The slogan of the March of Parks 2017 is “The preserved Russia celebrates one hundredth anniversary”
On January 11, 1917 (December 29, 1916 according to the old style) it was decided to create a state reserve of Russia – Barguzinsky Reserve (on the north-eastern coast of Lake Baikal). At the same time, the Law on the Protection of Hunting Reserves was adopted. From this date, the state system of Russian reserves begins (although the first on the territory of modern Russia was the Sayansky Sable Reserve established in 1915, destroyed by the Civil War, then restored in 1939 and wound up in 1951).
The reserves and other specially protected natural reservations have raised from protecting some of the most conspicuous and valuable species (the Barguzinsky Reserve, for example, played a key role in preserving the sable, the animal traditionally personifying Russia's fur wealth) to protecting ecosystems and their complexes, preserving more typical and unique zonal landscapes with the whole variety of plants and animals.
Only thanks to the reserves sables, bisons, tigers and many other species of animals and plants, the last islets of the virgin steppe and unique woodlands have been preserved in Russia. In the modern world, specially protected natural reservations have become an indicator of the state's attitude to the fate of our Planet and the welfare of our further generations.
According to the state cadastre of specially protected natural reservations (SPNR), as of 01.01.2017, the nature reserve fund of the Republic of Tatarstan is formed by 174 SPNR of all levels with a total area of 168.86 thousand hectares, including 169 regional SPNR with an area of 128.15 thousand hectares. Thus, 2.49% of the republic's area is provided with optimal conditions for conservation and restoration of natural systems, landscapes and biological diversity. On these territories, not only 612 rare and endangered species of plants, animals and fungi listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan, but also 70 species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation are protected and restored. Among them there are such species as the Russian desman, otter, greater flamingo, osprey, pallid harrier, steppe eagle, eastern imperial eagle, golden eagle, gyrfalcon, saker falcon, common crane, grayling, Astragalus zingeri, Fritillaria ruthenica and others. It is worth emphasizing that 25 species are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Today, 11 state nature sanctuaries: Ashit, Kichke-Tan, Chatyr-Tau, Stepnoy n.a. A.Shchepovskykh, Dolgaya Polyana, Spassky, Chulpan, Sviyazhsky, Baltasinsky, Chistye Luga and Zeya Buylary form the basis of the specially protected natural reservations of the Republic of Tatarstan.
We cannot help but be encouraged that annually more than a thousand schoolchildren write creative works about nature. There, first of all, one may observe anguish for the condition of forests, shores, rivers, lakes in their small motherland. By participating in cleaning them from debris, by planting trees, the adolescents express their position as an active advocate of nature and our task is to hold on to this extended child's hand, to lead by educating a generation of non-consumers, but responsible members of society who understand that wildlife has the right to exist regardless of whether we derive economic benefits from it or not.
According to the Department of State Environmental Protection Policy and Regulation, as of 01.01.2016, in the Russian Federation there are 103 nature reserves, 48 national parks, 64 federal nature sanctuaries, 2,243 regional nature sanctuaries, more than 8,000 natural monuments (Including 17 federal ones), and more than 2.8 thousand regional and municipal SPNR of other categories established by the constituents of the Russian Federation as SPNR law permits.