Vodlozero National Park

In 1996, the Vodlozero National Park territory was nominated for inclusion into the World Heritage List under "natural" criteria. In 1998, upon the decision of the World Heritage Committee Session, the site was declined the inscription as it was not acknowledged as a unique natural area. Presently, submission of documentation for a nomination of the territory under the criteria of "cultural landscape" is in process.

The Vodlozero National Park is a complex of archaeological memorials situated close together and concentrated in a very small area. Over 50 sites of early human settlements belong to 2 cultures, Karelian and Kargopol, which are especially important for

the study of contact between ancient tribes in the region.

Numerous wooden dwellings are examples of more recent cultural artifacts from the 16th to 18th centuries. Among them are religious works, items of civil architecture, ancient portages and staging posts on the way from Novgorod towards the White Sea. One of the most remarkable examples of wooden architecture the "Eleenskyi Pogost" (Elijah's Churchyard), dated to the end of 18th century, is by itself worth claiming for World Heritage status. Today, local people live here in complete harmony with nature as the peoples of the Northern Europe have done for hundreds of years.

Aside from its outstanding cultural heritage, the park is characterized by a series of unique natural features. The Vodlozero National Park together with Kozhozero Nature Reserve are the last undisturbed wetland taiga complex of considerable size (about 600,000 ha) and composite structure in Europe. The Vodlozero forests set the standard for lowland taiga in western Eurasia and it is a very important breeding area for common and rare flora and fauna species of the taiga zone. Scientists have recorded 414 species of vascular plants, as well as a great number of the moss, lichens and mushrooms in the park.

The forests are home to over 50 species of mammals including the brown bear, wolf, fox, wolverine, lynx, European mink, wolverine and badger. The park also contains the most southern European population of reindeer. The avifauna of the park is quite unique. Out of a total of 176 bird species recorded in the park, 36 are rare and endangered. A high level of biodiversity singles out the ichthyofauna of the Vodlozero.

The Vodlozero park complex includes places where the world's most ancient rocks (3,400,000,000 years old) outcrop to the surface. The uniqueness of the crystalline bedrock lies in the abundance of huge bodies of underground lava, dormant volcanoes and volcanic channels. These bare rock outcrops in the park are beautiful representations of the ancient annals of the Earth. Glacial land and water formations occupy many areas throughout the park. 54 geological sites of exceptional beauty have been identified in the park.

The greatest danger comes from active forest logging in the area adjacent to the National Park. The greatest potential danger is related to the forest logging plans for the forest stand in the Kanzanavoloksky forestry district of the Kubovsky forestry administration. These forests form unique integrated natural system with the National Park forests, and cutting of the first would cause the decline of natural value of this site as a whole.

A serious concern was caused by the attempts aimed at cancellation of the conservation status of the Kozhosersky Nature Reserve, representing one of the most valuable parts of the protected site.