The Environmental Treasures of Russia exhibition in the State Duma has launched the Year of the Environment and the Year of Specially Protected Areas. The exhibition opened on January 11 and was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Russia’s first specially protected area, the Barguzinsky Biosphere Reserve created to protect the Barguzin sable.

The ceremony was attended by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Far Eastern Leopards autonomous non-profit organisation Sergei Ivanov and representatives and leaders of State Duma parties.

“Russia has rich environmental treasures. This is the heritage of Russia, our homeland, and it is up to us to protect these treasures. Environmental law and environmental legislation are quite young. In fact, we have rather few efficient solutions in this area. We will have to address environmental issues both this year and throughout the seventh Duma’s term of office. We will have to work hard,” Vyacheslav Volodin said in his address.

Sergei Ivanov said that in addition to showcasing Russia’s unique natural wealth, the exhibition also highlights problems. “I am grateful to the deputies of the previous State Duma, who adopted a number of environmental laws. The new Duma will need to adopt several more laws, for example the Law on the Responsible Treatment of Animals, which is a much-discussed issue. I hope this will happen before the end of this year,” Ivanov said.

He added that the situation with the world’s rarest felines had stabilised. “The Far Eastern leopards are doing well. When I first addressed this problem, there were about 30 leopards in the Russian Far East. Researchers said that these leopards, the world’s rarest surviving subspecies of leopard, were on the verge of becoming extinct,” Sergei Ivanov said, adding that the decision to toughen punishment for poaching had produced the desired result: the number of crimes against endangered animals has plummeted.

The Environmental Treasures of Russia exhibition has been organised by the Far Eastern Leopards autonomous non-profit organisation, the State Duma Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection and the State Darwin Museum.