ENG / RUS Natural Heritage Protection Fund

The Virgin Komi Forests

Status of component parts: State Biosphere Nature Reserve, National Park Area: 3.28 million ha Situation: Included into the World Heritage List in 1995 Criteria: (vii) (ix)

"The Komi Virgin Forests" is the first Russian natural site that has been inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List. This nomination opened a new page in the Russian environmental protection history.

The territory consists of two protected areas that together make up the last European massif of primary forests, almost undisturbed by human activities.

The Komi Forest is a real treasury of taiga. This area is the home of more than 40 mammal species, 204 bird species (including such Russian Red Data Book birds as erne and fish hawk) and 16 fish species, the most valuable of which are ice period relicts Lake Char and Arctic grayling.

News

• Two booklets from the series "Russian Natural World Heritage Properties" have been published
• Decisions adopted at the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee: state of conservation of World Heritage Property The Virgin Komi Forests
• On August 18-20, 2008, a seminar called "The Virgine Komi Forests as a model natural World Heritage site" took place in Vuktil, Republic of Komi
• New biodiversity conservaton project is launched

Documents

• Booklet "The Virgin Komi Forests" - Russia's first Natural World Heritage Property"  [rus]

© Natural Heritage Protection Fund 2000-2009, unless otherwise indicated.
Satellite image mosaic processing © ScanEx R&D Center, 2009.