Central Forest Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Tver Oblast, Russia
The Central Forest Nature Reserve is a large protected area in southern taiga featuring spruce forests, wetlands, and meadows that sit at the watershed between the Volga and Western Dvina rivers. The mix of forest and open habitats creates distinct zones where different plant and animal communities thrive.
The area received its official protection status in 1930 when Soviet authorities established it as a Zapovednik nature reserve. This early designation marked one of the first formal conservation efforts in the region during the early Soviet period.
The ancient Okovsky Forest, mentioned in early Russian chronicles, forms part of this protected land. Visitors walking through these woods experience a landscape that held deep significance in medieval Russian history and geography.
Visiting requires advance arrangements made directly with the reserve administration. Plan your visit beforehand since the site functions as a strictly protected research area without open-access sections for casual tourists.
The reserve protects one of Europe's last intact complexes of southern spruce taiga forest. This rare ecosystem hosts more than 240 bird species and harbors mammal populations that have largely disappeared from surrounding regions.
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