Destruction of ancient forests in Russia: the Russian north and European Russia

It turns out that major media outlets and some public figures have been actively promoting the idea that "the forest is growing endlessly." This is their way of reassuring the public, suggesting that if we continue to destroy more, nothing terrible will happen!

And indeed, why worry if, according to their claims, "the taiga is expanding endlessly"?

I decided to prepare two pieces on the real state of the Russian Taiga: specifically on the quality of forest areas and the integrity of ecosystems, based strictly on scientific data. In the first part, I provided data on the Russian North and the European part of Russia, and in the second part (still in progress), I will examine Siberia and the Far East. This will give us a comprehensive understanding of the real situation regarding the scale of destruction of the Russian Taiga.

For our team, I want to present the original research that I used to prepare the first part of the material.

First.

A 2001 study by our Russian scientists titled "Intact Forest Areas of the European North of Russia." As early as 2001, large intact taiga areas occupied only 13.8% of the forest zone of European Russia — 31.7 million hectares. In the southern regions of the studied forest zone, such areas had practically disappeared. The main remnants of the natural taiga were preserved in the most northern and inaccessible places.

You can study it here: https://pdf.wri.org/gfw_russia_russian.pdf

Second.

The next work is a continuation of earlier research by scientists, but more modern and extensive. It is titled "Intact Forest Areas of the World: Area and Changes from 2000 to 2025" and was published in 2025. According to the data presented, over 25 years, Russia lost 53.2 million hectares of areas that met the criteria for intact forests — almost a fifth of the original area. This is the largest absolute loss among countries worldwide. Globally, the area of ancient forests decreased by approximately 195 million hectares.

Here is a direct link for you, comrades: https://intactforests.org/shp/IFL_2000-2025.pdf

You can study it to broaden your knowledge. I have already published the first part of the material and am preparing the next. There are still significant challenges with the projects, so while searching for solutions, I am engaged in research, investigations, and planning the next steps in the fight for nature!