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The Vodlozero National Park
Date of foundation: The Vodlozero national park was founded in 1991.
Geographical position: The national park is situated on the border of Karelia Republic and Onega district of the Archangelsk region, in the basin of Vodlzero and Ileksa river.
Aim of foundation: Protection and recreational use organization of one of the largest virgin forest tracts, protection of one of the largest birds of prey (erne, golden eagle, osprey) and waterfowl groups in the period of migration.
The area is 468 915 hectares.
Conventions: In 2001 the Park was given the status of Biosphere reserve under UNESCO.
There are great opportunities for organizing water, educational and adventurous tourism. The most popular routes of water tourism go through the territory of the Park (river Ilma, lake Vodlozero, river Vama and others). Within the Park’s territory you may go fishing, hunting, and horse-riding. The children’s eco tourism is also well-developed there. There is a visit-centre in Onega and the other one is on the shore of the Ileksa river.
The past reveals itself in the present in Vodlozero – in private life of the local people, their folklore, magic and traditions.
One of the preserved Russian wooden-architecture monuments is the Elian’s graveyard which is situated on the remote island of the big lake. In the past there was a pagan sanctuary in the place of the graveyard and some of the remains can be still found there.
General information: The “Vodlozersky” national park is the largest park of wild life.
The ancient Taiga which is on the Park’s territory has never been cut down by any men. That’s why the original flora is preserved: rare moss and lichen, forest mushrooms and unique orchids. The reservoirs of the Vodlozero basin are unique.
The fish there is precious: White-fish, bream, Cisco, pike perch. Forty percent of the Park’s territory is swamps. It is the real natural phenomenon of the Park. The swamps are distinguished the rare biological diversity and they are of the great scientific interest.
The Park is under the authority of the Federal forestry service of Russia. The territory of the Park stretches for 150-160 km from the North to the South, its size from the West to the East is 40-50 km.
Forests take up 220,3 thousand hectares (47,0 %), swamps – 191,5 (40,8 %), lands for agricultural purposes – 4,6 thousand hectares (1 %).
Functional zoning
The differential regime of the territory protection and use was established according to the project resolution.
The following functional zones are distinguished in accord to it:
1. Reserve zone – 77,6 thousand hectares (16,6 % of the total area of the Park).
2. Special reserve zone – 243,8 thousand hectares (52,0 %).
3. Recreational zone – 51,0 thousand hectares (10,9 %).
4. Timberland – 53,6 thousand hectares (11,4 %).
5. Traditional natural consumption and controllable recreation – 42,4 thousand hectares (9,1 %).
The reserve zone of the National Park consists of 2 parts: the southern – within the borders of Karelia and the northern – within Archangelsk region. Its territory includes the parts of Vodlozero water basin which was not included in the lad use. The Northern part of the reserve zone includes also a unique natural object – “Vetrennyi Poyas” mountain-ridge.
Physical – geographical position
Climate: The Park is huge and the distance between its southern and the northern parts is very long, so the climate differs dramatically in these zones.
The southern part is close to Vodlozero lake and is characterized by more favourable nature conditions typical for the larger part of the middle taiga zone of Karelia.
The northern part which is situated in the Archangelsk region includes the large crystalline height “Vetrennyi Poyas” and is situated in the northern taiga with relatively severe climate conditions.
So generally, the climate of the region is typical for the western part of the southern taiga, temperature – continental. The average temperature in January is -12°C (absolute minimum is -45°C). The average temperature in July is +16’C (absolute maximum is +36°C). The frost – free period lasts for about 100 days. The average annual number of atmosphere pressure is 550 – 600 mm. The winds are mostly the North–Eastern and Eastern.
Geological structure and topography: Relief of the Park is merely divided. Different hills have round shape, with the wide tops and flat mountain feet. In the middle and partly in the northern stream of the Ileksa river there is hilly south–eastern part of Tungudo – Vigozersky denudation plain. The southern part of the columbine which is close to Vodlozero lake preserves its flat character.
There are several areas within the Park territory which are of the great interest for the geologically scientific tourism: the ancient artefacts of the Early–Achaean formations and multiphase granitoid complexes; the late-Achaean structures of Sumozero – Kenozersky greenstone zone; the central volcanic buildings of the early Proterosoic period; Erodic and taken out to surface of abyssal chamber of the early Proterosoic period; Titanic – magnetite minerals of the early Proterosoic period.
