Exclusive photos from a closed exhibition dedicated to the impassable Tigirek Nature Reserve

The Tigirek Nature Reserve is one of the youngest protected natural areas in Russia. It was founded in 1999 to preserve the rich flora and fauna of the Northwestern Altai. In early August, an expedition was organized in the protected area of the Tigirek Reserve. The participants had not only to personally appreciate the beauty of the region, but also to work out a new tourist route.

Photos for the material were provided by one of the participants of the campaign, Alexander Prokopyev. These pictures became part of the closed exhibition "Open Altai", dedicated to the development of ecological tourism in protected areas, which Alexander Prokopyev organized in the State Duma following the results of the expedition.

Everything came together

It is difficult to get to the reserve on your own — only SUVs with severe suspension will be able to take you home. But the place is really worth it. On the same territory of the reserve, taiga, forest-steppe, powerful rivers Belaya and Bolshaya Khankhara came together.

The business card of the reserve is a mountainous terrain with several protruding peaks. The highest peak is Mount Chernaya (2 km). The second highest mountain is Razvizhnaya (1.9 km) with beautiful rose quartz outcrops on the southwestern slope and the remnants of the precious beryl deposit mined here in the first half of the XIX century. But the symbol of the reserve is the Hat Mountain. Yes, the mountain was named that way precisely because it resembles a hat in shape.

The Legend of Baikonur

The creation of the reserve is explained by the desire to preserve the rich nature of the north-western part of the Altai Territory. At the same time, biologists cannot clearly distinguish any local "natural attraction" — neither among animals nor among plants.

There is a legend that the zone was specially made a security zone, because the steps of rockets launched from Baikonur periodically fell on the territory. And the status of the reserved land saved from unnecessary observers.

The Dark Kingdom

The village of Tigirek, the historical and administrative center of the reserve, is lost in the very center. And Tigirek's environment is a bit creepy — there are bats in caves near the village. These nocturnal animals can be considered almost the owners of protected areas — all 11 species of Altai bats can be found in the reserve.

Encyclopedia of the Earth

Outcrops of rocks can often be found in the Tigirek Reserve. Therefore, it can be considered a real natural encyclopedia of the tectonic structure of soils — remember at least the mountain Developed.

But the most important natural monument is the "Tigirek Silurian Section". These are picturesque exposed rocks of the Chagyrskaya and Kuimovskaya formations along the bank of the Inya River.

Now the reserve does not seek to attract travelers en masse, but it is very interested in ecological tourism — speleologists, ornithologists and photographers are waiting in these parts. And the conditions here are poor for comfort — the places are almost deserted and impassable for anyone except the employees of the reserve. You can live in a tent or in houses occupied by specialists of the security zone.

Although against the background of such great natural beauty, it is not at all worth thinking about infrastructure. After all, she is completely superfluous here.