Starting from 1997, on the initiative of the Center for protection of wild nature and the World Wildlife Fund, on January 11, the Day of Nature reserves and national parks is celebrated in Russia

On this day, in 1916, the first state nature reserve, Barguzinsky, was created in Russia and it gained world recognition: in 1986 by the decision of UNESCO, it was awarded with the status of biosphere nature reserve, and it was included into the International network of biosphere reservation.

Nature Reserve Fund on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan is formed by 171 specially protected natural areas (SPNA) of all levels with total area of 166.8 thousand ha, including 166 SPNA of regional importance with total area of 126.7 thousand ha. In such a way, optimal conditions for preservation and restoration of nature complexes, landscapes and biological diversity are ensured on 2.46% of the area of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In 2013, the state nature zoological (hunting) reserve of regional importance “Lesnoy kluch” was created in Volga-Sviyazhsk upland district of the Republic of Tatarstan on the territory of Verkhny Uslon municipal district on the area of 23.7 thousand ha for the purposes of preservation and restoration of species diversity of the hunting resources and their habitat, and now it is managed by the Administration for protection and use of fauna facilities of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In order to preserve biological diversity, prevention of negative impact of economic and other activity on the environment, as well as preservation of unique landscape complexes in Apastovo municipal district, a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan as of December 20, 2013 under No. 1017 “On proclamation of nature facilities of Apastovo municipal district monuments of nature of regional importance” was adopted. Owing to this fact, the status of SPNA was awarded to the areas “Habitat of Corydalis marschalliana”, “Peter’s corner” and “Dead arm of Sviyaga” with total area amounting to 1,275.6 ha. In such a way, increase in the area of the nature reserve fund in 2013 amounted to 24,975 ha.

In 2013, inspection service of the state nature reserves conducted 2,043 raids, revealed 678 violations, drew 621 protocol, gave 569 rulings, whereof 82% concerned  assignment of administrative punishment in the form of a fine. Total amount of administrative fines was 529.5 thousand rubles and they concerned 458 individuals and 9 officials. Moreover, 37 claims on voluntary indemnification in the amount of 170.602 thousand rubles were issued in 2013 by the heads of state nature reserves to the offenders. In the course of the state ecological surveillance, inspectors of nature reserves withdrew 227 instruments of administrative offences, including 216 fishing nets and 3 small size vessels. On the average, one inspector of the nature reserve fund revealed 15.4 violations during the reporting period.

In 2013, nature reserves of the Republic of Tatarstan continued to play the role of scientific testing areas giving the possibility to study flora and fauna in their relatively natural state. In such a way, senior research fellow of the Federal State Budgetary Establishment “Nizhnyaya Kama” R.Kh. Bekmansurov together with fellow workers of the State Public Complex Reserve “Spassky”, State Public Complex Reserve “Kichke-Tan”, and State Public Complex Reserve “Sviyazhsky” banded nestlings of white-tailed eagle, greater spotted eagle and imperial eagle in the framework of the European program on color marking of birds.

This program that was started in Tatarstan in 2012 has already yielded first results. A message came a year ago stating that an impaired imperial eagle (Aquila Heliaca) was picked up on the territory of Iraq in the region of South West of Suwaira. Province Wasit (Kut). According to the rings on the bird’s legs it was established that this bird was born in Tatarstan in Bavly district. In the beginning of January 2014, an imperial eagle banded in July in the 44th section of Nikolsky local forestry of the State Public Establishment “Bolgar Forestry” was found in the UAE. The journey of the bird amounted to 3,375 km. Owing to the started studies, a database of the wintering areas of eagles nesting in Tatarstan is being formed.