Kamchatka is fire and ice, Kamchatka is bears and Steller sea eagles and salmon. This grand wilderness peninsula juts from the mainland between the stormy Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea in Russia’s Far East. Kamchatka’s people are resilient northerners: the Itelmen, Koryak, Even, Chukchi, and Russians. Kamchatka is a naturalists’ paradise with one of Russia’s longest wilderness preservation traditions and for those from abroad who yearn for wildness, it is worth discovering. Kamchatka has been called “one of the world’s last best places.”

The Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East is 472,300 square kilometers of mountainous landscapes, 27% of which is set aside in protected areas. Twenty-nine active volcanoes and multitudes of pristine rivers embody a dynamic landscape still being formed. With a population of just over 370,000, the Peninsula has less than one person per square kilometer and 250,000 of these people live in the capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The native heritage of Kamchatka is one of the most fascinating and touching aspects of the Peninsula’s diversity. Much of the Itelmen culture has been assimilated into Russian life although there are several west coastal villages where some Itelmen language and traditions have been preserved. Today Itelmen communities preserve the culture that remains and re-initiate and rekindle cultural pride, respect for the land, and awareness among their people.

Koryak cultures, once proud reindeer herding and sea mammal hunting people traditionally make their home in the northern vastness of the peninsula. The Even people, also reindeer herders, are relatively recent migrants to Kamchatka and live in the heart of the Central Mountain Range, mostly in the villages of Anavgai and Esso. The villagers of Anavgai have created a cultural heritage camp “Menedek”. This gathering place has involved the whole village of Anavgai focusing on remembering, rediscovering, and preserving Even traditions while generously sharing these experiences with visitors from afar.

The Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve, one of Russia’s largest, and one of the oldest reserves in Russia, covers 1,007,134 hectares of land and the 3-mile zone of 152 miles of shoreline. The Reserve’s mountains, glaciers, active and extinct volcanoes, rivers, lakes, islands, beaches, and rugged shoreline give the Reserve a variety of ecosystems and remarkable biodiversity. The Reserve plays a major role in preservation of Kamchatka’s brown bears as it is home to about 750 bruins. Additionally over 2500 of Kamchatka’s last wild reindeer live in the territory, along with Steller sea eagles, and Aleutian terns.

The South Kamchatka State Sanctuary at the southern tip of Kamchatka was created in 1882 to protect sea otter populations at the same time Kronotsky Preserve was designated by tsar’s order. Since the historic origins of the Sanctuary, a broader appreciation for the entire ecosystem of the territory has evolved largely due to abundant sockeye salmon runs into Kurilskoye and Kambalnoye Lakes. The salmon mean plentiful food for the largest population of brown bears in the world and the largest populace of Steller sea eagles on the planet as well as other predatory mammals and birds. During winter, large numbers of Steller sea eagles and golden eagles congregate to feed on spawning salmon

Nalychevo Nature Park is a microcosm of Kamchatka’s ecosystems and this diversity, along with the Park’s close proximity to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo make it a favorite place for recreation and tourism. Whether hiking in the Park, which has no road access, or flying in by helicopter, visitors from Russia and abroad enjoy the chance to observe brown bear, Steller’s sea eagle, to fish, or climb an active volcano, and more.

The main part of the Park, which covers 706,721 acres, is formed by a bowl of active and extinct volcanoes. The four highest volcanoes are still active--Koryaksky (3456 m) last erupted in 1956; Zhupanovsky (2927 m) in 1957;Avacha (2741 m) erupted in 1991, and Dzendzur (2156 m) is active but there are no records of its last eruption.

The Bystrinsky Nature Park nestled in the center of the Sredinny Mountain Range, is a taiga ecosystem home to reindeer, moose, lynx, fox, sable, wolverine, wolves, snowshoe hares, and many other species of animals. Also the Park has geothermal springs, and the traditional way of life of local Even people. Most of this landlocked park lies in mountain and forest zones. The mission of the Park is preservation of reindeer pastures (23,100 hectares) and assistance in traditional nature management performed by indigenous people of Kamchatka. The Even people have a long heritage of raising reindeer, hunting, fishing, and gathering of wild edible plants.

Getting to Kamchatka is possible via year round frequent flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, and several times a week from Far Eastern cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk, for those coming into Russia via Seoul, Korea. Also during the summer season, a Russian carrier Magadan Airlines operates weekly direct flights to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from Anchorage, Alaska. This flight takes only 4 1/2 hours.