"Pasvik" Nature Reserve

The Pasvik State Nature Reserve is part of a large protected area that is preserved by three countries. In addition to our reserve, there is the Finnish wilderness area "Vätsari", the Norwegian national park "Verhniy Pasvik", the nature reserve "Pasvik" and the landscape reserve "Verhniy Pasvik". That is why this place is also considered as a junction point for three cultures.

"Pasvik" is spread over the territory of 14427 hectares. Almost half of the territory is forest (taiga, forest-tundra and tundra), the rest is swamps, rivers and lakes. The reserve got its name from the 147-kilometer Pasvik river, in the valley of which it is located. It is the place where the borders of three states join.

The weather here is mild winters and cool summers, high air humidity, many rainy and snowy days, frequent and rapid weather changes when the wind direction changes. Sometimes the temperature difference within one day can reach 45 degrees.

The relief of "Pasvik" is the work of a glacier, which cut the ground, and the result was lowlands, hills, and hollows of lakes. The local rocks were formed during the Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic periods, and this is more than 450 million years ago.

The local forests and water bodies are inhabited by animals and plants that are included not only in the Red Book of the Murmansk region, but also in Russia, Eastern Fennoscandia and the international IUCN list.

Among them are the plants, the lady's slipper, and the sedge; lichen of briory Fremont; white aspen mushroom; birds crested cormorant, gray goose, black and barnacle geese, white-tailed eagle, eagle owl. Rare mammals include kutora, northern leather jacket, forest lemming, arctic fox, weasel, wolverine, otter, lynx, roe deer.

Not so long ago, a visit center opened in Pasvik - a place created for seminars, working meetings of scientists, ecologists, excursions and exhibitions for tourists.

It's impossible to get into the reserve just like that - this is both a protected natural area and a place where the border regime operates. Therefore, visitors must apply for special passes. The route “Varlam Island - the pearl of Pasvik” has been developed for tourists, there is also an opportunity to visit the border village of Rayakoski and follow the route “Village of Rayakoski - life on three borders”.