Short answers, pulled from the story.
Soviet biologists began work on the first Red Data Book between 1961 and 1964. The Ministry of Agriculture adopted an official version in 1974 which was published two years later in 1978.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation from 1993 established the foundational legal framework for species conservation on the federal level. Additional laws followed including the Law on the Animal World enacted on the 5th of May 1995.
In 1988 the publication expanded to include plants with 533 total species listed within its pages. That plant volume contained 465 vascular plants, 22 bryophytes, 29 lichens and 17 fungi species.
Category Zero designates taxa and populations that inhabited Russian territory in the past but whose presence has not been confirmed in 50 years. This classification identifies species no longer present in the region despite historical existence there.
Critics describe the introduction of regional Red Books as Red book Bacchanalia because they claim funds meant for proactive ecological activities are squandered on useless paperwork. Some allege local illegal animal traffickers use these books to track down endangered species more easily.