Cultural criteria: x
World Heritage Listing Year: 2001

This most valuable mountain forest region is located in the south of the Russian Far East, in the Primorsky Territory, and has access to the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan (between Plastun and Terney). The heritage object includes, firstly, the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve (401.4 thousand hectares, created in 1935) and, secondly, the small zoological reserve Goralovy (4.7 thousand hectares), which is located on the coast of the sea is a little northeast of the reserve.

The heritage site, located on the eastern limit of the temperate zone of Eurasia, covers both the eastern (steeper) and western (more gentle) slopes of the Sikhote-Alin mountain system, approximately in its central part. At this point, the mountains appear in the form of a complex labyrinth of monotonous, with numerous spurs, mid-height ridges, almost completely covered by forests. Here you can see narrow (sometimes canyon-like) intermountain valleys and decays, along which small but fast rapids flow; uplifting remnant mountains (igneous intrusions); Kurums - stone placers; coastal rocky cliffs (with characteristic cogs), sometimes plumbing into the blue waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. The maximum mark is 1598 m, on the top of the Glukhomanki Mountain.

Due to the humid monsoon climate, dense coniferous-deciduous forests have formed here, dominated by species such as Korean cedar, spruce Ayansky, white fir, Mongolian oak, Japanese elm, small-leaved maple, Maximovich poplar, birch (Daurian, yellow, stone). This type of forest is recognized as one of the richest and most original in species composition in the entire Northern Hemisphere, and its largest undisturbed massifs were preserved precisely in the Russian Far East. The floral richness of this forest is impressive: more than 1000 species are noted in higher vascular plants.

A characteristic feature of the mixed forests of Sikhote-Alin, which cover almost 99% of the reserve’s area, is their multi-level and mosaic nature. Wood species are found in a variety of combinations: these are pure cedars, and cedar-oak or cedar-spruce forests, or cedars with oak, linden and yellow birch. On the floodplains, elm and poplar are found, the coastal belt of oak forests, interspersed by wet meadows, stands out. High in the mountains, fir-spruce taiga grows, even higher - thickets of stone birch and cedar dwarf, which, in turn, are replaced by mountain tundra. And the forest owes its impassability to vines - grapes, actinidia and lemongrass, as well as tall ferns and dense broad grass.

The most amazing property of the local flora and fauna is their “synthetic” character: a mixture of subtropical (characteristic of Southeast Asia) and taiga (Siberian) species, which occurs due to the location of the region on the ancient path of settlement of species, passing from north to south along the entire Pacific coast . Among the plants, the first category includes, for example, Amur velvet, Manchurian walnut, Aralia, and Eleutherococcus, and the second includes representatives of the Okhotsk flora, such as white fir and Ayansky fir. Among the animals, examples of typical “southerners” (tiger, Himalayan bear, marten-harza, Indian cuckoo) and “northerners” (brown bear, lynx, wolverine, sable, elk, wapiti, musk deer, chipmunk, ermine) can also be given among animals.

A number of rare and endangered species, as well as many endemic and relics, are noted in these parts. Among the plants, we note the pointed yew, Sikhotinsky and Fori rhododendrons, which are listed in the Red Book of Russia. Many local animals and birds are also listed in it: a tiger, a goral, a Japanese and a black crane, a fish owl, a white-tailed eagle, a white-breasted or Himalayan bear, a black stork, scaly merganser, wild grouse, a mandarin duck and several others. Let us also mention about the inhabitants of the coastal zone - these are the most diverse seabirds, seal larghas, etc. The general statistics on the animal kingdom are as follows: mammals - over 60 species, birds - over 370, reptiles and amphibians - over ten species, fish - over 20 .

Among rare animals, the Amur or Ussuri tiger is one of the 5 surviving subspecies of this beautiful, graceful and powerful predator. The Amur subspecies is the northernmost, largest and most “fur”. Its modern range is very small - the south of the Russian Far East, plus the adjacent areas of China and North Korea. In total, about 450 animals remained here, almost all of them “living” on Russian territory, in Primorye, and the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve accounts for about 35-40 tigers, which is considered the largest population of this predator. In the International Red Book, the Amur tiger appears as a beast that is “in critical condition”.

