What do activists and scientists say about the destruction of the Lago-Naki Plateau?

I want to repeat myself. Once again! Everyone must understand this today: both civil society and the entire vertical of power, from regional officials to federal ministers. People from all corners of our Earth must understand this!

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW REMAINING WILDLIFE REFUGES LEFT ON THE PLANET.

We must not only protect them from any "economic development" but also expand them several times, uniting them into global Total Ecological Peace Territories (TEPT). Only then can we provide the last populations of animals and plants with true refuges, allowing ecosystems to recover and perform their natural biological functions.

This is not hard to understand! Earth's biosphere has been destroyed by humans, and we are destroying all life around us, constantly justifying it as "a necessity." In the end, this will lead to the collapse of our modern civilization. Our children and grandchildren will suffer from hunger, water shortages, and the lack of clean air. They will die just because we remained SILENT and passive while the last wildlife refuges were destroyed right before our eyes.

Again, about the Lago-Naki Plateau, an incredible wild land that the authorities have already begun to deforest. Right now, in the area surrounding the plateau, ancient protected forests are being cut down to the roots. Such forests are PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT in the world! This relic is worthy of global consolidation for its protection. But instead, heavy machinery is being brought in, flattening the ancient forests, all for the immediate profit of a few people.

I want to quote the defenders of the Lago-Naki Plateau, our people who are now fighting with their last strength to protect this refuge.

I will start with the words of an extraordinary woman who lives in those mountains. People like her are almost extinct today, as unique as the ancient forests in their last humble refuges! People who not only feel a deep connection with the nature around them but also have the gift of awakening others.

Ekaterina Zhu.

“It is important to understand one simple thing. Where there is a pure natural place, if construction begins for a tourist cluster, the place loses its power and pristine beauty, the very reason people come to rest and heal in untouched nature. If there is to be infrastructure, it should be healthy. With well-maintained campsites, toilets, garbage collection, behavior rules on trails, and comfortable houses beautifully and organically blending into the landscape.

But construction in protected lands, rolling everything in a concrete roller under the guise of some ‘benefit and convenience,’ so that people come from one concrete city to another with fences and high-rises… there is already enough of this in cities! Ordinary people run away from them to find peace in pristine places.

We need air, freedom. If there is no nature and it’s all built over, we will either become extinct or lose our humanity. Nature nourishes us. We exist because of these forests and rivers. Without the spirit of nature, any construction site loses its power and purity, and it becomes another black hole for the dumb extraction of money.

Now, the choice is up to each of us, which path we will follow... The cult of the golden calf, which devours everything in its path in a consumerist way and will not stop until it devours everything completely for the sake of money. Or life in harmony with biodiversity, with the realization of oneself as part of nature, and the reasonable use of resources and technology, taking into account the natural and cultural-historical features of the place.”

Sergey Stroganov, a representative of the initiative group for the protection of Lago-Naki and the author of one of the first petitions against the destruction of the reserve, also shared his thoughts with our readers. A person who understands his DUTY in the mission — to protect LIFE.

“I was shocked by what I saw — a barbaric clearing 10-15 meters wide cut through the virgin forest. That very forest, which is so valuable that it was included in the World Natural Heritage as part of the buffer zone of the Caucasus Reserve. A more careless attitude towards the local nature is hard to imagine: stones, clay, uprooted roots, branches with needles, and fallen logs. Huge logs were left to rot (apparently since spring), and the clearing road, with its soil cover removed by machinery, will start erosion processes. The felled fir trees still remember the 19th century; we counted about 150 rings on the trunk.

For the last 10-15 years, lobbyists have been pushing environmental legislation for their benefit. But even with all these indulgences, greedy characters (it’s hard to call them people) close to the ‘feeding trough’ could not wait for legal approval and began to wreak havoc. It seems they are in a hurry to develop budget money. Many do not know, but investment in the resort is mostly long-term loans from VEB, which are essentially budget funds, i.e., taxpayers' money. This is how our nature, our environment, our world is being destroyed at our expense.”

Such a call from the heart and mind! 

Speaking of reason: among those defending the Lago-Naki Plateau are also outstanding scientists and specialists who have spent decades studying the wild nature of the Western Caucasus.

Scientists Urbanavichene I.N. (V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg) and Urbanavicius G.P. (Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity) published a scientific work in 2023 titled "Habitat of protected lichen species in the Republic of Adygea under threat of extinction."

I will provide a few quotes from the work of these specialists.

“During many years of research on lichen flora in the Republic of Adygea, in the territory of the Caucasus Reserve, and specifically on the Lago-Naki Highlands, an exceptional diversity of lichen species and closely related non-lichenized fungi was discovered. These unique communities inhabit fir-pine-beech forests on limestone in the northern part of the Kamennoye More Ridge. The concentration of lichens per unit area (1 ha) reaches 379 species, which testifies to their uniqueness not only for Europe but for the entire Holarctic region.”

These are the very lichens that are now rotting alive on the fallen giant trees! The relic of the Russian Taiga. The future of our generations… Our people on the Lago-Naki Plateau have recorded endangered lichens that were destroyed along with the ancient forest. They have sent reports to the prosecutor's office to try to address the issue!

And some may say, "What about lichens?" But these people simply do not understand how crucial balance is in ecosystems, and how important the biological functions of every species of plant, animal, bird, and insect are! Without one, the rest will perish. For example, mycorrhizal fungal connections are important, through which it has been scientifically proven that TREES COMMUNICATE and transfer nutrients to young seedlings. They nurture their future generation and protect it!

A few more quotes from the scientists' work:

“The material for this work was based on the authors' own research conducted over two decades in the Republic of Adygea, within the territory of the Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve, and specifically on the Lago-Naki Highlands.”

“This area represents a massif of primeval and at the time virtually undisturbed fir-pine-beech forests on limestone. In 10 locations, 429 species were identified, almost 78% of which (mainly epiphytes and epixyls) were not found in other surveyed areas of the Lago-Naki Highlands. It is in these forests that the habitats of most protected lichen species, listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation, as well as the Red Books of the Republic of Adygea and Krasnodar Krai, are concentrated."

"Over the past two decades, more than 800 species of lichens and systematically related non-lichenized fungi have been recorded in the Lago-Naki Highlands. This accounts for almost 38% of the known lichen flora of the entire Northern Caucasus."

"Unfortunately, for lichens and this unique forest community, the construction of all-season mountain eco-resort facilities in Lago-Naki will lead to degradation and destruction of unique habitats, creating a threat of extinction for numerous lichen species, including those protected at the federal level."

Does anyone hear the voices of the people of Adygea, where the Lago-Naki wildlife refuge is already being destroyed? Does anyone hear what the scientific experts are saying?

Alpine meadows, ancient giant trees, the RELIC OF THE RUSSIAN TAIGA, are simply being flattened. A refuge where even the lichens are so unique that there are no equals anywhere else!

What are we doing?

Millions of people have turned away from life; they are actively caught up in the political games of power, seeking social disputes. We discuss anything but the destruction of wildlife refuges, on which our own life depends! It is not only the habitat of plants and animals — IT IS OUR OWN HABITAT.

Our people, defenders of Lago-Naki, send me photos of the destroyed ancient forests. And it hurts! I remember the expedition to the plateau, I remember the conversations with our people, with outstanding specialists. A small house among the mighty Caucasus Mountains, tea, and conversations with a real magician.

And I look again and again at the photos of the destroyed forest, at the ruined heritage of our children and grandchildren! And I want to howl like a wolf: what are you doing, bastards?

Stop. We have no other home! You're destroying the last of it.

© PAVEL PASHKOV