Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve

Today, Barsa-Kelmes is home to hundreds of species of animals and birds, many of which are listed in the Red Book of endangered species. Among the rare inhabitants are the marbled teal, Dalmatian pelican, short-toed snake eagle, little egret, black-bellied sandgrouse, steppe eagle, saker falcon, saiga antelope, Turkmen kulan, and a variety of others including the dwarf jerboa and eared hedgehog. The reserve is also home to 278 plant species, making it a significant hub of biodiversity.

Scientists at the reserve actively study processes such as desertification, climate change, and biodiversity development, providing critical insights into how ecosystems adapt to shifting environmental conditions.

In addition to Barsa-Kelmes, the reserve also includes another site, Kaskakulan, which spans almost 110 hectares, with 68 hectares designated as a protected core zone.

The reserve gained widespread attention due to Boris Lavrenev’s story “The Forty-First.” During Soviet times, the area was often featured in media reports, with wild tales of ancient flying reptiles, UFO sightings, and even time-travel phenomena. In the 1980s, writer Sergei Lukyanenko added to the legend, claiming that people disappeared in Barsa-Kelmes. While he later admitted in 2002 that it was fictional, some real events are just as strange. In 1935, a group of surveyors vanished in the reserve, only to reappear three months later, claiming they had only been gone for three days. There are also reports of escaped prisoners who, despite believing they had been gone for two years, had actually been missing for several decades.

Near the reserve lies a “ship graveyard,” where vessels that once sailed the Aral Sea now stand abandoned, evoking scenes from a post-apocalyptic movie. Visitors should note that exploring the Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve without a guide is considered dangerous due to the harsh and unpredictable conditions.