Another rare animal is the Amur goral, whose favorite habitat is the inaccessible rocky shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. Although it is also found on the territory of the reserve, a special reserve is also intended for its protection. The total number of throats in these places is 170 goals (according to census data as of January 1, 2003). This ungulate animal is listed in the International Red Book as a vulnerable species. This item is on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website whc.unesco.org/en/list/766

The Sikhote-Alin State Natural Biosphere Reserve named after K. G. Abramov is a biosphere reserve located in the southern part of Primorsky Krai. The original purpose of its creation is the preservation and restoration of sable almost exterminated at that time.

It is currently the most convenient place for observing the Amur tiger.

Created in 1935, an area of \u200b\u200b347.1 thousand hectares. Protects natural complexes of cedar-deciduous forests, spruce-fir taiga, woodlands of stone birch, cedar dwarf thickets and mountain tundra on the slopes of the Sikhote-Alin ridge.

The territory of the Sikhote-Alinsky reserve extends from the rocky coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan into the continent for 93 km, including the eastern and western spurs of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range.

Flora and fauna of the Sikhote-Alinsky reserve

The flora of the Sikhote-Alin Reserve is of the Manchu-Okhotsk nature with a predominance of Manchu species. A combination of species of different origin is also characteristic of the fauna. "Southerners" and "northerners" form a very colorful and diverse combination.

Flora has more than 800 different plants, including rare ones (yew-tree spiky, rhododendron sikhotinsky and others).

In total, 1149 species of higher plants, 121 species of bryophytes were recorded on the territory of the Sikhote-Alinsky nature reserve:

• 368 lichens,
• 670 algae,
• 537 mushrooms,
• 63 mammals
• 342 birds
• 8 reptiles,
• 5 amphibians,
• 32 c., Fish,
• 334 in., Marine invertebrates
• and about 3.5 thousand insects.

The fauna contains more than 60 species of mammals. These include both taiga animals (elk, roe deer, musk deer, wapiti, wild boar, brown bear, lynx, wolverine, sable), as well as representatives of the southern faunal areas (Amur tiger, marten harza, Himalayan (white-breasted) bear, sika deer , antelope-goral and others).

Among the 342 different birds that live, the same mix of northern (crossbob, kuksha, three-toed woodpecker, bearded partridge, stone capercaillie) and southern species (mandarin duck, blue magpie, black-headed Oriole, pheasant, blue stone thrush) is observed.

In the Sikhote-Alinsky reserve, there are also 14 different amphibians and reptiles, including the Schrenk snake, the patterned snake, the muzzle, the Amur lizard and the four-toed Siberian newt.

Salmon fish spawn in the rivers:

• chum
• sima
• malma and pink salmon,
• taimen, lenok and grayling are also found.

Translated from the Manchu language, Sikhote-Alin is a country of mountain ranges, fast and clean rivers. So you can characterize the territory of the reserve, located in the middle of this mountainous country, only adding "... and virgin forests." The reserve was conceived to restore the sable population. However, later, when examining the territory, it was found that many species of animals and plants that disappeared in other regions were preserved here.

The uniqueness of these lands lies in the fact that they meet and exist together representatives of the Manchu, southern ecosystems, as well as Okhotsk, northern. The diversity of the flora and fauna of the reserve is enhanced by the fact that it is located on both the eastern and western slopes of the Sikhote-Alin, which differ significantly in natural conditions. By 1935, when the reserve was organized, the local forests remained almost unaffected by fires, logging, uncontrolled hunting, therefore ecosystems that are very close to those that existed here thousands of years ago can be studied on its territory today. Yes, and the surrounding land has not yet been too much changed by man, and protected areas have not turned into separate, dramatically different “islands”.

WHY MILLION HECTAR RESERVES?

