| Summary: | Not long after the RSFSR started establishing parks in the mid-1980s, environmental concerns became mainstream in the Soviet Union as Gorbachev’s reforms encouraged Soviet citizens to discuss a variety of problems more openly than at any time previously in Russian history. In turn, national parks were often touted for their potential to transform the economy of entire regions and the lifestyles of their inhabitants. While the state could not provide the funds for parks to carry out their most basic functions, park supporters placed hopes in attracting foreign tourists and new opportunities to collaborate with international organizations. This chapter uses several case studies—Elk Island National Park, ideas for parks on the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the proposed Beringia International Park and a park in the Altai Mountains—to demonstrate how park supporters used the national park idea to guard against development and future environmental threats.
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