Cry of Despair: We Have Almost Lost the Battle for the Protected Lagonaki Plateau

I am ashamed. Ashamed of what is happening today to the wildlife refuges in our country, which are being crudely torn apart, finally destroying the last sanctuaries of animals and plants. For momentary profit, right before our eyes, the guardianship of Russia’s protected lands is being shamelessly ripped apart.

Today I received a letter from our Allies who are right now defending the Lago-Naki Plateau, one of the most sacred wildlife havens in Adygea, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

And I see despair in their words. I see a sincere, fiery love for nature! If everyone—millions of passionate hearts—were like the defenders of the Lago-Naki Plateau, we would have changed the world long ago. We would have stopped the insane destruction of nature.

I have been to the Lago-Naki Plateau; we conducted an expedition there and filmed a documentary in its defense. Countless appeals to the authorities, materials, attempts to restrain the predation of the wealthy! But all in vain. Our Allies who are on the ground, fighting for Life year after year, have done far more.

And you know… I am ashamed not only that we cannot stop the death of Lago-Naki. Not only for those who are destroying this sacred land, but also for those who, instead of helping, turn away and pretend nothing is happening.

So! Despite the uniqueness of this protected land, its extremely fragile ecosystems, and the support and arguments of the best scientists of our country and the world, the Lago-Naki Plateau is already being destroyed. Not even the scientific data on dangerous radioactive contamination of the plateau from Chernobyl fallout stopped this madness.

For money, for immediate gain, heavy equipment is already being driven here to lay roads and build yet another tourism cluster. Interests worth tens of billions of rubles—too much money for officials and businessmen to refuse. They have been trying to divide the lucrative Lago-Naki prize for more than twenty years, but only now, when society is depressed and weakened, have they managed to do it.

I want to publish the letter from our Allies about people’s pain for nature and the hatred for nature shown by those who try to destroy it.

“Good day, Pavel! On Monday we were on the plateau and documented the outrage against Russia’s oldest nature reserve and UNESCO site by construction equipment. The destruction of the Lago-Naki natural complexes continues, with red-listed plants being obliterated and the laws of the Russian Federation violated. On Monday, despite hurricane-force winds, rain, and even snow, we conducted a monitoring trip to the plateau, where surveys are now underway for the so-called ECO-resort. ECO-surveyors have carved dozens of new ruts into the untouched reserve with heavy machinery. We documented the destruction of two plant species listed in Adygea’s Red Book: the Black Sea Dactylorhiza and the Lagodekhi Fritillary (Ophioglossum-leaf). As always, a stack of Russian laws has been violated— the Federal Law ‘On Environmental Protection’, Federal Law 33 ‘On Specially Protected Natural Areas’, and the Ministry of Natural Resources Order No. 142 on the protection of red-listed species.”

“The scene of barbaric treatment of Russia’s oldest nature reserve and UNESCO site is simply staggering. Mercenaries of a Cypriot offshore feel like absolute masters on federal territory, with the negligent connivance of the Caucasus Reserve administration. The ruts already created are gulleys and erosion on fragile mountain soils. Lago-Naki soils do NOT recover! And this isn’t even construction yet—

it is only preliminary surveys.”

“This is that legendary strict compliance with environmental legislation and minimization of damage to natural complexes, as the head of Adygea, Murat Kumpilov, told us.”

“We once again appealed to Adygea’s law-enforcement (Prosecutor’s Office, Investigative Committee, Ministry of Internal Affairs), who, in our opinion, have been inactive since April, doing nothing to stop the law violations. Does the legislation of the Russian Federation still apply in Adygea?”

That is the letter. Do you know what our Allies titled their letter? They called it “The Crushed Paradise of Lago-Naki”—so apt, so painful. And so shameful.

From our team we also sent inquiries to agencies and authorities; we likewise received formal replies. The system is unanimous: the reserve is slated for “development.” Everything has been decided at the very top level of power.

Unfortunately, today people have almost no real leverage to protect nature. The truth is that the system has been restructured, and pushing dangerous bills has become extremely easy! Without exception, from law-enforcement bodies to relevant agencies, everyone refuses to do anything and silently accepts the destruction of the Lago-Naki Plateau.

Heavy machinery has now been driven into the wildlife refuge. Drilling rigs bite into the ground, and roads are being laid directly to the plateau.

The most frightening thing is that the tourism cluster and millions of tourists who will trample the wild nature are only the beginning. I have already written earlier that, based on the experience of other countries, in 95% of cases it is precisely from newly built roads that the destruction of nature begins over the years. Gradually logging is simplified, infrastructure is legalized, land is sold to the wealthy for luxury homes. Gradually everything turns into profit!

Since 2021 we have fought for this land. And the great people—the true heroes, the defenders of the Lago-Naki Plateau! I know how much they had to endure, how much effort in this unequal struggle for Life. In this struggle against the capitalist system that brazenly seeks to devour the last refuges of wildlife.

And I am ASHAMED to see how millions of people turn away from this disaster! Evidently, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Lago-Naki Plateau, is too far from our cities, from the people, and few are able to understand this pain. It is hard to feel it.

Share this material! Tell the truth about what is happening. If a million people rise unanimously to defend the Lago-Naki Plateau, we will stop this madness.

And if not, then the protected land, on its last breath, will hold out a little longer, after which it will shudder and perish. Forever.

© PAVEL PASHKOV