By the mid-1940s, the area of \u200b\u200bthe Sikhote-Alin Reserve was 1.8 million hectares! It was the largest in our country and one of the largest in the world. To cross it from end to end, it was necessary to pass 250 km. But it was located mainly on the western macro slope and had no access to the sea. In 1951, when many protected areas were liquidated or severely cut, the area of \u200b\u200bthe Sikhote-Alinsky also decreased ... 18 times. In the following decades, positive changes occurred: the borders of the reserve in relation to the previous period expanded more than 3 times, the reserved lands flowed onto the southeastern slope and reached the sea. This narrow “sleeve” directed to the sea includes most of the coast between Terney and Dzhigit bays. In addition, a separate site was attached to the reserve - the tract Abrek - an unusually picturesque place on Cape Mosalova, which is associated with the local group of mountains.

However, today the territory of the reserve is five times smaller than its maximum area of \u200b\u200bthe 1940s. How important is this and why? The fact is that many large mammals require quite extensive zones for living, and no other (the most beautiful) conditions can replace this. That is why small reserves for many species become only "strongholds", of which animals extend to unprotected areas. Effective reserves can serve only very large protected areas. With the current area, the Sikhote-Alinsky Reserve can be considered a full-fledged reserve for red deer, musk deer and many other ungulates and predators. However, the conservation of the tiger in such a territory cannot be guaranteed in the long run.

RIVERS AND SLOPES

A characteristic feature of the Sikhote-Alin relief in general and protected areas in particular is morphostructural asymmetry. What this means is clearly visible today from the plane. But as early as the beginning of the 20th century, the famous traveler, scientist and writer V. K. Arsenyev wrote: “Having climbed the Sikhote-Alin, I saw, as one would expect, a gentle slope to the west and steep to the east.” Because of this, the river slopes are different, the nature of the rivers in general, and the erosion activity of water streams is manifested with varying intensity. In the east, the upper river valleys are narrow, the flow is fast, 2-3 m / s, there are many rocky rapids and small waterfalls - noisy and foamy cascades. Bubbling rifts alternate with reaches, where the flow slows down to 0.2-0.3 m / s and the water acquires a greenish-blue color. Such, for example, is the Serebryanka River, which crosses the reserve almost in the middle.

Columbus is the largest river in the reserve on the western macro slope. Even in the upper reaches it does not look like a mountain stream. It does not boil, does not foam, but more often forms vast reaches with a smooth and calm smoky surface in shallow water and dark in deep.

The Sikhote-Alin mountains on its protected part, although not too high (most of them lie in the range of heights of 500-800 m above sea level), are very complex, branched. Mountain ranges and spurs, valleys and decays seem endless and countless. Several peaks rise above the total mass, exceeding the level of 1000 m: Mount Snezhnaya, Terneyskaya and Shanduyskaya hills. The highest point is Mount Glukhomanka, which reached 1598 m. So, slopes of different steepness occupy about 80% of the reserve.

The rest is river valleys. Especially widely, from several tens of meters to a kilometer or more, the banks extend in the middle course of the rivers. The slopes here form 5-6 terraces. The same V.K. Arsenyev, traveling along the Serebryanka valley, noted: “In the outcrops, it is clear that these alluvial formations consist of clay, silt and angular stones the size of a horse's head. There was a time when some forces created these terraces. Then peace suddenly came. The terraces began to overgrow with forest, which now has more than two hundred years. "

What can compete in beauty with these giant green steps? Only landscapes of the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk. The same densely green, but steep, 100-150 m high slopes are adjacent to the rocky ridges of the ruin shape, deep crevasses and steep cliffs at 300 m.The central part of the Abrek mountain range, which rose 626 m above sea level, is especially prominent. Only at the mouths of the rivers can one see swampy lowlands bordered by
  sand shafts.

RARE AND MYSTERIOUS

If the river network of the reserve is very dense, then there are few lakes, but they are very different. In the coastal strip there are lagoon-type ponds. These are shallow sea bays cut off from the sea by sand deposits (in river mouths) or as a result of raising the coastal strip. Golubichnoe and Japan's lakes are completely isolated from the sea, and Blagodatnoe is connected to it by a channel during heavy rains.

