Description of the attraction
The reserve was founded in 1994 on June 21. It is a state nature reserve of regional significance, occupying 520 km² of the Kandalaksha district, located in the Murmansk region. The border on the southern side of the Kutsa reserve coincides with the border of the Murmansk region and with Karelia. The Tumcha River defines the border from the east, and Lake Niluttijärvi from the west. In the north, the protected area reaches Lake Vuorijärvi.
The reserve has complex tasks: it preserves in its natural state the communities of primary forests, lakes and bogs, as habitats of typical and rare representatives of flora and fauna, mountain tundra. On the territory there are reference ecosystems, the rarest species of animals and plants, objects of significant recreational value.
An interesting fact: the territory, which is now part of the nature reserve, previously belonged to Finland, but after the end of the Russian-Finnish war it began to belong to a rival. However, earlier this area was subject to a protective regime. Then, as now, they studied the features of flora and fauna and protected the territory from negative factors. That is why Soviet ecologists, as well as modern ones, have passed the natural zone into excellent condition. Therefore, already Soviet ecologists, as well as modern ones, received at their disposal a natural territory in excellent condition. Ecosystems did not need to be restored, the main task is to preserve the natural state.
Deforestation is currently prohibited in the protected area, high voltage transmission lines are not allowed to be built, and other industrial work is prohibited. Recreational fishing and hunting are allowed if the hunter has a special license. In addition, guests of the reserve can pick berries and mushrooms on its territory.
Many beautiful places are located in the Kutsa reserve. For example, the extensive floodplains of the Kutsa River. There are primary forests and deep rivers - the Kutsa River and the Tumcha River. These rivers attract a large number of visitors who love water sports to the reserve. These rivers are fleeting, with many rapids and waterfalls, and the most beautiful landscapes are located along the banks. Yaniskongas is the name of one of the most popular waterfalls in the park. It was formed on the Kutsa River. The Pyhyakuru gorge, which is part of the reserve, is no less interesting.
It comes as no surprise that a great variety of plants grow in such a large and well-protected area. There are about twenty endemics growing in the reserve. For example, the broad-nosed drippings grow in the Pyhyakuru gorge. There is also a large lophosia. And if lofosia is not found anywhere in Europe, then dripping is not found all over the world. The list of the rarest plant species growing in the Kutsa reserve can be supplemented with such plants as the northern calypso orchid, alpine arnica, shrub Veronica, lichen called pulmonary lobaria.
The fauna of the reserve is large and beautiful. You can talk about it for a long time. The most notable birds are the eagle owl and the golden eagle. In the reservoirs located on the territory of the reserve, 11 species of fish live, which represent 8 families: nine-spined stickleback, brown trout, European vendace, char, burbot, whitefish, pike, grayling, ruff, perch, minnow. The Kutsa nature reserve is one of the places in the Murmansk region, where in winter you can observe a considerable accumulation of wintering elk. To study the dynamics of the herd number, route counts are carried out. The data obtained as a result of the counts allows you to get a correct picture of the number of the species.
