Karelia is famous for its nature. When speaking of Karelia, the first thing one thinks of are its rivers, lakes, endless woods, rocks and waterfalls. AirPano lets you discover another picturesque symbol of the Karelian landscape - the wetlands. Mires are usually associated with something dismal and sad but it is not really so. Silence and quietness create a special atmosphere: you just have to look closer to feel it.

In Karelia, the wetlands cover around 25 percent of the area: it is one of the most waterlogged regions of Russia. Over 130 thousand hectares are state protected asoutstanding land resources.

Among them is the state nature reserve "Ozernoye Mire" in the central part of the Karelian Isthmus. Its terrain is a sequence of narrow low ridges and hollows, lakes and lands. Dwarf birches grow side by side with pines up to 3 metres high, heath and moss. Mires and lakes are framed with hills and plains covered with conifers and other trees.

AirPano panoramas show this nature reserve and the neighbouring bog lakes. And it is not just a beautiful landscape but also a very important element of the ecosystem. Like a giant sponge, the wetlands absorb atmospheric moisture with particles of dust, nitrogen and other harmful substances and let out clean air. This is where rivers take off from, besides, the wetlands produce peat, a very valuable raw product.

Certain medicinal plants grow in swamplands only: for example, cranberry, or the fruit Karelia is famous for - cloudberry. The wetlands also boast a diversity of wildlife: the wetlands are home to dozens of bird species, a great number of other bird species stop over here to rest during seasonal migrations, being attracted with lots and lots of fishes.

We hope you have enjoyed getting to know this fascinating piece of land.

Photos by Sergey Semenov

10 June 2023