The reserve includes the only two surviving old-growth southern European taiga arrays not exposed landscape changes.

The terrain was set by Pleistocene glaciation, which covered the area and left a landscape of alluvial outwash, moraines, and lakes.

The region lies between boreal forests/taiga in the north and the broadleaf belt in the south The ecoregion is characterized by mixed forests dominated by oak (Quercus robur), Norway sprice (Picea abies), and pine (Pinus sylvestris) in drier areas.

This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.

[2] The forest protects communities of 'southern' taiga, exemplified by dark needle conifers: fir, spruce and Siberian pine.

Due to intensive commercial logging in the Kologrivsky area in the 20th century, this type of forest has been giving way to successional species of birch, aspen and alder.

The largest spruces are 45 m (148 ft) in height; the lower stories include Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and Mountain elm.

Some logging was done on a selective basis 75–100 years ago, but the under story was left intact; these plots have the highest biodiversity today.

[5] The fauna of the reserve is still little understood: significant scientific studies by staff only began in the 1980s, and the first inventory of ords was not made until the year 2000.

These require permits to be obtained in advance, and include numerous hiking trails, an 'open air museum', and a multi-day rafting excursion.