, A compact conservation area of exceptional value with amazingly picturesque landscapes is the Paanajärvi National Park. Its borders almost completely coincide with the catchment area of Olanga, a river that flows through two national parks - Karelian and Finnish. The real gem that the Paanajärvi Park frames the territory is the lake of the same name, and the entire park area is 104, 473 hectares.
General form
It is impossible to write about landscapes without a high style, such beauty here. The mountain peaks are separated by the deepest vertical gorges. A huge number of mountain lakes, a wide variety of swamps, stormy rivers breaking into huge rapids and spilling noisy waterfalls … Paanajärvi Park is very diverse. On the slopes of mountains and in river valleys stood virgin, undisturbed forests, mostly spiky spruce forests. But if you rise to a height of more than half a kilometer, the forest thins, and the spruce trees alternate with birches. Even higher, the spruce trees disappear, birches become curved from the winds and eventually give way to tundra vegetation.
The deep lake, surrounded by mountains, and therefore similar to the fjord, is so beautiful that even the famous Paanajärvi Park bears his name. Here, the lands of the north coast are warming up perfectly, and therefore have been inhabited by people since time immemorial. The soil is very fertile, the climate is favorable, the waters are rich in fish, and the forests are rich in game. Truly a paradise that was first discovered by the Karelians, and in the eighteenth century they were replaced by the Finns. Both of them lived in harmony with nature, and it was impossible otherwise in such blessed places.
The park
Paanajärvi (Karelia) is a unique natural lake, and the Olanga river flowing here is no less unique. There are very few such places on the planet, and therefore it is necessary to use every inch for scientific, educational, recreational, and environmental purposes. It was impossible to do this without creating a national park. Probably, even preserving this natural wealth would not have been possible. And now, from the first moment of the creation of nat. Paanajärvi Park provides the strictest protection of the existing biological diversity throughout the territory. And for this we need constant financial support.
Oddly enough, tourism helps maintain the natural and cultural heritage. Paanajärvi Park does not skyrocket prices, but the economy in the area not only does not decline, but also develops thanks to attention to this industry. The development of tourism here solves several problems at once: the protected wildlife is known, which interests not only Russian, but also foreign tourists. The park management supports a policy that not only attracts a huge number of visitors, but also provides them with a very informative and interesting stay that does not cause the slightest harm to the ecosystem.
History
Since previously all the shores of the lake were very densely populated, the creation of a reserve was not possible. When the Oulank National Park was planned, this area was not included in its borders. Only in 1926 was a draft security zone prepared by Professor Linkola. The Finnish government considered and approved it with a bill, on the basis of which a park was created with a border slightly west of the village of Paanajärvi. Then the only road that went here was from the south; it was built in 1906 from Vuotunka. It was narrow and uncomfortable, suitable only for the passage of carts.
By the mid-twenties it was expanded, cars began to ply actively, and therefore economic activity was significantly revived. In Paanajärvi, shops, a first-aid post and even a bank branch were opened. In the thirties, the redistribution continued; in Paanajärvi, more than sixty farms already independently existed. And in 1934, the second road came here - from the north, and with it the through route for tourists, which was called the "Bear Corner". Then there was a war, and all ties with Paanajärvi were cut off. So began to be called a hiking trail in Oulank National Park.
Borderland
Before the war, Paanajarvi was a very prosperous village, the best in the Kuusamo community, as it was a tourist center, hosting more than a thousand tourists in one season. In addition, there were almost always natural scientists searching for rare plants on the western border of the taiga. Here relict flora, in other places in Finland, many species are absent.
When the Finnish war ended and a peace treaty was signed, the border lay in other territories, much to the east, so the traditional trade relations were interrupted. The village was completely destroyed by the war, all buildings were burned down. These blessed places for half a century have become inaccessible to tourists - only border guards lived here. For the Finns and the Karelians, Lake Paanajärvi was now inaccessible, because the border strip was very wide and tightly guarded.
Restructuring
In the late eighties, this region began to be discussed again, since a hydro-accumulative power station was planned on the lake, and a ski center on the highest mountain in Karelia, Nuorunen. It was these two names that constantly sounded in television broadcasts, the situation with them was covered on the pages of so many newspapers and magazines. Nuorunen and Paanajarvi quickly became symbols of Karelia, which required their protection in connection with the unique features of the region.
