Nature of Khabarovsk Krai

Existing since the foundation of the museum department of nature introduces visitors to the physical and geographical characteristics, geology, flora and fauna of the Khabarovsk region.

The department has valuable exhibits collected in different years by its staff members V.K. Arsenyev, N.A. Desulavi, P.T. Bykov, V.V. Dombrovsky, S.Ya. Sizykh, A.I. Kardakov, G.E. Solsky, E.A. Prezhentsova, V.P. Sysoev, and others.

At the entrance to the exhibition is a relief map of the Far East, on which the Khabarovsk region is highlighted.

The uniqueness of the rich and diverse nature of the region lies primarily in the amazing combination of northern and southern forms, subtropical and Siberian species in both flora and fauna.

Many ancient representatives of flora and fauna managed to survive the ice age. For example, yew, a relict of the Tertiary period, is one of the oldest conifers on Earth. The exposition includes a four-meter part of the trunk of this tree, which is more than 1.5 thousand years old. "Living fossils" are representatives of the Far Eastern flora, which include eleutherococcus, "root of life" ginseng, Chinese lemongrass, Komarov's lotus and many others.

There are up to 80 species of mammals, 362 species of birds, 8 species of amphibians and reptiles on the territory of Khabarovsk Krai. Many of them are stuffed in the nature department. Among them are such common animals for the region as wolf, fox, badger, squirrel, big cormorant, as well as animals listed as rare and endangered: Amur tiger, red wolf, leopard, Amur forest cat, fish owl, Far Eastern leatherback turtle and others.

The "Hall of Landscapes" presents the main natural complexes of Khabarovsk Krai and their inhabitants. The diorama "Cedar-Broadleaved Forest" was created in 1939-1941 by the artist V.N. Vysotsky and reconstructed in 1964-1966 by the creative group directed by V.P. Sysoev, includes a den of Himalayan bear in the hollow of 300 year old larch.

The diorama "Sea of Okhotsk Coast" represents an ecosystem extremely rich in life. During the summer months, the rocky shores of the Sea of Okhotsk are a nesting place for a large number of birds: guillemots, cormorants, guillemots, puffins, and others. Many marine animals like sea otters, seals, sea lions, and harbor seals have their rookeries (breeding grounds) here.