The Destruction of Lagonaki Plateau: A Sanctuary of Wildlife Has Begun!

The ancient forests of the protected Lagonaki Plateau in the Western Caucasus have already begun to be destroyed. While people are distracted by social issues and political bickering, while they discuss artificially created 'news stories,' right behind our backs, the last remnants of true ancient forests are being wiped out! Our Russian Taiga is being driven into the ground by heavy machinery, not by Chinese or other countries, but by our own bureaucrats and big business.

In 2022, we conducted an expedition to the Lagonaki Plateau, met with ecologists, conservationists, and those who are trying to protect this incredible land from destruction! The Lagonaki Plateau is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of those wildlife sanctuaries I always talk about.

During our expedition, I touched the mighty trees, the ancient giants! We traversed alpine meadows, camped under billions of stars, encountered local wildlife, and enjoyed the birds' songs.

We tried for a long time to defend the Lagonaki Plateau from destruction to no avail. The project to 'develop' the wildlife sanctuary has been sanctioned by the federal government, just like many other sites of natural wilderness!

Untouched corners of the Russian Taiga.

All this is part of one program to 'develop' the last wildlife sanctuaries in our country! On the Lagonaki Plateau, the authorities want to build a huge tourist cluster, a deliberately loss-making project but one that will allow laundering multi-billion profits. The same way they have been trying for the past two years to legalize vast clear-cutting in Baikal, with the sole purpose of physically seizing wildlife sanctuaries to profit instantly by destroying Earth's biosphere.

Our people, the defenders of the Lagonaki Plateau, reached out to me again and reported the beginning of the actual destruction of ancient forests. Relict trees, which are already very, very few, are being destroyed right now! The first cuts started from the Azish-Tau Ridge, about 500 meters from the Lagonaki Plateau itself. Here, ancient forests are being cleared to lay high-voltage lines for the development of the plateau and water supply.

The fact that ancient forests contain numerous species of endangered animals and plants does not concern anyone! This is a complete mockery and imitation of ecological care by officials lobbying the destruction of wildlife sanctuaries. On the felled trees, even the lichens are unique and listed in the Red Book as endangered species, but will those who simply want money think about that? Who cares only about huge profits 'here and now'?

Soon, heavy machinery will reach the Lagonaki Plateau itself, where the authorities plan to build yet another tourist cluster, a resort, to attract a massive influx of people and make money over the coming decades by expanding 'economic development' into wildlife sanctuaries.

It's very simple: the Earth's biosphere is being destroyed so rapidly that addressing local problems is becoming pointless. Regions such as the Lagonaki Plateau and the entire protected system of the Western Caucasus must be united into global territories of complete ecological tranquility (TPES Concept).

But we see something completely opposite. We see big business, supported by the authorities, rushing into these sanctuaries, trying to grab as much money as possible. They build their economic plans with a perspective of 15-20 years ahead! I've seen this: first, the protection status is lowered, then forests are partially cut down and developed for tourism. Over the years, the status is lowered even more, transferring plots for resource extraction, deforestation, and building cottage cooperatives.

As a result, over decades, these sanctuaries will simply be destroyed! The main problem is that regions like the Lagonaki Plateau are the last wildlife sanctuaries. There are no others left! Everything else has already been developed by humans.

Everyone must understand: this blow is being dealt to our children! After all, this is our habitat. But people do not hear, nature defenders are isolated and limited in resources and opportunities. In addition, censorship, prohibition to tell the truth, methods of pressure, and intimidation of those who have found the courage to stand up and speak about the problem!

And I want to ask you, dear compatriots… Do we really need new resorts? Is it really important for us to urgently plunder the last patches of wildlife, its sanctuaries, and destroy the last populations of wild animals by completely destroying their habitat?

Officials and big business seizing protected areas are already of age. Their event horizon is the remaining 10-20 years of life, after which they will die. They will be gone, and many of them will not even be remembered! But our event horizon, our worldview, is hundreds of years ahead: the health and lives of our future generations. Our children and grandchildren should not suffer because a handful of gluttonous people decided to profit by destroying wildlife sanctuaries.

We are being distracted. Distracted diligently! Meanwhile, another wildlife sanctuary, the amazing Lagonaki Plateau, will simply be destroyed.

In the complete silence, passivity, and indifference of millions of people.

LOOK AROUND! BEHIND YOUR BACKS — THE EARTH'S BIOSPHERE IS BEING KILLED!

Our own habitat.

© PAVEL PASHKOV