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Kronotsky Nature Reserve
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What Makes Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve Unique
Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve, or Zapovednik, is the oldest, largest and most well-known nature reserve in Kamchatka and the Russian Far East.
Kronotsky Zapovednik is home to one of Kamchatka’s – and indeed all of Russia’s – greatest treasures, the Valley of the Geysers. On June 3, 2007, a natural disaster nearly destroyed the Valley. But it came back to life, preserved its unique appearance and added new features, becoming even more stunning.
There are also less well-known – but no less fascinating – places in the zapovednik. One of them is Uzon Caldera, a crateriform depression filled by hot springs, puffing mud cauldrons and mineral deposits. Uzon is rightly called a geothermal wonderland.
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Getting Here
On Kamchatka, the more beautiful the place, the harder it is to get to. Nature hides her most picturesque landscapes farthest from human eyes. Maybe this is why so much of the natural world of Kamchatka has remained pristine up through today? Helicopter is the only means of getting around in Kronotsky Zapovednik. Today helicopters are used both to protect and study this remote area, and also to bring tourists to the reserve. ....more
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Territory
Kronotsky Reserve is located on Kamchatka’s east coast. The reserve’s diverse landscapes are representative of the natural world of the Kamchatka Peninsula as a whole. The zapovednik is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes on all sides, the tallest of which is Kronotsky Volcano. The reserve’s rivers and lakes are numerous and diverse in their origins. The largest and deepest lake on Kamchatka, Kronotskoye Lake, is also located here. ...more
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Climate
Kronotsky Reserve encompasses a very large territory; therefore weather conditions can be quite different in different parts of the reserve. ...more |
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Fauna
The animal world of Kronotsky Reserve is very diverse. In the spring the Valley of the Geysers becomes a favorite visiting place of Kamchatka’s main predator – the Kamchatka brown bear.
Birds are the most noticeable and numerous representatives of the animal world of Kronotsky Zapovednik. Here you meet rare and endangered species – Stellar’s sea eagles, golden eagles, merlins and peregrine falcons. Semyachiksky Estuary is a favorite place for waterfowl. ....more
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FloraThe flora of the reserve is typical for Kamchatka. Larch, birch, and cedar and alder elfin wood account for most of the landscape here.
There is unique vegetation in those areas where it is always warm – near hot springs, geysers and in volcano calderas. Of the 11 unique natural phenomena identified in the reserve, two of them received this status due to their rare and striking plants – the Sakhalin fir grove, and the larch forest in the Kronotskoye Lake basin.....more |
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Tours and Trails
Currently there are two main helicopter routes in the Reserve – to the Valley of the Geysers and to Uzon Caldera. By visiting these unique places, tourists not only learn about the inimitable natural world of Kamchatka, but also come to understand its fragility, and how easily it can be destroyed by man. ...more
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Reserve's HistoryKronotsky Reserve is one of the oldest nature reserves in Russia and the oldest on Kamchatka. In 1882 a tsarist decree proclaimed the “Kronoki” a protected area. One June 1, 1934 Kronotsky Zapovednik was made part of the Soviet Union’s zapovednik system. The modern history of Kronotsky Zapovednik starts from this date and includes ups and downs ranging from full liquidation of the reserve to elevation of its status on both the national and international levels. ....more
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Our Work in the Reserve
Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve is a federal-level nature reserve. Its main function is to contribute to nature conservation on Kamchatka, and work conducted in the reserve is focused on 3 main objectives: nature protection or enforcement, scientific research, and environmental education and outreach. ....more |
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Important Information
Kronotsky Reserve management does not work with tour groups or independent travelers. Tourists must go through a tour firm in order to visit the reserve. All questions regarding visitation are resolved through travel agencies. ...more |
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Interactive Trail Map
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Photo Gallery
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Information
Email - zapoved@mail.kamchatka.ru
Contact Information: 684000, Russia, Kamchatsky Krai, Elizovo, ul. Ryabikova, 48. 007(4152)411-674, 007(41531)716-52. ...more
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