Under protection – and under threat
October 14th is Nature Reserve Workers' Day in Russia. This day honors the employees of nature reserves, national parks, and sanctuaries.
Meanwhile, the State Duma discusses Another bill, if passed, would allow the seizure of lands from specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) for the "implementation of national goals and strategic objectives." Meanwhile, businesses and governments at various levels are squeezing out reserves, wildlife refuges, and national parks, trying to snatch up chunks of protected land for their own needs.
We collected information about protected areas under threat and how environmental activists are trying to protect them.
1. Lake Baikal
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it comprises federal and regional protected areas. Lake Baikal contains 20% of the world's water and over 90% of Russia's. It is the deepest (1,642 meters) and oldest (approximately 25 million years old) in the world, boasting the most diverse flora and fauna of any freshwater body.
Despite protests from scientists and the public, the State Duma passed a bill on clear-cut sanitary logging on Lake Baikal in its first reading in 2023. It is currently under review again. Environmentalists are confident this will allow for commercial timber harvesting.
2. Volcanoes of Kamchatka
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kamchatka has over 300 volcanoes, 30 of which are active. It is home to Eurasia's highest volcano, Klyuchevskoy (4750 meters), and the famous Valley of Geysers.
The main threat to this area is the Three Volcanoes resort project, developed by Rosa Khutor, a company owned by Vladimir Potanin. In 2020, in the interests of the project, a 15-hectare area adjacent to Zhirovaya and Vilyuchinskaya Bays was excluded from the northern part of the South Kamchatka Nature Park. This area is frequented by sea otters and killer whales, and is also a nesting site for the endangered Steller's sea eagle.
3. Lagonaki Plateau
The Mantera Group plans to begin construction of the all-season mountain eco-resort "Lagonaki" in Adygea in 2026, on the plateau of the same name. The Lagonaki plateau is part of the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve and the Western Caucasus UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through various manipulations, officials were able to obtain construction permits within the reserve and even attempted to change the boundaries of the UNESCO site (fortunately, unsuccessfully). Following protests from environmental activists, the prosecutor's office became interested in construction violations last September; the results of the investigation are awaited.
4. Losiny Ostrov National Park
For several months, environmental activists have been defending Losiny Ostrov—a unique national park where moose and other animals can be found in the forest—from illegal road construction. Residents are demanding that the authorities reverse the rezoning of the site from a recreational zone to a commercial one, which allows for the construction of roads, parking lots, auto repair shops, gas stations, and cafes. Residents tried to block the construction equipment, but were accused of "disobeying police" and fined.
5. Volga-Akhtarskaya Floodplain Nature Park
The park is home to nesting sites for numerous rare and endangered bird species and the last remaining natural spawning grounds for sturgeon. Between 2021 and 2023, the park's unique oak groves were cleared for construction of the Volgograd-Volzhsky highway. This sparked widespread protests and complaints from residents. The prosecutor's office found numerous violations during the construction, but the agency itself overturned three criminal cases initiated on Bastrykin's personal orders.
6. Ladoga Skerries National Park
In 2023, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment removed approximately 3 hectares of the national park's protected area on the Rautalahti Peninsula. This is one of the few remaining areas of wild forest with high conservation value.
The golden eagle lives there, and Ladoga seals, listed in the Russian Red Book, rest there. Moscow developers have sought out these protected lands to develop their tourism industry.
7. Yamal Nature Reserve
This vast tundra area in the northern Yamal Peninsula is a traditional migratory area for wild reindeer and a habitat for birds. The Yamalsky Reserve is designed to preserve and restore rare and endangered animal species—the ichthyofauna of the reserve alone is represented by 32 species of fish, including muksun and Arctic char.
However, in 2021, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug authorities reduced the reserve's area by over 325,000 hectares. These lands were given to gas companies for the development of new natural gas fields. The decision was approved by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, despite protests from environmentalists.
