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For filming, official comments or detailed information contact the Department of ecological education and international cooperation: +7 (815) 545-07-00.
CONTACT US
To arrange filming of a video, get official comments on some issue or just detailed information about us, contact our Environmental Education Department:
+7 (815) 545-07-00.
BASIC INFORMATION
History
Pasvik is the youngest nature reserve in the Murmansk region. On 16 July 1992, it became the first nature reserve established in the Russian Federation.
Pasvik Nature Reserve has rich nature and history. People inhabited this area at different times: Sami, Finns, Russians, Norwegians. In some areas of the reserve traces of the Stone Age period were found.
Name
The nature reserve got its name from the Paatsjoki (Pasvik) River, which flows along the reserve's border. In Sami language it means "holy river".
Symbol
Smew is the official symbol of Pasvik Nature Reserve. In some places this species became rare, but on Pasvik River this bird is typical and well-represented.

It is not a coincidence that these cavity nesters became the first joint monitoring objects in the common nature reserve. For a long time the monitoring was led by V. Bianki (Bianki, 1999).
Goals and objectives
Pasvik Nature Reserve aims to protect and research:

  • boreal pine forests,
  • vast wetlands of worldwide importance,
  • waterfowl fauna
Pasvik Nature Reserve also provides an integrated monitoring of northern ecosystems.
Geography
The reserve's territory is a narrow land, stretching for 44 km along the Russian-Norwegian border. Pasvik is the only nature reserve in Russia, whose area is entirely situated in the border zone. The reserve's western boundary completely coincides with the Norwegian state border.
The area of Pasvik Nature Reserve covers 36300 acres (147 km2)

  • water bodies — 21%,
  • forests — 52%,
  • marches — 25%,
  • other — 2%.
Biodiversity
Flora

  • Lichen: 591,
  • Algae: 48,
  • Bryophyte: 318,
  • Vascular plants: 462.
Fungi: 362
    Fauna

    • Freshwater mussels: 1,
    • Arachnids: 150,
    • Insects: 942,
    • Fishes: 16,
    • Amphibians: 1,
    • Reptiles: 1,
    • Birds: 239,
    • Mammals: 32.
    International projects
    Pasvik Nature Reserve is a part of the Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park.

    We conduct projects in cooperation with the partners from Norway and Finland. The trilateral park has become the center of sustainable development in northern Fennoscandia.
    Facts about Pasvik Nature Reserve
    The only nature reserve in Russia, which shares its western boundary with international borders.
    The nature reserve's whole area is situated in the border zone.
    We protect wetlands of worldwide importance.
    We preserve Europe's northernmost boreal forests at the boundary of their distribution.
    Pasvik is the first EUROPARC member in Russia and is awarded a EUROPARC transboundary certificate.
    The nature reserve is a part of Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park, one of the few trilateral parks in Europe.
    Pasvik Nature Reserve's fauna includes 239 bird species (50% - aquatic and semi-aquatic birds, waders). It is a pretty rich ornithofauna for northern latitudes.
    Pasvik is the youngest nature reserve in the Murmansk region and the first nature reserve in the Russian Federation.
    In 1995 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and President of WWF, visited an opening ceremony of the birdwatching tower on the Varlam Island.
    • The only nature reserve in Russia that shares its western border with international borders.
    • The nature reserve's whole area is in the border zone.
    • We conserve wetlands of worldwide importance.
    • We preserve Europe's northernmost taiga forests at the boundary of their distribution.
    • Pasvik is the first EUROPARC member in Russia and has a EUROPARC transboundary certificate.
    • The nature reserve is a part of Pasvik-Inari Trilateral Park. It is the only trilateral park in Europe.
    • There are 239 bird species in the nature reserve. Half of them are waterbirds. This northern territory has high diversity in bird species.
    • Pasvik is the newest nature reserve in Murmansk Region and first nature reserve in Russian Federation.
    • In 1995 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited Pasvik to open the birdwatching tower on the Isle of Varlam. He was a President of WWF from 1981 to 1996.
    MEDIA GALLERY
    Feel free to use these photos in your publications about us, also don't forget to add credits and link to our website while using photo materials.
    MEDIA GALLERY
    You can use the following photos in publications about us.
    Please don't forget to add photo credits and the link to our site when using these photos.
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