Framed by oak groves, sparkling with a mirror-like surface, six pure mountain Shanduysky lakes, located at an altitude of 500 m above sea level, in the headwaters of the Solontsovoy stream, lurked among the Sikhote-Alin ridges. The name of these solonetzic lakes comes from the paleovolcano Shanduy, which formed the topography in time immemorial. The largest - Tsarskoye - is fraught with a riddle. You can admire this pond of an unusual, triangular shape only in autumn. Paradoxically, during the spring flood, the lake disappears, leaving a thin crust of ice at the bottom. The basin is also not filled in the summer. Only in the fall the water returns to its original place. In the nearby Lake Krugloy, the water level remains almost constant during the autumn rains, and during the rapid descent of water from the mountains in the spring. Finally, the reasons for these different modes have not yet been established.

MOUNTAIN CONTRASTS

The temperature difference between the waters of the water area and the earth's surface gives the climate of the reserve a garbage character, expressed in a sharp change in the direction of the wind depending on the time of year. In summer, the territory of the reserve is covered by monsoons from the sea, in winter cold dry miners blow in the opposite direction. The monsoons bring humid air, and in the summer months a low dense layer of clouds keeps above the coast. They envelop mountain ranges, fill intermontane depressions and spill heavy rains. In total, 80-85% of the annual precipitation falls during the warm period. Moreover, the eastern slope accounts for almost twice as much rain as the western.

But autumn is the best and most beautiful time of the year, generous on clear, sunny days. By the end of November, the earth and mountains are covered with snowdrifts. In winter, it is frosty and windy, but it is very clear that the winter months in Primorye are the sunniest in Russia. However, on the eastern slope, the weather is always milder, because the sea is near. In the west, it is usually more frosty and dry. Interestingly, within 100 km the temperature may vary by 25 ° C!

In the spring, on the contrary, the sea cooled during the winter cools the air on the coast, there are fogs and drizzle rains. At the same time, the sun is already shining on the western macro slope.

AMONG THE SEA OF FORESTS

From a bird's eye view, the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve is a forest sea stretching for many tens of kilometers, taiga jungle, abundant with rare species of vegetation. The reserve territory includes seven natural niches, depending on altitude: coastal zone, coastal oak forests, cedar forests broad-leaved, fir-spruce, stone-birch thickets of cedar dwarf and mountain tundra.

Seaside, more southern, the area abounds with oak forests. Mongolian oak - here, as in the whole Far East, the most common broad-leaved tree. Outwardly, it does not at all look like the well-known oak of central Russia: five leaves with sharp carved edges are collected in a rosette, in the center of which there is a small acorn.

As we move deeper into the mainland, we find ourselves in a cedar-broad-leaved forest, then coniferous species conquer the space: Korean cedar, Ayanska spruce, white fir. Under the crowns of powerful three-hundred-year-old cedars 25-30 m high, rare shrubs have found shelter, among which there are medicinal ones: Aralia Manchurian, Eleutherococcus, Schisandra chinensis. The undergrowth in early summer is full of outlandish flowers. On the spreading two-meter bushes of Korean Abelia, a mass of tender pale pink small but very fragrant flowers blooms. Two-row lily lifts its magnificent orange-red bouquets to a meter high. With her beauty can only argue pearl-silver edelweiss Palibina. It is no coincidence that many poetic legends are associated with this symbol of the mountains. The flower really looks unusual. The inflorescences themselves are small baskets - small yellowish shaggy lumps, but they are surrounded by snow-white fluffy leaves, forming silver stars. A whole scattering of these gentle stars is a phenomenon of extraordinary beauty. No less ferns may surprise here. An ostrich ordinary raise their funnels from carved large leaves by one and a half meters, the adiantum is stop-like, spreads in wide openwork circles, arches its delicate light green leaves of the adhesive, and next to them, of course, the cosmopolitan is the common bracken.

The unique flora of Sikhote-Alin is rich in relict species. Pointed yew, Manchurian walnut, Amur velvet, Manchurian ash, elm, Japanese and lobed, high zamani grow here, like 23 million years ago.

