Kenozersky National Park (russian: Кенозерский национальный парк) is a
national park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
in the north of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, located in
Kargopolsky and
Plesetsky Districts of
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solo ...
. It was established December 28, 1991. Since 2004, the national park is a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
.
History
Kenozero was always a remote area. In the 19th century, the area was divided between
Pudozhsky Uyezd Pudozhsky Uyezd (''Пудожский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Olonets Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the eastern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Pudozh.
Demographics
At the time ...
(west) and
Kargopolsky Uyezd (east) of the
Olonets Governorate
The Olonets Governorate or Government of Olonets was a '' guberniya'' (governorate) of north-western Imperial Russia, extending from Lake Ladoga almost to the White Sea, bounded west by Finland, north and east by Arkhangelsk and Vologda, and sout ...
. In
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
, after a number of administrative changes, the area ended up in the Arkhangelsk Oblast. In 1950s—1980s, as everywhere in Russian North, the area suffered severely from depopulation, in particular, all villages between
Lake Lyokshmozero and
Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero (russian: Кенозеро) is a freshwater lake, located in the south-west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the biggest one in Plesetsky District. The a ...
were deserted.
In 1991, the decision was taken to create a National Park in the area. All historical monuments were transferred to the park administration, and some of them have been restored. December 28, 1991 the park was officially created. The staff of the park at the time of creation was 7 persons. In 1992 it was increased to 35 persons, and in 1993 to 153.
In 2004, the park became a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
.
Location and geography
Kenozersky National Park occupies the south-western part of
Plesetsky District and the north-western part of
Kargopolsky District
Kargopolsky District (russian: Каргопо́льский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.Law #65-5-OZ As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Kargopolsky Municipa ...
of the
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solo ...
, at the border with the
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia (russian: Респу́блика Каре́лия, Respublika Kareliya; ; krl, Karjalan tašavalta; ; fi, Karjalan tasavalta; vep, Karjalan Tazovaldkund, Ludic: ''Kard’alan tazavald''), also known as just Karelia (ru ...
. The northern part of the Park is centered at the
Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero (russian: Кенозеро) is a freshwater lake, located in the south-west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the biggest one in Plesetsky District. The a ...
, one of the biggest lakes of the region. The headquarters of the Park are located in the village of
Vershinino, on the northern shore of the lake. The Lake Kenozero is the source of the
Kena River
The Kena (russian: Кена) is a river in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Onega. It is long, and the area of its basin . The source of the Kena is at Lake Kenozero.
The river basin of the Kena ...
, a major left tributary of the
Onega. The upper course of the Kena is located in the park, as well as the
Pocha River, the major tributary of the Lake Kenozero, its source,
Lake Pochozero, and the lower course of the main tributary of the Lake Pochozero, the
Undosha River.
The southern part contains
Lake Lyokshmozero and the upper course of the
Lyokshma River, a tributary of
Lake Lacha. Lakes Lyokshmozero and Kenozero are separated by a number of lesser lakes, including Lake Naglimozero and Lake Vilno.
Some areas along the Karelian border drain into the basin of the
Vodla
The Vodla (, ) is a river in the south-east of Republic of Karelia, Russia. The town of Pudozh is located along Vodla. The river is formed at the confluence of the rivers Sukhaya Vodla and Vama, two outflows of the Lake Vodlozero, a large freshwa ...
, and eventually to the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. Thus, the park contains the portion of the divide between the basins of Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Tourism
The park contains natural as well as cultural monuments, and is also oriented at
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
. A number of trails have been opened in the park.
There are several wooden architecture monuments. One of them is
Porzhensky Pogost
The Porzhensky Pogost (russian: Порженский погост) is a pogost near the Porzhenka in Kenozersky National Park, Russia, with several wooden religious buildings of 18th century, surrounded by partially preserved fence. Administra ...
in the western part of the park, which is the ensemble of St. George church with the bell-tower (both from the 18th century) surrounded by the wooden wall with gates and towers (1789). The villages adjacent to Porzhensky Pogost have been deserted, and there is no road heading to it, so that the Pogost is only accessible via a pedestrian trail.
There are two roads into the park. In the southern part, south of
Lake Lyokshmozero, there is an unpaved road connecting
Kargopol and
Pudozh
Pudozh (russian: Пудож; krl, Puudoži; vep, Pudož; fi, Puudosi or ') is a town and the administrative center of Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Vodla River east of Petrozavodsk, but traveling by the ...
. Another road in the northern part of the park branches off from the ''Onezhsky Trakt'', connecting Kargopol via
Plesetsk
Plesetsk (russian: Плесе́цк) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Plesetsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated about northeast of Moscow and south of Arkhangelsk. Municipally, it is ...
to
Yemetsk
Yemetsk (russian: Емецк) is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative center of Yemetskoye Rural Settlement of Kholmogorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ' ...
. This road runs to the village on Pershlakhta on
Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero (russian: Кенозеро) is a freshwater lake, located in the south-west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the biggest one in Plesetsky District. The a ...
and then connects to the other villages on and around Lake Kenozero.
References
External links
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{{authority control
Geography of Arkhangelsk Oblast
National parks of Russia
Protected areas established in 1991
Tourist attractions in Arkhangelsk Oblast
World Heritage Tentative List
1991 establishments in Russia