Ussuriysk State Nature Reserve lies to the northwest of Vladivostok, in the Shkotovsky and Ussuriisk districts of the Primorye Territory, and covers an area of ​​over 40 thousand hectares. Almost all this space is sheltered by deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, the variety of vegetation is so great that no other, lying in the territory of Russia and even the countries of the former USSR can compete with the reserve.

The history of Ussuriysk State Reserve originates in 1932 .: Then it bore the name of Sutputinsky, and its area was less than 17 thousand hectares. In 1973, the reserve received its current name and began to expand actively. Now the reserve is known under the name of the famous Russian botanist, Academician Vladimir Leontyevich Komarov, who, fascinated by local forests, was the first to describe these lands, having visited here in 1913.

The territory of the reserve is covered with low and medium mountains - the southern spurs of Sikhote-Alin Przewalski). Their average height is 300-400 m above sea level, individual peaks reach 650-700 m. In the canyon-shaped narrow valleys the sources of mountain rivers shining, curling further along the elegant valleys. In the rocks there are small waterfalls, falling down streams of pure ice water, and water boilers in rocky ground filled with transparent cold water.

The climate in these places is warm and wet with a moderately cold, dry winter.

Flora and fauna of Ussuriysk State Nature Reserve

The flora of the Ussuriysk State Nature Reserve is mostly forest vegetation . Most of the territory is occupied by cedar-broadleaved forests with the richest collection of plants, which has no analogues either in Russia or in the borders of the former USSR . In these forests, in the so-called stone pine forests , more than 50 species of trees, lianas and shrubs are growing, and the variety of grass cover is truly amazing . There are a lot of rare plants here, many of which are listed in the Red Book . Among them are ginseng, juniper nickname solid, mountain peony, Chinese Prinsep, kalopanax semilopastny, yew and Pinus densiflora .

The fauna of the reserve corresponds to the habitual fauna of coniferous-broad-leaved and broad-leaved forests and includes 62 species of mammals, more than 160 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 6 species of amphibians, and 12 species of fish.

Here there are deer, musk deer, a white-chested bear, a badger, a wild boar, a column, a red-gray vole, a squirrel. In the 1960s, they attempted to restore the area of ​​Barguzin sables and spotted deer, but the "settling" of animals in the territory of the Ussuriisk State Reserve was unsuccessful. But in Ussuriysk State Nature Reserve there is a center where orphaned bear cubs are brought in.

Feathered ones are represented by hazel grouse, chiffchaff, yellow-throated and gray-headed oatmeal, blue nightingales, titmouses and woodpeckers. Many of the local birds and animals can also be found on the pages of the Red Book: East Siberian leopard, Amur tiger, black stork, Mandarin, Triton clawed Ussuri. There lives in the reserve the biggest beetle of Russia - relic barbel, and several species of magnificent tropical butterflies - Saturnia Artemis, bracea Tankre, tail-tailed Maaka.

Tourist part of the reserve

In 1996 the Ussuriyskiy state natural ecological center "Ussuriysky endemic" was opened in the Ussuriyskiy State Nature Reserve, designed to create a caring attitude towards nature in people (and especially in children!), To evoke and support love for it . @.Employees of the center work with schoolchildren, organize events on environmental issues, develop tourism infrastructure and cooperate with the media . The Ecocentre also includes the Nature Museum, a video hall and a creative workshop, interesting excursion ecological routes are being developed here . At the border with the reserve there are bases recreation and children's health center .

How to get here

Address: Russia, Primorsky Territory, Shkotovsky District, 692519, Ussuriisk, ul. Nekrasov 19, po 34.

You can reach the reserve by bus from Ussuriysk to Kaimonovka village

Phone: (423-41) 44915, 98330 Fax: (423-41) 20107 E-mail: kaiman@ussurijsk.ru Official website: http://www.ussuriysky.ru/