Kenozyorsky National Park

Kenozyorsky National Park spans 1400 square kilometers (540 square miles) of taiga forest in northern Russia, filled with dozens of lakes, wetlands, and thick stands of pine and spruce. The land rises in gentle ridges and dips into valleys where water collects in marshes and ponds.

The park opened in 1991 to protect traces of old settlements, some reaching back to the Neolithic, found at sites such as Bear Island and Kositsyno. These remains show early human activity in a region that stayed remote for thousands of years.

The territory maintains forty wooden chapels that represent traditional Russian Orthodox architecture and showcase regional religious practices from past centuries.

Visitors reach the area in winter by snowmobile routes when temperatures can drop below minus 40 degrees Celsius, while summer offers roughly 100 frost-free days. The best time to visit runs from June to August, when trails open and daylight lasts longest.

The area sits at a natural watershed dividing two seas and two oceans, creating distinct habitats where northern tundra species live alongside southern taiga plants and animals. Within the boundaries stand roughly forty wooden chapels that display traditional Russian Orthodox carpentry and date from past centuries.

Location: Arkhangelsk Oblast

Inception: 1991

Website: http://kenozero.ru

GPS coordinates: 62.05000,38.10000

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29