25 reasons for pride: Russia’s national parks — guardians of nature and pride of the nation

Nature is the soul of Russia, and national parks preserve it for future generations.

We continue our special project "25 Reasons for Pride," dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s first inauguration. That day marked the beginning of a new era, in which the protection of nature became a matter of national importance.

There are about 12,000 specially protected natural areas in Russia. The backbone of the protected area system includes 108 federal nature reserves and 72 national parks.

The total area of protected territories amounts to 13% of the country's land area.

43 specially protected natural areas of Russia are part of 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Five of the most remarkable protected natural areas in Russia:

Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve (Komi Republic). Manpupuner Plateau, a group of weathered stone pillars over 200 million years old.

Zabaykalsky National Park (Republic of Buryatia). Home to the Ushkany Islands — a favourite spot of the Baikal seal, an endemic species of the lake.

"Land of the Leopard" National Park (Primorye region). Habitat of the Amur leopard — the rarest large wild cat in the world.

Dagestan Nature Reserve (Republic of Dagestan). Location of the largest sand dune in Europe — Sarykum, with its highest dune reaching 262 meters.

"Curonian Spit" National Park (Kaliningrad region). A sandy spit, "dancing" forest, stopover sites for migrating birds, and unique dunes.

Follow our special project "25 Reasons for Pride" on the social media platforms of the National Centre RUSSIA.