Losiny Ostrov National Park: interesting facts, sights and photos. "Elk Island" - a park within the capital

The first mentions of elk island fall on 1406, when these lands were part of the Taininskaya volost and princes and kings hunted them. In 1799, the territory of the national park was transferred to the state treasury and the first topographic survey was made.

Elk Island is the first national park in Russia.

General creation was discussed back in 1909, but then this issue could not be resolved. And in 1934, the territory of Losiny Island was included in the so-called "Green Belt of Moscow". Played a very bad role in the history of the park Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Huge areas of forests were cut down and used for the needs of the front, and in the post-war period, unauthorized seizures of land and grazing of livestock greatly harmed the environment.

In 1979, the Council of People's Deputies created a natural park on the territory of Losiny Ostrov, and on August 24, 1983 it was transformed into Elk Island National Park- the first national park in Russia.

To date, Losiny Ostrov has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Mosleskhoz, which, due to the small budget, practically does not follow it. And this has a bad effect on the nature of the park - trees get sick, stray dogs destroy wild animals, the number of fires has increased.

Uniqueness Losiny Ostrov National Park is that it is the only park within the boundaries of a major metropolis in the world. where you can see wild animals and rare plants grow. For example, 10 km from the Kremlin you can see beavers, elks, birds of prey.

General information, climate and relief of Losiny Ostrov National Park.

The park is a single territorial space with a total area of ​​116 km2, with forests occupying about 89%, water bodies - 4% and swamps - 7%. According to its functions, Elk Island can be divided into three zones:
Specially protected - 54 km2;
Zone for sports and walking - 31 km2;
Recreation area - 31 km2.

It is located on the border of the Klin-Dmitrov ridge and the Meshcherskaya lowland. The terrain is mostly flat, On the territory of the national park flow Yauza and Pekhorka rivers. Considerable harm was done to the channels of these rivers in the 1960s, when the Akulovskaya hydroelectric power station was built and peat was mined from the swamps.

Climatic conditions are moderately continental, which is typical for this region. The temperature in winter drops to -10.2°C. and in summer the air warms up to +18°C. The average annual temperature is 3.8°C. The amount of precipitation that falls during the year is different and ranges from 550-650 mm. Thanks to the Klinsko-Dmitrovskaya ridge, the winds mainly blow from the northwest and southwest.

Vegetation of the Losiny Ostrov National Park.

As we already know, in flora The national park is dominated by forests - about 89%. Moreover, the most widespread were coniferous forests - 38%, birch forests - 42% and broad-leaved forests - slightly more than 16% of the total area. Of the trees, the dominant position is occupied by pines, spruces, larches, birches, oaks and lindens.
On the elk island herbaceous plants are widespread. For example, in pine forests, the common wolfberry, lily of the valley, peach-leaved bellflower and European bathing suit grow. In broad-leaved forests one can see nettle-leaved bell, green-flowered and two-leaved love, real nesting. In swamps and near water bodies, marsh napkin, spotted finger corns, two-horned kokushnik and Fuchs have become widespread.

Talking about the flora of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, one cannot ignore one wonderful object - Alekseevskaya grove. This grove is already nearly 250 years old, and a protected regime is maintained here in order to protect the centuries-old pine tree from cutting down.

Though Moose Island and is located in the zone of human activity, plants that would be listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation have not yet been recorded.

Fauna of the Losiny Ostrov National Park.

At all times, it was distinguished by a great diversity of fauna. The latest animal inventory shows here about 39 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 5 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians and about 15 species of fish.
Yauza river creates excellent conditions for the habitat of many wild animals. These places are well suited for living mammals - spotted deer, elk, wild boar, muskrat, mink, fox, hare, squirrel. Of reptiles, snakes, lizards, spindles and vipers are well distributed, of amphibians newts, toads and frogs. There are wonderful places in the floodplain for the spawning of many fish - crucian carp, perch, pike, roach, burbot and bream.

After analyzing bird migrations, the staff identified about 100 species of birds that nest on elk island. From nesting birds can be distinguished grebe, red-necked, black-necked and little grebe, spinning top, bittern, gray heron, black stork, goldeneye, lapwing, blacky, little plover and snipe. From predatory Buzzard, honey buzzard, marsh harrier, black kite, goshawk, hobby falcon, common kestrel and red-footed falcon live here.

