By Region

In Russia, we protect the rich biodiversity and environmental treasures of Siberia and the Russian Far East by supporting local organizations and communities. Together with our partners we have shielded tens of thousands of acres of old growth forest; we have won protections for endangered species; and we have held oil, gas, and mining companies accountable to local communities.

Regions we work in:

Altai: Saving the Pearl of Siberia

Often called "the cradle of Mongolian and Turkic civilizations," Altai is home to ancient rock art, or petroglyphs (click here for photo gallery), and ancient burial sites. These sites and artifacts are considered sacred to local indigenous peoples and have important historical and scientific value.

Chukotka: Land of Polar Bear and Walrus

Just fifty-five miles across the Bering Strait, Chukotka waters are teeming with marine life: ten whale species, half the world's Pacific walrus, and polar bears. For thousands of years, both walrus and polar bears have been key figures in the material, spiritual, and cultural life of Arctic indigenous peoples.

Kamchatka: Russia's Land of Fire

The animal that is key to life on the peninsula does not even inhabit Kamchatka most of the year. Every summer thousands of salmon enter Kamchatka's rivers from the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk to reproduce and die. The salmon feed the bears, eagles, and, for millennia, native Kamchatkans.

Krasnoyarsk: Land of Reindeer and Nomads

The Yenisei River connects mountainous areas in southern Krasnoyarsk to the Arctic Ocean, 3,449 river miles to the north. To the south, the city of Krasnoyarsk is located at the midpoint of the Trans-Siberian Railroad and is powered by a hydroelectric dam, coal, and nearby nuclear facilities. To the north, Taimyr Peninsula tundra still supports some reindeer herding by indigenous peoples, including the Nenets and others. The vast taiga forest stretches in between.

Lake Baikal: Protecting the Galapagos of Russia

Known as the "Galapagos of Russia," Lake Baikal is located in southern Siberia near the Russian-Mongolian border. The oldest and deepest lake in the world, Baikal reaches a depth of 1,700 meters and contains 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater reserve.

Primorye/Khabarovsk: Home of Siberian Tiger and Amur Leopard

Primorsky's rich forest lands and Sikhote-Alin mountains shelter most of the last Siberian tigers on the planet, as well as the critically endangered Amur leopard. The area's dense forests are also home to indigenous Udege peoples, many of whom hunt and fish for subsistence.

Sakha: The Land of Diamonds and Permafrost

Covered entirely by permafrost, Sakha has few roads. Polar bears walk along the region's northern coast along the Arctic Circle. This huge region is one-fourth of Russia's territory and has the largest economy in the Russian Far East, as a result of its diamond mines.

Sakhalin: Big Oil on Sakhalin Island

Pacific Environment has worked with grassroots organizations on Sakhalin Island and allies around the world for over ten years to force Shell, Exxon-Mobil, and other oil companies to apply best international social and environmental standards to oil and gas development projects on Sakhalin Island and to halt the most egregious projects altogether.