Editing Nature reserve (section)

=== Russia ===
{{Main|Zapovednik}}
[[File:Лес вокруг г.Ямантау.jpg|thumb|[[South Ural Nature Reserve]] in Russia]]
There are around 100 nature reserves ({{langx|ru|заповедник|translit=zapovednik}}) in Russia, covering some {{convert|330000|km2|abbr=on}}, or about 1.4% of the country's total area. A few of them predate the [[October Revolution]] of 1917, but most have been created during the [[Soviet Union]] era. There are also natural protected areas where only certain species are protected, or only certain activities are prohibited; those are known as ''zakaznik'' ({{langx|ru|заказник|links=no}}).

Unofficial sanctuaries can also occur as a result of human accidents; the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]] has in practice become a wildlife refuge since very few people live in the area. Wildlife has flourished in the zone since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.<ref name="BBCChern">{{cite news |last1=Mulvey |first1=Stephen |date=20 April 2006 |title=Wildlife defies Chernobyl radiation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4923342.stm |url-status=live |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105054818/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4923342.stm |archive-date=5 November 2017 |access-date=13 December 2017}}</ref>