Lena Pillars Nature Park

On July 22, 2012, the Lena Pillars Nature Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The striking scenery of the park and wild Yakut nature make it the pearl of the region and one of the most beautiful places in the world. The park occupies more than a million hectares, with taiga, dunes, a full-flowing river, and bizarre rocks resembling an ancient Gothic castle or a sleeping dragon.

The Lena Pillars Nature Park is considered a real natural wonder. Its enchanting pristine beauty captures imagination and attracts travelers from all over the world. Some people see a majestic medieval palace when they look at unusual rocks, others — the prototype of the Great Wall from the Game of Thrones. At the same time, if one visits the park at sunset, the rocks may resemble a castle of an evil sorcerer.

Historical value

In fact, the spire-shaped rocks stretching for almost 40 kilometers in the Lena River valley are remnants that survived the weathering of mountain ranges. They were formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived on the territory of Yakutia more than 500 million years ago. Over time, depending on the degree of erosion, the rocks acquired the most bizarre forms: Lena Pillars include a rock resembling a human, which the locals call the Stone Man. 

The researchers also managed to find an early man site in the park that is about 370,000 years old, as well as the remains of a mammoth, an ancient bison, and a woolly rhinoceros. Archeologists discovered many caves with petroglyphs on the slopes of the rocks: ancient people made these paintings with yellow mineral paint and stone tools. The real paleontological treasure of the park is the fossils found there, with ancient invertebrates preserved in them. 

Flora and fauna

Today, the Lena Pillars Nature Park is home for living peers of mammoths — the wood bison. Unique Ust-Buotama Farm aims to restore the population of these rare animals that are on the IUCN Red List. Essentially, about 5,000 years ago, most of the bison living in Siberia died out, while the rest moved to North America, from where 30 animals were brought back to the farm.

According to biologists, over 30 species of mammals and about 100 bird species live in the park, including such rare ones as bears, lynxes, wolverines, elks, deer, golden eagles, eagle owls, falcons, and others. Some of these animals and plants are in the Red Data Book of Russia. Some plants, like Redowskia sophiifolia can be found only in the park. So, the Lena Pillars Nature Park is the only place on Earth where travelers can marvel at their delicate white flowers.

Yakutian desert

In Yakutia, one can see an amazing exotic combination of landscapes — sand dunes in the middle of the green taiga. Yakut Deserts, tukulans, are a unique phenomenon. Scientists assume that they were formed on the site of the ancient Lena River, which tens of thousands of years ago flowed to the west of its modern course. Today, the largest Yakut Desert is on the territory of the Lena Pillars Nature Park and tourists can visit it. Not only can they admire its beauty, but go skiing and snowboarding from the hills of tukulan even in summer.

National park

The national park, established on this site, deals with both the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, rare species of flora and fana, and the promotion of sustainable recreation. The Lena Pillars Nature Park is an ideal place for genuine ecotourism. There are several specially equipped nature trails of varying length and complexity, and you can walk them on your own or with a guide. If you wish, you can go rafting along the great Siberian River Lena, admire the picturesque scenery from the observation deck at a height of more than 100 meters, and even climb a small ascent.

Those who prefer less active pastimes can go fishing. There are more than two dozen species of fish in the rivers and lakes of the park, of which the Siberian sturgeon, nelma, taimen, lenok, and whitefish are especially valuable and tasty. 

Essentially, this natural and geological monument has been of interest for researchers all over the world for more than half a century. The National Park is actively engaged in the environmental education of children and teenagers and carries out a range of research projects in collaboration with the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Marina Skvortsova