Bastak Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia

Bastak Nature Reserve covers 127,094.5 ha in two separate sections, split almost evenly between the southeastern spurs of the Bureya Range and the northern edge of the Sredneamurskaya lowland. The mountains rise to Mount Bydyr at 1,207 m, with Tukolali at 1,103 m and Balyabinskaya at 893 m; to the south, rounded hills drop to 400–500 m. The Bastak River, 73 km long, drains rocky upper valleys and meandering floodplains, and the Amur runs along the southern border.

The reserve was established in 1997 as the first protected area of its kind in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. This creation marked the beginning of formal conservation efforts in the region.

The reserve's name comes from the Bastak River, its longest watercourse at 73 km. Its strict zapovednik status means the land is kept for scientific study and environmental education rather than farming, hunting or settlement, and the reserve's main office sits in Birobidzhan, the regional capital.

The reserve is mostly closed to the public; only one educational hiking trail is open, and permits must be arranged in advance with the office in Birobidzhan. Hikers need vaccinations against tick-borne infections, and no more than 40 visitors are allowed per month.

The reserve records 195 bird species, not 200, and they are resident or summer visitors rather than seasonal migrants. The endangered Siberian tiger is known to be resident, and the most common predators are the raccoon dog and the sable.