«Strana Zapovednaya» National Foundation
The Strana Zapovednaya (Country Reserve) National Foundation was set up in November 1999 following an initiative by Oleg Deripaska and Basic Element, and in conjunction with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Bryansk Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Foundation was set up in the context of the United National Global Compact initiative to encourage socially and environmentally responsible business. Its mission is to strengthen cooperation between civil society, businesses and the authorities in preserving Russia’s national heritage, consisting of a unique system of nature reserves, social support for their employees, and the promotion of research and development, environmental awareness and preservation.
The Foundation is a social-environmental project, which collaborates with state and public environmental organizations with active support from members of the Basic Element Group and Oleg Deripaska’s Volnoe Delo Foundation.
 The Strana Zapovednayza Foundation has won high praise from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Russia. The Foundation is one of the UNDP’s partners in the major project for Biodiversity Conservation in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion, and is a partner in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion Association of Reserves and National Parks and in the Ecological Projects Centre.
The Foundation and the Association are working on ecological and biodiversity monitoring projects in the region in conjunction with the «Khakassky», «Sayano-Shushensky» and «Stolby» nature reserves and the Shushensky Bor National Park.
The Foundation is contributing to the work of the Federation Council’s Scientific Expert Council and the Center for Russian Environmental Policy by drafting mechanisms to harmonize the interests of economic development and environmental safety.
All the Foundation’s projects are socio-ecological and focused on specific undertakings, people and results. The business community’s financial support for those projects is provided solely for environmental protection purposes.
 The main areas of the Foundation’s work include:
- Environmental monitoring and scientific research;
- Security, protection and restoration of environmental complexes and areas;
- Preservation and repopulation of rare and threatened species of flora and fauna;
- Drafting and implementation of programmes and projects to preserve and develop the system of protected national nature reserves and logistics;
- The emergence of an environmental culture (environmental education and awareness, development of educational tourism);
- Promotion of scientific research in preserving the natural heritage and bio- and landscape diversity;
- Exchange of expertise, advancement of professional skills and training for specialists at nature reserves and national parks;
- Proliferation of the latest scientific and technical achievements in nature conservation, the rational and sustainable use of natural resources and in environmental safety;
- Alerting central and local governmental agencies, business, the media and general public to issues related to the preservation of the natural heritage and the development of reserve management;
- International cooperation with environmental organizations;
- Promotion and organization of cooperation between governmental and non-governmental and national and international organizations, business representatives, and individuals in the protection of the natural heritage and bio- and landscape diversity;
- Development and implementation of eco-art programmes and projects and preparing and publishing special literature;
- Organizing and conducting ecological seminars, conferences, congresses, festivals and roundtables, including on an international scale.
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