The Tungusky Nature Reserve

The Tungusky State Nature Reserve is located in the Evenki Autonomous Okrug, Tungusko-Chunsky District. On June 30, 1908, in the interfluve of Podkamennaya Tunguska and its right tributary Chuni, a super-powerful explosion of a space object of unknown nature, known as the Tunguska Meteorite, occurred. The idea of pserving the region of the Tunguska phenomenon for future generations was proposed back in the 1920s by Leonid Kulik, but only in 1995 it was decided to create a state reserve in the fall region of the Tunguska meteorite. The total area of the reserve is 296.6 thousand hectares. The reserve territory is a low plateau, dissected by deeply incised river valleys. On the territory separate cone-shaped hills or table mountains rise with a relative height of up to 300 meters. The highest point of the reserve is located on the Lakursky ridge and is 533 meters. The terrain is very boggy. The southern border of the reserve overlooks the river Podkamennaya Tunguska. It also has its tributaries - the Chamba, Khushma and Kimcha rivers with the deep flowing lake Cheko. The climate in the reserve area is sharply continental. The only frost-free month of the year is July. Its average temperature is + 16ºС. In winter, the temperature reaches -58ºС. The nature of the Tungusky phenomenon is still unexplained. It is believed that the "Tungusky meteorite" was an asteroid or the nucleus of a small comet. However, these proposals are still unconfirmed, as there are no decisive data on the material composition of the Tungusky cosmic body. An alternative point of view: the “Tungusky meteorite” was of an artificial, technogenic nature, and the 1908 episode itself was the result of humanity’s contact with an alien civilization.This hypothesis is very tempting, however, unambiguous evidence that would testify in its favor is also lacking. As a result of the meteorite fall in 1908, the taiga on an area of more than 2000 square meters. km was felled and burned. Taiga has recovered over the past 100 years in the disaster area. But in any case, the site of the fall of the Tungusky Meteorite is of exceptional interest as it is the only region on the globe that enables direct study of the environmental consequences of space catastrophes. The central estate of the reserve is located in the village of Vanavara. Site: тунгусский-заповедник.рф