Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Primorsky Krai, Russia

Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve spreads across the eastern slopes of the central mountain range down to the Sea of Japan coast, featuring mixed forests and steep terrain. The landscape alternates between valleys, ridges, and slopes where different forest types change with elevation, from lowland forests to highland conifer woods.

Established by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars on 10 February 1935, the reserve covered 1 million hectares and was first directed by Konstantin Abramov, who cleared it of logging crews and poachers. Its area grew to 1.8 million hectares in 1944, was cut to 99,000 hectares in 1951, then restored to about 300,000 hectares in 1961 and 347,052 hectares by 1985. It was named after Abramov in 2006 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001.

The reserve is named after Konstantin Abramov, its first director, who led the clearing of logging crews and poachers from the territory and helped fix its legal boundaries after a Geographical Society expedition. Its sable protection work and later tiger research appear in the 1999 documentary In the Shadow of the Tiger and the BBC's 2013 Operation Snow Tiger.

Visiting the reserve requires staying on marked trails and proper preparation, as the terrain is rugged and weather can change quickly in these mountains. Travelers should bring sturdy gear and remain alert to wildlife, allowing plenty of time to explore safely and respectfully.

The reserve was founded on 10 February 1935 chiefly to save the sable, then nearly hunted out; the Amur tiger came later as its best-known charge. Its area has swung wildly: 1 million hectares at the start, 1.8 million in 1944, cut 18-fold to about 99,000 hectares in 1951, then rebuilt to 347,052 hectares by 1985 and 401,600 hectares today. In 2006 it was named after Konstantin Abramov, its first director.