The negative human impact has led to the disappearance of beavers, but over the past 10 years their numbers have been restored.

Goals and objectives.

The main areas of research are observation and collection of information on the state of forests, assessment of damage from human impact in recent years and the creation of forest edges along the Moscow Ring Road.

national park Elk Island is a unique corner of nature in the middle of a metropolis that has no analogues in the world.

More than 800 species of plants grow on the territory of Losiny Ostrov.

Various sources testify to royal hunting in this place since ancient times. In 1798, Paul I established the Forest Department and gave it Losiny Ostrov. For the convenience of protection, the territory was divided by clearings into 55 quarters, these quarters have survived to this day.

Despite the rapid growth of Moscow, the outlines of Losiny Ostrov have not changed much over 2.5 centuries.

Where is the National Park "Elk Island" and its borders

Losiny Ostrov is located northeast of Moscow, about a third of it is within the boundaries of the metropolis. In the region, the park occupies the territory belonging to the urban district of Korolev, as well as Mytishchi, Pushkin, Shchelkovsky and Balashikhinsky districts.

The territory of the park stretches between 55 ° 47 "and 55 ° 55" N. latitude. and 37°40" and 38°01" E, between the Klin-Dmitrov ridge and the Meshcherskaya lowland.

The area of ​​Losiny Ostrov Park is 125 km², of which 83% is covered with forest. Reservoirs occupy 2% of the territory, and swamps - 5%.

In 1983, Losiny Ostrov became one of the first Russian national parks. The territory of the park is divided into 3 zones - the first is under special protection, the second is allowed to walk and play sports, but only along certain paths. And the third is available for mass visits and is intended for recreation of Moscow residents.

Official site

Walking routes

The employees of the National Park have developed walking routes with maps and indication of interesting objects on the route.

How to get there

Depending on the purpose of visiting Elk Island, there are different ways to get to the National Park, including public transport.

Arboretum

It is located 5 km from the Moscow Ring Road, at the fork of the Shchelkovsky and Balashikha highways. Ride on car follows the Shchelkovo highway, focusing on the coordinates of the arboretum: 55.828326, 37.897836. You can enter the territory only by following the direction to Moscow.

You can also get there by public transport shuttle bus No. 300 or fixed-route taxi No. 102k, following from Art. m. "Shchelkovskaya" to the stop "Lesotsekh" (Mr. "Emerald"). Having crossed to the other side of the road, walk 300 m. to the stop. "Road section" behind the traffic police post. There you need to cross the pedestrian crossing to the other side and walk 100 meters along the highway towards Moscow.

Moose biological station

You can get to the Moose Biological Station by car, focusing on the coordinates 55.879232, 37.784380. Drive along the Yaroslavl highway towards the region about 1 km after the Moscow Ring Road, then turn to the Druzhba settlement and go to the beginning of the Lesopark near Kropotkinsky passage.

From Art. m. "VDNH": by any scheduled regional bus to the first stop. after MKAD - "Yaroslavskoe shosse/Perlovskaya platform". Further on foot through the village. Friendship about 40 minutes on the main road and near the forest to the left.

From railway station "Los": bus number 547 to the stop. 4th Park Street, then through the checkpoint and straight ahead.

From railway station "Perlovskaya"(Yaroslavskoye, for example): minibus No. 3 to the final stop. near the forest "4th Parkovaya Street", then through the checkpoint and straight ahead.

"Tea drinking in Mytishchi"

Mytishchi, Vodoprovodnaya alley, 1 (55.898342, 37.794577).

From Art. "Mytishchi" of the Yaroslavl Railway on st. Kolontsova to the Yaroslavl highway, cross the highway under the bridge, then along the Vodoprovodnaya alley.

From the bus station to m. "VDNH" buses No. 388, 392, 451, 499, 551k, 576k, 565, 578, to the stop. Improvement Plant (4 km from MKAD or 20 km of the Yaroslavskoye Highway), then along Vodoprovodnaya Alley.

"Russian life"

Moscow, st. Prokhodchikov (55.862610, 37.729465).