SIKHOTE-ALINSKY FICUS

On the territory of the Sikhote-Alin Reserve there are many rare representatives of the flora, including those listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. One of them is rhododendron fori. In the early 1960s, geologists working in the central part of the reserve said they saw ficus growing under the Sikhote-Alin pines. Botanists did not believe, because this is a southern plant. Nevertheless, soon on the eastern slopes of Sikhote-Alin, at the headwaters of the Serebryanka and Dzhigitovka rivers, under the canopy of cedar-spruce forests, they discovered thickets of a tree-like shrub, really resembling ficus, 5-6 m high, with red-brown bark and dark green leathery leaves. This was short-fruited rhododendron (Fori). The biosphere reserve is the only place in Russia where it grows. This evergreen plant is very decorative: beautiful hats of white inflorescences bloom every 2-3 years, in especially hot summers. In winter, its leaves wilt and curl into a tube. Last year’s fall in August next year.

RESIDENTS OF THE LOST WORLD

An important feature of the reserve is the mixing of animal species that are distant in their geographical origin: representatives of the northern and southern fauna coexist within the same ecosystem. But mixing is not so simple. Even specialists are not at all easy to understand the most diverse combinations existing here. In some places, ecosystems are precisely fused, in others they are arranged in stripes. In addition, the composition of the fauna depends on the topography and microclimate of each particular place.

On the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan you can meet a largha, or a motley seal, and an otter, which in these conditions has settled not only in rivers, but also in the sea. In the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, cetaceans are found: killer whale, minke whale, northern pond, white-dolphin dolphin, bottlenose dolphin. Coastal cliffs were inhabited by white-belt swifts, funnel swallows, rocky pigeons, the Ussuri cormorant, a specially protected white-tailed eagle. An eagle owl lives on the coast.

However, not for all inhabitants of the coast the most important condition is the proximity of the sea. For example, the topography of the mountain is of great importance on the relief, the presence of large rocky massifs. But along the Sikhote-Alin rivers, rock outcrops do not form large massifs, and away from the rivers the rocky slopes are almost entirely covered with forest and in winter there is a lot of snow. Therefore, the entire local goral population is concentrated on the seashore, where rocky cliffs and very steep slopes with many-kilometer serrated ridges provide a reliable refuge, there are many bright green lawns that provide food nearby, and in winter the sun and wind do not allow the formation of high snow cover. The most optimal conditions for the mountains are on the Abrek massif. The strip of its cliffs stretches 10 km, the highest point is 626 m. Thus, the range of the gorals is a narrow band, and their population density is very high - about 225 animals per 10 square meters. km

The life of sika deer and wild boar is associated with oak forests. Manchurian-type deer and roe deer are attracted by Manchu-type burns - leafy shallow forests with broad-leaved species. The forested banks of the rivers are suitable for nesting of two species of ducks: mandarin ducks and scaly merganser. Moreover, the mandarin duck on the western macroscope populates rivers almost everywhere, and on the eastern only lower, more calm, course. Scaly Merganser, on the other hand, prefers rivers flowing to the sea. Musk deer inhabits the valley spruce forests and northern cedar forests, and sable loves the dark coniferous taiga. Brown and white-breasted bears are found in the taiga. The second prefers river valleys. Brown loves mari - sparse larch on sphagnum bogs. Elk, white hare, and wolverine live here. Strongly dissected mountain ranges and spurs with rocky ridges and narrow glens, covered with dense forests, are the habitat of the lynx. The main predator of the reserve - the Amur tiger - is equally attracted to cedars, covering mountain ranges and spurs, and valley forests. However, these animals prefer the slopes of the southern exposure: there is always less snow, warmer and sunnier, there is much more chance of encountering prey - wild boar or Manchurian deer.

And how many more forest birds and small mammals that form the most unusual combinations in different micro-territories! This is a vast field of activity for scientists.

