National Park Vodlozersky is situated in the Pudozhsky District of the Republic of
Karelia and the Onezhsky District of Arkhangelskaya Region. The Park was founded in 1991.
Its area is 404,7 thousand ha. It occupies the basins of lake Vodlozer and the river
Ileksa.
The plant cover is presented with middle-taiga pine-spruce forests that have never been
subject to felling and therefore have a natural shape. This fact makes the Park one of the
widest districts in Europe with primary woods remaining. More than 40% of the territory is
occupied with bogs.
Of characteristic taiga animals there live: elk, brown bear, lynx, skunk bear, fox,
wolf and badger. This is the most southern habitat of reindeer. Bird fauna makes up more
than 200 species. Wood grouse and black grouse live here permanently. Of rare birds in the
Red Data Book of the Russian Federation are met the white-tailed eagle (at least one third
of the Karelian population), fish hawk, and the golden eagle.
The density of nesting waterfowl is great; during migration great numbers of swans,
geese, ducks, and shore birds stop here; rare bird species include Bewick's swan and the
barnacle goose. In rivers and the Vodlozer there live up to 20 fish species. In the river
Varna are spawning places of salmon.