From Art. m. "VDNH" buses No. 136, 903, minibuses No. 172, 544, trolleybus No. 76 to the stop. Det. clinic", or bus number 244 and minibus number 375 to the stop. "Youth centre". Then 200 m to the right from the Yaroslavl highway to the forest belt, then 1 km. through the park.

"Yauza"

Moscow, st. Bogatyrsky bridge, 17 (55.821032, 37.688541).

From Art. m. tram number 11 to the stop. "Bogatyrsky Bridge".

From Art. m. "Sokolniki" or Art. m. "Rokossovsky Boulevard" bus number 75 to the stop. "Bogatyrsky Bridge".

"Red Pine"

Moscow, st. 12th lin. Red pine, 28 (55.849054, 37.690551).

From Art. m. "VDNH" buses No. 136, 244, 903, minibuses No. 172, 375, 544, trolleybus No. 76 to the stop. "Printing College", then walk to the right from the Yaroslavl highway to the forest.

"Royal Hunt"

Moscow, Schelkovskoe sh. (55.835411, 37.911793).

From Art. m. "Shchelkovskaya" to the stop "Experimental field" bus No. 361, minibuses No. 1222k, 362k, 380k, 396k, 447k, 485, 506k, then through the forest 700 m.

Peat enterprise

G. Korolev, st. Central (55.888989, 37.851250).

From Art. "Bolshevo" of the Yaroslavl railway by bus number 7 to the final stop. "Pos. Peat enterprise", then walk 200 m.

"Abramtsevo"

Moscow region, with. Abramtsevo (55.837124, 37.825581).

From Art. m. "Shchelkovskaya" bus number 735 or minibus number 583k to the stop. Abramtsevo.

Onsite parking

Visitors can leave their cars in the parking lots of Losiny Ostrov, equipped near the eco-centers of the National Park or at horse yards.

The parking fee is 250 RUB. per car for the entire stay on the territory, and for sightseeing buses - free of charge.

In ancient times, the forests to the northeast of Moscow were a favorite place for royal chasing and falconry. The first sovereign of All Russia, Ivan the Terrible, liked to hunt bears here. A little later, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich set up the Sovereign's Trapper's Way on these lands - a hunting farm with a special, protected and protected status. Mere mortals here were forbidden to catch animals and birds, cut down trees, pick berries, and build houses.

And at a time when there were almost no animals left in other forests near Moscow, moose were still found in these places. This fact partly explains the wonderful name "Elk Island". Why an island? It's just that in the old days the forests located between villages and fields were called that, moreover, Elk Island was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water.

The territory of Losiny Ostrov remained royal possessions until the revolution itself, even the Yaroslavl railway line laid nearby in 1860 did not disturb the natural balance of the reserve, and all the diversity of flora and fauna was preserved.

In 1842, when the territory of the park was a little over 6 thousand hectares, the beginning of organized forestry was laid. All work here began to be carried out according to the rules of "forest science".

Forest revisions carried out in the period 1842-1912 led to the division of Losiny Ostrov into 4 parts:

• the park;
• suburban village;
• reserve;
• operational zone.

State National Park "Losiny Ostrov" received its status only in 1983 and has retained it to this day, remaining the most valuable natural monument.

Today it is divided into three zones:

1. Reserved, where nature is preserved intact. It is a habitat for rare wild animals and birds, so it is not only closed to the public, but also protected;

2. educational and excursion, through which several ecological and tourist routes have been laid, which can be passed accompanied by a guide. There are 4 visitor centers;

3. Recreational, serving as a place of mass recreation.

Losiny Ostrov stretches from Sokolniki Park to the cities of Balashikha, Shchelkovo, Korolev and Mytishchi, occupying 12,000 hectares, only two thirds of which are outside the Moscow Ring Road. From the Kremlin to the southwestern border of the park is only 8 km. Its length from north to south is 10 km, and from west to east - as much as 22 km.

In the very center of Losiny Ostrov, not far from Mytishchi, there is a swamp, it is from here that the Yauza River originates, the floodplain of which is often flooded. In addition to the Yauza, many rivers and streams flow through the reserve, forming a whole water network. Once upon a time, channels with a total length of more than 100 km were laid here. Now many of them are in an abandoned state.

