Taganai Nature Reserve

Taganai Nature Reserve - Pure Russian Landscape

Taganai Nature Reserve in the Chelyabinsk district is amongst Russia's newest protected area. Near the city of Zlatoust in the Ural Mountains, this stunning mountain landscape is the ideal setting for a nature reserve and has been praised by travelers, poets and artists. Large portions of untouched terrain run through Taganai reserve, providing for a variety of ecological systems. Also within the bounds are treasures in the form of old mineral mines. Taganai is a truly rich protected area that nature lovers will enjoy exploring.

The beautiful Ural Mountains, of which Taganai is a part, are frequently referred to as the “Ural Tyrol” and “Russian Switzerland”. In 1991 Taganai Nature Reserve was established in the western section fo the Chelyabinsk district. Taking in an area of 564 square km, the park encompasses several of the southern Ural's small ridges. Traveling through this natural wonder, visitors move from mountain tundra, to meadows and relic forests. Tourists often spend a day soaking up the sheer magnificence of Taganai Nature Reserve.

Scattered within the Taganai park are historical mines. Mineralogical mines are Zelentsovskaya, Akhmatovskaya, Eremeevskaya and Nikolay-Maksimilliannovskaya. The iron mines are Taganaiskii and Tesminskii. Whilst the copper mines are Nadezhdinskii and Evgrafovskii. Samples of the minerals found here can be seen in museums world-wide. Interestingly, the area in and around Taganai is known to have the biggest deposits of Taganaiskoe-aventurine in Russia. Also within Taganai Nature Park are many great natural monuments: 6 hydrological, 8 geomorphological, 2 botanical and 4 geological.

The park is bordered by a watershed which is located between the Ob-Irtysh basin and Volga-Kama basin. Tributaries and rivers running through the park flow into the Big Kialim and Kusa Rivers which then flow into the Caspian Sea and Arctic Ocean respectively. Big Moss Bog is located in the Kialimskaya ravine. This bog covers a complete area of 36 km squared. The Taganai Nature Reserve takes in a large mountain ridge system. Upper areas of the mountains are rocky with sharp slopes. Large boulders mark the slopes. Stone rivers are formed at the base of the mountains.

Taganai Nature Park has an abundance of varied plant and animal life. In the park are some 687 plant species, 52 mammal species, 126 bird species, 7 fish species and 5 reptile species. Fourteen of the plant species are endemic to the Urals, i.e. they only occur here. Keep a look out for elk, wild boar, forest lemmings, hedgehogs, squirrels, ermine, badgers, foxes, lynx, wolves, raccoons and brown bears. Bird watchers may spot redpolls, hawk owls, cedar waxwings, snowy owls, bullfinches, cedarbirds, wood grouse, hazel grouse, eagle owl, fish hawk, woodpeckers, chickadees and flycatchers. Nature lovers will be thoroughly delighted with a tour of Taganai Park.