elevated hilly plateau;
- unique karst plain.
There are 53 caves, 83 karst lakes, a fast river Sotka flows, which has rapids. On its karst section there is a valley in the form of a narrow rocky gorge and steep banks of 30-80 meters. The climate in the reserve is temperate continental. Summer is short and not hot. Winter is long and cold.
The reserve is rich in nature:
- 428 higher forms of plants.
- Up to 250 unique species of lichens and mosses.
- Forests inherent in the northern taiga prevail (the forest consists of 72.6% Siberian spruce, 14.96% pine forests, 6.79% birch forest).
- 1734 ha occupies an array of Siberian larch 200-300 years old. This grove is one of the last ship groves in the Arkhangelsk region.
The wildlife in the reserve is typical for the taiga. In the reserve there are goshawk, three-toed and black woodpeckers, horn-legged owl, pigeon, woodcock. Dipper lives on the banks of the Sotka River, buzzards and crows nest on the rocky banks. Salmon, whitefish, grayling, pike, minnow, perch spawn in the tributaries. In these places there is a viviparouslizard, viper and common frog.
