Nature Reserves and National Parks Day in Russia Date in the current year: January 11, 2024

Russian Wildlife Conservation Center and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) initiated the observance of Nature Reserves and National Parks Day in Russia. The date for this observance is not random. This is the day when the very first Russian state-run reserve, the Barguzin Nature Reserve on Lake Baikal, was founded in 1917.

There are about 12,000 specially protected natural areas of different levels in Russia. Among them 102 state nature reserves, 71 state zakazniks (type of protected area that meets World Conservation Union's categories III and IV) and 42 national parks. 20 more national parks, 11 nature reserves and 3 federal zakazniks are to be created till 2020.

Nature Reserves and National Parks Day in Russia is an important day not only for ecologists, but also for people who do care about Russian environment and natural resources.