Development of Koitajoki-Tolvojarvi
National Park
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union.
The contents of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and
can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

Russian version Protected areas
About project
Project profile
Project objectives
Project activities

Economy. Population
Population
Industry
Small-scale business
Minerals
Transport

Tourism
Review

Nature
Climate
Landscapes
Forests
Mires
Lakes and Watercourses
Flora

Protected areas
Tolvojarvi

Forest Resources
Wood
Peat
Berries and herbs
Mushrooms
Hunting animals

Publications
Manual for Ecological Education
Survey of the Suojarvi District enterprises

About Website
Statistics

European Union

The project is funded by
the European Union

City of Joensuu

A project implemented by
the City of Joensuu



Fig. 1. Protected areas

The district has several operating PAs (fig. 1). The largest and most promising in terms of tourism development is the Tolvajärvi landscape reserve. The area is briefly described in the Annex. There were plans to combine it with the Koitajoki area to form a single PA - a national park, but the proposals were not realized. A comprehensive description and assessment of this nature conservation body, including the management plan, are given in the brochure "Koitajoki-Tolvajärvi National Park: proposals for designation" (2001, fig. 2). The district also has two game reserves with a combined area of 44,000 ha, but there is hardly any protection regime there. There operate three small mire reserves covering 460 ha in total, as well as the "Kollasjärvi" war memorial complex (3,100 ha) with a thorough protection regime.



Fig. 2. Brochure "Koitajoki-Tolvajärvi National Park" (2001)



Fig. 3. Coniferous high-density (closed-canopy) forests
aged above 100 years (green) in the Suojärvi District (data
from a scanned high-resolution satellite image treated by
P. Litinsky)

Of highest value for tourism development are pristine, climax forests, i.e. those formed in a natural way, without human disturbance. Yet, not a single more or less extensive pristine forest area has survived in the Suojärvi District (fig. 3). Timber harvesting in the district is quite intensive (the forest sector accounts for 98% of the total industrial production volume). There may remain some small climax forest fragments, but these would only be detected through in situ surveys.

There are quite a few recreationally attractive and even specially facilitated sites in the district, first of all in the Tolvajärvi landscape reserve (fig. 4-9).

An esker ridge road between Lakes Yla-Tolvajarvi and Ala-Tolvajarvi
Fig.4
A typical lake-forest landscape in the Tolvajarvi area
Fig.5
Road along the dyke on Lake Tolvajarvi
Fig.6
Guesthouse in the old village of Tolvajarvi
Fig.7
A stopping facility near Lake Tolvajarvi
Fig.8
Abandoned recreation centre near Lake Tolvajarvi
Fig.9

Noteworthy are also sites connected with events of World War II - monuments, remains of fortifications, etc. (fig. 10-13).

Monument in the "Kollasjarvi" World War II Memorial Complex
Fig.10
Monument in the "Kollasjarvi" World War II Memorial Complex
Fig.11
Trenches
Fig.12
Lake Kollasjarvi as seen from the road
Fig.13

All in all, there operate 8 PAs of most varied ranks - from small, high productivity forest areas (plus stands) to the large-size Tolvajärvi landscape reserve. Researchers from Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Science have proposed 15 botanical and zoological reserves for designation (see the list and map below, see the summary description of proposed PAs in the volume "Suojärvi District (Republic of Karelia): economy, resources, nature conservation". Petrozavodsk, 2000, p. 87-91).

Fig.14. Operating and proposed PAs in the Suojärvi District

Operating PAs (no in the figure):
1. "Tolvajärvi" landscape reserve
2. "Mys Kintsiniemi" geological monument
3. "Boloto Sulansuo" wetland nature monument
4. "Boloto Akonjärvskoye" wetland nature monument
5. "Boloto Ozovoye" local-importance wetland nature monument
6-8. Plus stands Proposed PAs
9. "Koitajoki" national park
10. "Uksijärvi" landscape reserve
11. "Ozero Roik-Navolokskoye" zoological reserve
12. "Salmijärvi" zoological reserve
13. "Piitsjoki" zoological reserve
14. "Hiisjärvi" botanical reserve
15. "Kalaoja" botanical reserve
16. "Saariselkä" botanical reserve
17. "Moiseinvaara" botanical reserve
18. "Kalalampi" botanical reserve
19. "Chinozero" botanical reserve
20. "Ahvenlampi" botanical reserve
21. "Korpikallio" botanical reserve
22. "Japonvaara" botanical reserve
23. "Leppäniemi" botanical reserve

Expert: A. Gromtsev, A. Kravchenko
Photos by: I. Gueorgievskiy

Project profile 

Last modified on April 22, 2005
nataly@krc.karelia.ru