Even before the war, the largest one was built - the Akulovsky Canal, connecting the Volga with the Yauza and Pekhorka rivers. It serves to supply the Volga water to the capital.

Even in the most difficult war years, trees were planted on Losiny Ostrov. Many enthusiasts worked here - foresters and landscape designers who put a lot of effort into preserving and increasing natural wealth this reserve.

The modern flora of Elk Island includes:

• more than 700 plant species;
• 90 types of mushrooms;
• 36 species of lichens;
• 150 types of algae.

Here you can find plants listed in the Russian and Moscow Red Book.

Losiny Ostrov is a real pearl of Russian nature. Centuries-old pine and lime forests, oak forests and taiga spruce forests have been preserved here. The pines growing in the famous Alekseevskaya ship grove, which are neither more nor less than 250 years old, amaze the imagination and impress with their beauty!

The grass cover of the national park is made up of blueberry, ranunculus anemone, lungwort, goose onion, two-leafed mullet, greenfinch, sedge, wintergreen. There are also many berries here: lingonberries, blueberries, sour, strawberries.

The fauna of the park is also very diverse. More than 280 species of animals and birds are found in Losiny Ostrov, including:

• 180 species of birds;
• 40 species of mammals;
• 4 types of reptiles;
• 8 species of amphibians;
• more than 20 species of freshwater fish.

As in the old days, moose live here.

In the post-war years, spotted deer were brought into the park, the beaver population was completely restored, and wild boars bred.

Fur-bearing animals also live in the reserve - mink, ermine, marten, black ferret.

At night, bats circle over the forest, and their eternal enemies are owls.

Due to the large forest area and the long-term restriction of forestry activities, the Losiny Ostrov National Park, in our time, against the background of the urban panorama of a multi-million city, remains one of the richest and most interesting among the forests of the Moscow region in terms of the richness of flora and fauna.

About the park

Moose Island -one of the first national parks in Russia, established on August 24, 1983.

A national park is a category of specially protected natural areas, designed at first glance to combine the incompatible - the preservation of natural and cultural landscapes, rare species and reference ecosystems with their use for recreational and educational purposes.

Losiny Ostrov is a mosaic of natural and human-transformed ecosystems that allows species with very different life needs to exist in this essentially closed area.

In recent decades, Losiny Ostrov has become an integral part of the recreational infrastructure of Moscow and its satellite cities. The attendance of the national park is very high: an average of 10 thousand people daily, up to 150 thousand people on "peak" days, in the amount of 3-5 million people a year. At the same time, for many residents of the areas bordering the park, the forests of Losiny Ostrov are the only place for a good rest.

Total area 125 km²

The forest occupies 96.04 km² (83% of the territory), of which 30.77 km² (27%) are within the city of Moscow. The rest is occupied by water bodies - 1.69 km² (2%) and a swamp - 5.74 km² (5%).

higher plants more than 800 species have been identified, including 80 species of trees and 76 species of shrubs.

• lichens - at least 90 species;
• mushrooms - 128 species;
• algae - at least 150 species.

Animals:

• mammals - 43 species;
• birds - about 180 species;
• reptiles - 5 species;
• amphibians - 8 species.

The most valuable natural complexes:

• spruce-linden old forests of the central part of the park;
• Mytishchi plavni with the largest colony of seagulls in the Moscow region;
• areas of sphagnum bogs, incl. a small peat bog 11 thousand years old and 7.5 m deep;
• wet meadows as orchid habitats;
• fragments of indigenous floodplain black alder forests;
• Alekseevskaya grove.

Photo

History of the park

For many centuries, the nature management regime has been limited on the territory of Losiny Ostrov. In the XVI-XVII centuries. here were the royal hunting grounds. At the beginning of the XIX century. The Losinoostrovskaya forest dacha was taken under the protection of the state as "noble state property."

Already in 1912, a project for a national park in Losiny Ostrov was proposed, but the First World War prevented its creation.
In 1935, Losiny Ostrov became part of the forest-park protective belt of Moscow.