ANTISTRESS FOR FOUR

Sikhote-Alin is rich in natural solonetzes (formations of rock salt and other minerals in soil or water), which are of great importance for the feeding of rare animals living there. The deposits known in Sikhote Alin are located in the basin of the Columbus River, in the upper reaches of the Solontsov and Shanduysky springs. Surprisingly, the vegetation, usually sensitive to soil salinization, feels no worse here than in other places. Salt and other minerals act on the surface of the soil under the influence of weathering and erosion of rocks. Beasts gnaw and lick crystal formations. Another type of solonetz is formed in the channels of small, quietly flowing sources of water saturated with salts and minerals. Along the barely noticeable taiga trails in the spring and autumn, moose, red deer, roe deer, sika deer and even hares flock here to feed. Water solonetz includes in its composition salts of sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium and therefore has a bluish tint. Minerals increase the stress resistance of animals, improve metabolism, digestion.

The mountain range off the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan remained undeveloped by people for a long time until an event occurred that turned the views of the entire planet to the Sikhote-Alin ridge.

About 9 thousand years ago, volcanoes raged on the site of the mountains, an erupting lava hissing crawled into the present Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, earthquakes displaced the earth's crust, forming a characteristic folded shape of the relief.

"The Range of the Great Western Rivers"

The chain of peaks stretches from the south of Primorye to the north of the Khabarovsk Territory for 1200 km, reaching a width of 250 km. The height of most mountains exceeds the mark of 1,500 m, the highest point of the Sikhote-Alin - Tordoki-Yani (2090 m), crossed the two thousandth line, as well as Mount Ko - 2003 m above the sea.

The eastern slopes are steep and steeper than the western, more hollow descending inland. Therefore, the rivers for which the ridge acts as a watershed run to the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan and the Tatar Strait quickly and along a short path - Samarga, Koppi, Tumnin, and the water flows Anyui, Bikin, Khor, clinging westward to Ussuri and Amur, are slower and longer . It is probably no coincidence that the name of the mountains is: Sikhote-Alin, translated from Manchurian, “the ridge of the great western rivers.”

"Great Forest" intermountain

This definition was awarded to the flora and fauna of Sikhote-Alin by the famous Russian geographer and traveler V. Arsenyev, who visited these places with several expeditions at the beginning of the last century. The scientist admired the diversity of species, their uniqueness and the mosaic of the forests inhabiting the mountain slopes. White fir and spruce Ayanska prevail in the northern part of the ridge, at high altitudes they pass into the tundra. In the foothills of the picturesque microbiota - an unusual coniferous shrub, endemic Sikhote-Alin, as well as another endemic species - Olginsky larch. For the southern regions of Primorye, oak forests are characteristic.

The abundance of lianas in the forest, especially wild grapes, and lush carpets of grassy vegetation in the valleys of mountain rivers more than two human tall in height affects the imagination. In this pristine civilization of the idyll, small individuals of endangered animals - the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard - have been preserved.

To preserve the unique ecosystem of the mountainous country, several conservation areas have been created - the Anyui National Park, the Botchinsky, Lazovsky and Sikhote-Alinsky nature reserves, the latter has recently been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Ancient civilizations on the ridge

Primitive people have lived in river valleys since the Neolithic. This is evidenced by the finds of the remains of villages located on ledges 4-6 m high. Scientists called this culture Zaysanovskaya, its main distinguishing feature is most household items, weapons for hunting made of igneous rock - obsidian: knives, scrapers, arrowheads, etc. .

A later civilization belongs to the buildings of about VI – IX centuries, most likely of the Bohai period, discovered on one of the plateaus. By all accounts, the building was used as the palace-residence of one of the rulers of the Kingdom of Bohai, which existed more than a thousand years ago in the territory of Manchuria, northern Korea and the Primorsky Territory.

The modern development of the Sikhote-Alin ridge began already in Soviet times with the discovery of minerals and the appearance of the first mines, until an event occurred that stirred up the entire scientific world and attracted a lot of people curious in search of a “cosmic stone” in the taiga.