Hydrography: There are two large hydrographical objects – Vodlozero lake and the Ileksa river.
The basin of Vodlozero lake is a constituent part of the basin of Onezhky lake and is situated in its eastern part. The columbine of the Vodlozero reservoir is 5209 square km, 76 % of which is the columbine of the Ileksa river.
The river Ileksa starts flowing in the southern mountainside of the Vetrenny Poyas mountain – ridge in the area of the Gorely mountain. The river flows into rather shallow, merely developed valley. The hydrographical net of the basin has 212 rivers and streams, most of them are less than 10 km. The Olova river, the Ukhta, the Chus, the Tugunda, the Elga are the largest tributaries of the Ileksa river.
More than 10 % of the territory of the National park is occupied by flowing freshwater lakes. The largest and the most carefully studied reservoir of the Park is Vodlozero lake with the water area of 334 square km and depth of 16,3 meters. It is one of the largest and highly productive reservoirs of the Karelia Republic. Waterbait and bullhead are special points of interest of the reservoir’s ichthyic fauna; they are the Red book of Russia tramp species. Moreover, there is whitefish and cisco. Vodlozero lake has double drain (a very rare phenomenon) – the Vama river and Sukhaya river which flow into Onezhskoe lake. It is the habitat of the famous vodlinsky salmon. After Vodlozero lake go the largest reservoirs of the lakes situated in the Ileksa river basin: Monastirskoe (25,9 square km), Nelmozero (14,4 square km), Luzskoe (12,1 square km). The lakes are shallow, the average depth is 0,5 – 2,5 meters.
Swamps are a peculiar feature of the Park. They cover more than 40 % of its territory. All the swamps are very different according to their types, plant cover and structure. There are mostly swamps in the Archangelsk part up-river. In Karelia there is almost equal ratio of transition and up-river swamps. The area of lowland swamps is very small.
Soil formation in the territory of the Park is connected with the podzol and swamp formational processes. The podzol soil on loams and on sands characterise the positive relief elements – tops and mountainsides, hills. In the negative relief forms soil formation goes according to the swamp type and leads to the development of peaty-gley soil or peat bogs – up-river and transitional. Soil formation rocks of the Park are moraine loamy and binomial deposits (sands and loams) and also fluvial – glacial and ancient alluvial sands.
Tourist village of Varishpelda
The village of Varishpelda is located in the northern and eastern part of Vodozero, in the place of a lost old village. The place is situated in a small bay surrounded by the pinery. The guests will learn the ancient wooden architecture, the traditional house outfit and the living customs of the locals. Moreover, the guests are welcome to become a part of the domestic life.
They are accommodated in two residential houses built in 2000-2002 (the replicas of traditional northern houses). There is a summer kitchen with a furnace hall, baths, oar boats and motor boats.
The farmstead will provide you with naturally healthy food: fresh vegetables and greens, meat, milk from the peasant’s yard.
Varishpelda is a starting point of the most interesting touristroutes towards the village of Luza. The distance of the equipped partof the tourist path “Monastirka” is about 40 km. Thepath has stops both for a short halt and sleeping accommodation.
We have arranged a very exciting one and two-day routs across Vodozero and its surroundings.
The tourists will travel by cutter or oar boats together with a guide and will see the amazingly beautiful islands, walk along the specially equipped natural paths, visit some old villages and museums, go on a pilgrimage to the Ilinsky churchyard.
There is lots of fish to hook: rich yields of pike, bream, white-fish and burbot, as wellof salmon.
The Park’s forests and backwaters are incredibly rich in mushrooms and berries-cloudberry, cranberry, bilberry, cowberry to be picked from Julytill September.
The cost of this tour includes the railway tickets, a compartment, Moscow-Archangelsk-Moscow, transfer, accommodation on the route, full boarding (natural healthy food), entertainment programs.
The Moscow program is extra charged (transfer airport-hotel-airport, hotel accommodation 3*** DBL-standard/B & B, excursions round Moscow with a guide – a visit to the Red Square, the Kremlin and its cathedrals, the city sight-seeing tour.
Date: May - October
There should be minimum 10 people in the group. |