On the other side of the border, there were also a variety of proposals regarding the preservation of this corner of integrity. The resistance of business people, primarily loggers, was very strong. But the environmental forces won, and in May 1992 the Russian government signed a decree on the creation of a national park with an area four times larger than Oulank. This is how the Paanajärvi Park appeared, the reviews of which tourists leave the most enthusiastic. Their memories remain for life.
Climate
The climate here is considered very severe, but this only applies to the Oulanka-Paanajärvi area. There is always fifteen degrees of average temperature - in winter and summer, respectively, with minus and plus signs. The average annual temperature therefore is around zero. If not for the Gulf Stream, it would be the same here as in Siberia, where there are always forty degrees - in winter and summer. It should be borne in mind that the terrain is rugged, and it’s very strong, and therefore microclimatic conditions differ from each other, and often - dramatically.
The Oulanka Valley is warmer, in the summer the sun heats the southern slopes very strongly, giving life to plants not found in these latitudes. Naturally, in the depths of the valleys, where there is protection from the winds, it is much warmer than on the mountain peaks. In the crevices it is always damp and cool, only the northernmost plants grow here. But in winter it is much colder in the valleys, because cold air flows from the mountains.
Where did the spruce come from?
Spruce has dominated the valleys of the local rivers for six thousand years, and it was then that the current biological diversity of this region was formed. Judging by the latitude and climate characteristic of the northern circumpolar taiga, wood-forming vegetation in these places is rather scarce: there is only spruce, birch and pine. However, where the soil is richer and the slopes are protected from piercing winds, there are quite a few aspens. What bright fiery red spots in the middle of coniferous greens can be seen here in the fall!
Willow branches bathe in the rivers and streams; alder is also often found, but more bushy. A lot of mountain ash and juniper in the swamps, from which we can conclude about the richness of the local soils. Almost all the rivers and streams are decorated with bird cherry, filling with light and smell their course along the entire length. And the slopes of the mountains show the strict vertical zonality of the forest cover. Many trees along the shores of the lake and along the river - mostly conifers - are more than four hundred years old, but there are specimens that are six hundred each.
Exclusivity
Eka not seen - pine, spruce, birch, alder! What is so exceptional? All our sixth part of land is covered with such trees. And, nevertheless, this natural complex is unique and has global value. Many species of both plant and animal life have been preserved here, which have completely disappeared after logging in other places. For more than a hundred years, botanists have literally been living in these places, because on the sunny slopes there are plants in the most southern latitudes, and on the shady ones there are relic arctic.
There are exceptionally many botanical rarities. Only the highest vascular plants in the national park revealed more than six hundred species, and more than twenty of them are not found in any of the regions of Karelia. There are many southern species (lily of the valley, strawberries, for example), growing side by side with the northernmost. There are also many newcomers from the eastern regions - Siberian aster, Baltic honeysuckle and others, and no less from the western lands. More than seventy plant species that are widely growing here are listed in the Red Book.
Fauna
And the Paanajärvi park is rich in wildlife. Reviews of tourists speak of many representatives of the taiga zone met here: they came across not only lynxes, moose and bears, but also wolverine and ermine. Scientists present a much longer list: wolves, martens, foxes, hares, squirrels, minks, weasels, otters and dozens of species of rodents. They also talk and write about the reindeer, although it has spread only around the Finnish border. Mink, muskrat, beaver coexist with Arctic fox and lemmings. More than one hundred and fifty species of birds nest in this region - both southern and northern. Particularly vulnerable species settle here: whooper swan, gray crane and many others. There are red book predators - osprey, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, and a total of more than eighteen species of rare and endangered birds have chosen these places.
And the reservoirs are unique. The lakes and rivers of the Paanajärvi Park are inhabited by salmon and whitefish, as well as common burbot, pike, perch and roach. The main thing - in large quantities. All reservoirs in this area are very deep, with clear spring water. They are isolated from each other by high waterfalls. Of relict fish, smelt lives here, and the spotted goby and minnow serve as a good food supply for valuable fish. The queen among all is trout, which is corroded here to a weight of more than ten kilograms. This is a valuable trophy for visitors to the park! Those who are lucky must write a review about the Paanajärvi National Park. And lucky, judging by the reviews, many!
