A Century on the Lookout for Nature
11 Jan — 2017
A Century on the Lookout for Nature

Photos by Alexey Bezrukov, Baikal Nature Reserve

On January 11, 2017 Russian nature reserves system celebrates its most important anniversary – the 100th anniversary. A century ago the first nature reserve was established according to the order of the imperial government. It was Barguzinsky Nature Reserve. We would like to tell you about the life of the pioneers of nature reserves and about the important date. 

The idea of creating Barguzinsky Nature Reserve was proposed by outstanding Russian scientists, naturalists and enthusiast-environmentalists Anatoly Alekseevich Silantiev and Georgy Georgievich Doppelmair. It was essential to create the reserve because of a huge decrease in sable population. The whole fur-trade of Russia was based on this small animal. There were times when sable inhabited vast spaces from the Ural Mountains to Sakhalin, but in the beginning of the XXth century the animal was nearly eliminated. 

Anatoly Silantiev was a famous game manager and was in charge of three expeditions – organized by the Agricultural Department in 1913 – to taiga regions of Kamchatka, the Sayan Mountains and North-East shore of Lake Baikal to create sable reserves.

On July 1, 1914 the participants of Baikal expedition, led by Georgy Doppelmair, put foot at Sosnovka Bay. It took them a whole year to make a project of the future reserve. Another year later, on May 17, 1916, Barguzinsky Nature Reserve was established by the order of Irkutsk Governor-General. As soon as on December 20, 1916 O.S. (January 11 N.S.) the government of the Russian Empire approved the decision of Irkutsk authorities. 

During the year of creation of Barguzinsky Nature Reserve the western part of the country suffered from the First World War and felt the coming civil war. In such tough conditions the first employees of Barguzinsky Nature Reserve heroically carried out their duty. 

The new Soviet government supported the forming system of nature reserves. In the 20s a new ban on sable hunt was introduced, Barguzinsky Nature Reserve started experiments on captive breeding of the animal, which gave a chance to save the species and even to recover the population. Numbers show a lot – in 1917 hardly several sables could be found on its territory, but to the end of the XXth century the group of sables, which inhabited only the territory of the reserve, consisted of about 1 200 individuals. Moreover, due to the activity to increase the population numbers, the species managed to regain nearly its original areal. 

Barguzinsky Nature Reserve covers more then 924 969 acres, but it is a small part of the protected heritage of Russia, which is more then 504 095 000 acres in total – nearly 12% of Russia. The territory of all the protected areas of Russia is larger then the territory of Mexico. The system consist of 12 900 specially protected areas of different status and level of jurisdiction, the core of which is in 103 state nature reserves, 47 national parks and 64 federal sanctuaries. 

68 federal nature reserves, national parks and sanctuaries have an international status; 20 of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, 42 of them are a part of the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves Network, 24 of them are under jurisdiction of Ramsar Convention, 4 were mentioned by Council of Europe diplomatic officials and 5 are a part of international transboundary reserves. Together it is vast expanses and unique species and views, as well as it is a huge responsibility. Human activity put at risk many life forms and it is in our power, all together, to save them. 

Opening ceremony of Baikal Zapovedny visit-center

Opening ceremony of Baikal Zapovedny visit-center. Photo provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia

The symbolic start of the Russian nature reserves system centenary was announced on January 11, 2017 on Lake Baikal shores in the Buryat Republic, where the new visit-center of Baikal Nature Reserve was officially opened in the presence of the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia Sergei Donskoy.  

In Baikal Zapovedny visit-center guests will have a chance to see a unique exposition dedicated to all the protected areas around Lake Baikal. It is divided into thematic blocks about the natural treasures and historical and cultural heritage. The blocks show different art-objects, multimedia devices and natural exhibits, connected all together by the main theme – Lake Baikal. 

After visiting the exposition, the participants – the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Sergei Donskoy, the head of the Buryat Republic Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn and Governor of the Irkutsk Region Sergei Levchenko and the Directors of the protected areas of the Baikal region – discussed the preservation of Baikal’s status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site together with its biological and landscape diversity. The theme of the development of the specially protected areas in Russia was also covered in the discussion. 

Today we see only the beginning of a number of large-scale events, dedicated to the Year of Ecology and centenary of nature reserves system in 2017 in Russia. We are looking forward to more absorbing work, fascinating meetings and sensational discoveries!

Заповедная Россия English

Заповедная Россия English