Moose farm

The main facts

The Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve is also known as the location of the world’s first farm created specifically for experiments on the domestication of the moose. Considered sacred in ancient Komi culture, this animal deservedly takes its place on the Komi Republic’s and Troitsko-Pechorsky district’s coats of arms.

Since 1949, dozens of generations of domestic mooses usable for economic purposes have been grown on the farm. Unique animals combine usefulness for economic purposes and wild instincts.

At the time, the moose attracted the attention of Soviet scientists with its potential ability to carry loads through the taiga. As soon as snowmobiles became widespread, the need for pack animals designed for the Far North conditions disappeared, and yet, the farm continued to function. Over the decades of work, its specialists have accumulated a great amount of scientific research.

Moose milk

One of the main reasons why the farm attracts tourists from around Russia is moose milk. One can try it in late spring, when the calving period ends. Moose milk has an exotic taste with a hint of nuts. However, what it is most famous for is its healing properties. Among other substances, it contains lysozyme, an enzyme known for its usefulness against radiation sickness. After the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, the farm even received orders for dairy moose cows.

Location

Location: located 126 kilometers from the regional center of the Troitsko-Pechora district in the village of Yaksha on the banks of the Pechora River on the territory of the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve.

How to get there: by car or by bus using the routes "Syktyvkar - Troitsko-Pechorsk", "Troitsko-Pechorsk - Yaksha" or routes "Ukhta - Troitsko-Pechorsk-Yaksha" and "Syktyvkar - Ukhta - Troitsko-Pechorsk-Yaksha"."