In historical terms, the national park is an amazing combination of cultural landscapes that have preserved the features of different eras:

• settlements of the Slavs-Vyatichi of the last centuries of the Slavic colonization of the basin of the river. Okie,
• villages inhabited by royal "service people" in the 15th-16th centuries;
• grand ducal and royal hunting grounds;
• manor A.D. Menshikov (his first land ownership);
• the first Moscow "Ekaterininsky" water pipeline;
• the old forests of the Pogonno-Losinoostrovskaya forest dacha and the oldest forest cultures in the Moscow region are a living monument to forestry scientists who were looking for the most advanced methods of forest management.

Moscow, you can often hear a lot of enthusiastic stories. Indeed, sometimes it is striking that among the metropolis there are still islands of greenery, comfort and tranquility. It is very important for the people major cities because you still need to rest from the hustle and bustle. Of particular interest is the National Biostation, which is located in the park, also deserves special attention.

A little about the park itself

Elk Island is wide famous Russian. Its area is truly vast (about 116 sq. km), it is located on the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region. The park consists of forests, ponds and swamps.

Of course, most of the territory is occupied by forests, only 7% of the territory is allocated to water bodies and swamps. The park can be conditionally divided into 3 parts:

• area under special protection;
• walking area and places for sports (mostly special routes are laid here, that is, visits are limited);
• recreation area, which can be freely visited.

It is interesting that such a large territory consists of several smaller Shchelkovsky, Alekseevsky and Losinopogonny. Within the boundaries of Moscow - Yauzsky and Losinoostrovsky.

Many people visit the Elk Island National Park. The biostation, located here, especially attracts visitors.

History of the park

Now it is worth talking a little about how this unique natural area was created, as well as highlighting the main events in its history. The very first mention of this place dates back to 1406. Initially, the lands were used as hunting grounds for Russian tsars and princes. An interesting fact is known that it was in this area that Tsar Ivan the Terrible hunted bears. For many years there was a protected regime.

After quite a long time, the first forestry was organized in this place. It was founded in 1842. The forestry carried out the ordering of the forest and its improvement. Approximately from the same time, one might say, the man-made creation of the forest began. A large number of pines were planted, such plantings have been going on for more than 100 years, many trees have survived to this day.

Biological station in Losiny Ostrov park: an overview

As you know, on the territory of a huge national park there is a very unusual object - an elk biological station. The status of a national park implies not only environmental and scientific, but also environmental education activities. As part of all these areas, it was decided to open the Moose Biological Station. Now it’s worth figuring out what kind of project was created on the territory of the Losiny Ostrov park.

The biostation is a special area where moose are kept. The purpose of organizing such a territory is to rescue lost moose calves, provide them with assistance and feed, as well as dilute the local population with individuals brought from other places.

Moose biological station in national park Elk Island already boasts many achievements. To enrich the animal population, three elk calves were brought here from the Kostroma elk farm. Here they were carefully looked after, raised, and after a while they were released into the wild. In order not to lose the moose, they put on special collars, with which it was possible to track their movements. Every year the animals brought offspring. This practice is carried out here periodically.

Why is it worth visiting this place?

Many people tend to visit Losiny Ostrov National Park. The biostation is no exception; there are always visitors here. Here you can see really unusual things. It is especially interesting to look at the process of interaction and communication between animals. They make unusual sounds, this is really rare to hear anywhere. Workers of the biostation learned how to reproduce similar sound effects, because this is very important when in contact with animals.

Such a trip will be especially informative for children. Looking at animals up close will be really interesting for the younger generation, this will arouse interest in the study of biology.

How to get there: several ways to get there

So, you should definitely go to such a wonderful place as a biostation (Elk Island). How to get to the park? This question arises for many. It can be reached both by car and by several types of public transport.

The first option is by any bus going to the region (from You need to get to the first stop after the Moscow Ring Road before turning to the village of Druzhba. Then you need to go to the forest, then turn left (you will see a checkpoint with a barrier), then go straight when the road begins to diverge - keep to the left.

The second option - from the railway station "Los" bus number 547, or from the station "Perlovskaya" - bus or minibus number 3, they reach the final stop near the forest.

The third option is by private car along the Yaroslavl highway before turning to the village of Druzhba.