Ilmen Nature Reserve (Russian: Ильменский
заповедник) (also Ilmensky) is a
Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve)
that was created by decree of Vladimir Lenin,
in 1920 as a mineralogical nature reserve.
It is the site of deposits of many rare-earth
minerals - 16 minerals were first discovered
here, including Ilmenite (named for the site),
Monazite, Cancrinite, and Samarskite-(Y).
There have been over 400 mines in the area
over the years.
The Reserve's geological museum is one of
the largest in Russia.
The forest cover is pine and larch forest
on low hills of the Ilmensky Mountains and
foothill ridges on east side of the south
Ural Mountains.
The reserve is situated just north and east
of the city of Miass, in the Chebarkulsky
District of Chelyabinsk Oblast.
It is also 20 kkm east of Taganay National
Park and 75 km west of Chelyabinsk.
== Topography ==
The Ilmensky Reserve is located on the east
slope of the southern Urals, where the terrain
flattens from low mountains (400 meters altitude)
to a district of lakes and rolling hills.
The reserve is rectangular in shape, 70 km
from north to south, and 10 km from west to
east.
The Miass River runs north-south along the
west border of the reserve.
The highest point, Ilmen Tau, is 750 meters
above sea level.
The geology is a complex assortment of igneous
and metamorphic rock.
The granitic formations contain many pegmatite
veins with associated minerals.
The reserve has recorded 278 species of minerals,
and 70 kinds of rock.
== Climate and Ecoregion ==
Ilmen is located in the Kazakh forest steppe
ecoregion.
Steppe with long ""ribbon forests"" of pine;
about 300–500 miles more northerly than
the European Russian forest.
This ecoregion has more wetlands and more
continental climate than the European forest
steppe.The climate of Ilmen is Humid continental
climate, cool summer (Köppen climate classification
(Dfb)).
This climate is characterized by large swings
in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally,
with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.
Rainfall varies from 500 to 800 mm per year,
peaking in the summer.
Snow reaches a depth of 1 meter, with snow
cover averaging 195 days.
The frost-free period lasts 80–90 days.
== Flora and fauna ==
The dark taiga is to the west, on the mountain
ridges; Ilmen is more in a pine and birch
forest subzone.
Forests cover 85% of the Reserve - of which
55% is pine (Pinus sylvestris), and about
40% birch.
The remaining 5% is mostly meadow, and steppe.
Because 9% of the reserve is lake and river,
the surrounding floodplains and dead birch
trees provide a good habitat for mushrooms
which are an object of study at the site.
Throughout the reserves history, the mammals
and birds of the region have been the subject
of frequent scientific publication.
== Ecotourism ==
As a 
strict nature reserve, the Ilmen Reserve is
mostly closed to the general public, although
scientists and those with 'environmental education'
purposes can make arrangements with park management
for visits.
Other members of the public seeking access
must apply to the main office in the city
of Miass.
== Mineralogical Museum ==
The Reserve's Natural Science Museum in the
city of Miass, created in 1925, is one of
the five largest Russian geological-mineralogical
museums.
It is housed in a three-story building, with
six rooms and a total area of 2,050 m2.
The Museum Foundation has 30 thousand units
of storage, with 9000 on exhibit.
The museum is a major regional center of education
in the natural sciences, receiving 50 thousand
visitors per year.
== See also ==
List of Russian Nature Reserves (class 1a
'zapovedniks