Meteor shower Sikhote Alin

In February 1947, at about 11 pm, a cosmic catastrophe occurred near the village of Beitsuhe in the Primorsky Territory: a meteorite fell into small and not very fragments when entering the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. An amazing sight was observed by the artist Peter Medvedev, who got out on sketches that day. A reproduction of the painting with the Sikhote-Alin landscape and the falling cosmic body soon spread around the whole world and became the hallmark of the event. In total, it is assumed that from 60 to 100 tons of space iron fell in the taiga, only 27 tons were collected, officially calculated and stored in various museums and collections in the world.

However, hunters came to the forest to get rich at the trade in pieces of meteorite, many even opened firms. There are still many who wish to purchase a part from the space alien. The largest block weighed 1745 kg, the remaining finds were smaller - from 350 to 1000 kg, up to 3,500 pieces were found in all small and medium fragments. Many left after the fall of the depression to 6 m, and in diameter from 1 to 28 m.

The Sikhote-Alin meteorite is certainly an interesting phenomenon for science, and its fragments stored in the taiga should be protected, and not greedy taken away from home collections abroad.

Tourist Attractions

A lot of laudatory words have been written about the beauty of the natural landscapes of Sikhote-Alin, but perhaps none of them can replace what they saw with their own eyes - the bright colors of the valley meadows, twined vines of taiga, waterfalls with intriguing names, such as the Black Shaman and the Star of Primorye, the outliers and hills - Cloudy, Yakut Mountains, Camel, Bald and Dragon Park. Trackings to many of them are organized by travel agencies of Vladivostok and other cities of Primorye.

It is extremely interesting to travel around the reserve with a hike in the Udege Legend park, the program of which includes a visit to a medieval settlement, a crater field near the village of Meteoritny (former Beitsuhe), Bohai fortresses near the village of Terney, as well as the Old Believers of Dersu, rafting on the Armagh River and fishing, a walk along the Laulinsky Prikot ecotropic, a tour of the mineral collection in the museum of the village of Roshchino and others.

The average cost of a tour of the Sikhote-Alin is from 22,000 rubles.

Where to stay

In hotels of Vladivostok it is quite possible to stay for the night in rooms with an acceptable daily charge - from 1400 to 3500 rubles, for example, in the hotel Pearl, Equator, Granite, Meridian, Teplo, Relax, Ostrovok and others.

On the route, tourists stop for the night, setting up a campground. All camping equipment is usually included in the price of the tour.

How to get there

Russia, Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krai, Vladivostok, the villages of Novopokrovka, Terney

Flights from Moscow to Vladivostok will cost an average of 12,000 rubles to a traveler, but with a certain amount of luck you can buy at a discount for 7-8 thousand rubles. The train ride is long in time and takes up to 7 days, the ticket price is slightly more than 9000 rubles.

For travel by bus to the village of Terney from Vladivostok, you will have to pay 2,600 rubles, although independent trips in the Primorsky Territory are not as popular as in organized groups, when tour operators are responsible for all transport problems.

The southern part of the Far East within the borders of the Russian Federation is a place of conservation of the most virgin and one of the largest zones where amazing coniferous-deciduous forests grow. Due to the location of these protected places along the path of the settlement of plant and animal worlds, which runs along the Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean from tropical to temperate latitudes, the interweaving of heterogeneous representatives of the southern and northern flora and fauna is presented here. The reserve is rightfully considered the last habitat of many rare species of plants and animals. There are over a thousand species of all kinds of plants, bird colonies have more than 350 species, while the number of mammals exceeds 70 species.

Separately, it is worth mentioning that the Central Sikhote-Alin is the last refuge for the endangered Amur tiger. There are also other rare species of animals: the white-breasted bear, the black stork, the black and Japanese crane, the Amur goral, the scaly merganser and many others.

Picturesque landscapes dotted with full-flowing rivers, combined with an outstanding variety of flora and fauna, the presence of exotic species of animals and plants, make the nature of Sikhote-Alin unique. There are also many objects of a recreational nature, such as: massifs of rocks surrounded by taiga, calm lakes, noisy waterfalls and rapids, outlandish stone remains, sandy bays on the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, reefs and other aesthetic elements of local nature.

In 2001, the territory of Central Sikhote-Alin was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.