Rivne Nature Reserve

Rivne region

©Oksana Golovko

About reserve

A land of lakes, impassable swaps and thick woods shrouded by old Slavic Drevlian legends. Here you can see the traces of Ice Age activities. These are the ancient valleys of glacial rivers, sinkhole swamps, sand hills (dunes), forest outliers and spacious wetlands where the unique relict flora has been preserved and postglacial fauna has been formed.

Picturesque swamps attracting by their mysteriousness and uniqueness are the main highlight and value of the reserve. Natural complexes of the reserve are represented by all types of swamps geographically located on four wetlands: Syra Pohonia, Somyne, Perebrody and Biloozerskyi as limited by the eastern part of Volyn Polissia.

The reserve’s flora has been formed as a result of glacier activity. There are unique relict species such as the Rannoch-rush (Scheuchzeria palustris), leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), lake quillwort (Isoetes lacustris), downy willow (Salix lapponum), swamp willow (Salix myrtilloides), Chara delicatula etc. The reserve’s postglacial fauna is relatively young and continuing to form. The most famous inhabitants of swamps and forest fauna are the common crane (Grus grus), black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga). The elk (Alces alces), stoat (Mustela erminea), the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and other rare animals also occur there.

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