Information about the reserved places of the Crimea. National Park of Crimea: name, description, photo. Karadag nature reserve

24.10.2019

Few types of recreation or leisure activities can compete with being in the bosom of nature? Who will refuse the pleasure of feeling the spirit of complete freedom, inhaling clean air, saturated with the aromas of herbs and leaves?

Depriving oneself of the opportunity to contact nature more often is a retribution for the benefits provided by scientific and technological progress. From year to year, there are fewer and fewer places that would retain their original appearance. The problem raised prompted the birth of ecological tourism, which is in charge of helping to organize cultural recreation. The nature reserves and the national park of Crimea cannot be left without attention.

Crimean nature reserve: creation

Almost a hundred years have passed since the date of its formation. It was in the pre-revolutionary year of 1913 that the tsarist government decided to create the “Imperial Hunting Reserve”. At the same time, such rare artiodactyls as bison, Dagestan tur, Corsican mouflon, bezoar goat, Caucasian deer appeared on its territory.

Another 10 years have passed. The passions associated with the revolutionary events subsided a little, the civil war died down. The Council of People's Commissars of the young Soviet country issued a special Decree on the transformation of the former tsarist reserve into a nature reserve. Initially, its territory had an area of 16 thousand hectares, but by the end of 1923 it was increased by 7 thousand hectares. Reserves and national parks of Crimea are increasingly attracting vacationers who are supporters of eco-tourism.

At the end of the 50s, the reserve changed its status, with the light hand of Khrushchev, it became the Crimean state reserve and hunting economy, where only high-ranking officials could be located. Only in 1991, the government of the Ukrainian SSR signed a decree, thanks to which the territory again turned into a state reserve. It is located in the center of a group of mountain ranges under the general name of the Main Crimean Ridge. At the moment, the national park of Crimea occupies almost 33.4 thousand hectares.

Climate and flora of the reserve

The climatic conditions of the Crimean Reserve cannot be called stable. The exposition of the mountain slope and altitudinal zonality have a huge influence on this factor. For example, on the uppermost belt, negative temperatures can last up to four months during the year. In the highlands, atmospheric precipitation falls in large quantities (more than 1000 millimeters per year), due to which the sources of many rivers of Crimea appeared in the center of the reserve, including Tavelchuk, Alma, Kacha, etc. There are almost three hundred springs in the mountains of the Crimean reserve. Many of them are healing, the famous spring Savlukh-Su stands out especially - its water is saturated with silver ions.

The flora of the territory under state protection is quite diverse, the number of species exceeds 1200. Forests grow separately from each other, where one of the following types of trees predominates:

Crimean pine and Scotch pine;
hornbeam;

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the forest areas of this protected area in terms of soil protection and water conservation. Not all locals know what national parks are in Crimea.

Who lives in the main reserve of Crimea?

Animals of the class of vertebrates are represented by more than two hundred species. A red deer or a moufflon, a swiftly rushing Crimean roe deer, should not come as a surprise. Black vultures, griffon vultures and owls, of which there are several species, feel at ease. The state has taken under protection fifty-two species of animals, and thirty are listed in the Red Book of Europe. These include:

black stork;
bustard;
gray crane;
owl;
Crimean scorpion;
etc.

The rivers of the protected area cannot boast a large number of species of freshwater inhabitants. But among them there are such rare fish as the Crimean barbel and brook trout. There are not so many corners of the planet where you can find freshwater crab. The nature reserves and national parks of Crimea are the natural heritage of all the people, so people should take good care of such magnificent places.

Here, specially for tourists, ecological trails and recreational areas were created at one time. Everyone who wants to get acquainted with the rich nature of the Crimea has a unique opportunity to see it with their own eyes.

Yalta Mountain Forest Nature Reserve

The starting point of the reserve with an area of 14 thousand 176 hectares is 1973. What nature reserves and national parks are in the Crimea excites many vacationers. In Soviet times, this territory was the main health resort, so people are wondering if there are forests and ecologically clean corners today.

On the slopes of the mountains of this reserve, trees with rather high trunks grow - Crimean and ordinary pines. Thickets of oak and beech are sometimes replaced by undergrowth, which consists of evergreen representatives of the Mediterranean. And this is not surprising, since the climate at the foot is the same as in the resorts of the Mediterranean Sea. The higher the slope, the greater the contrast.

Protected plants of the reserve

The number of species of those plants that need protection from the state is 78. Here are some of them:

adenophora Crimean;
maidenhair (or venus hair);
small-fruited strawberry;
Crimean cistus;
Crimean peony;
Crimean violet;
Bieberstein's splinter, etc.

There are also such species that have become widespread only within the protected area (the scientific term is “endemic species”), for example:

bindweed Crimean;
carnation low;
Crimean geranium;
dubrovnik yaylinsky;
Crimean peony, etc.

Such national parks of Crimea should be under special protection. A list of names of park areas can be found in this article.

Animals of the reserve

In the sparse grass, reptiles crawl or bask on the stones: the Crimean lizard, the Crimean gecko, snakes, yellow-bellied copperfish (from the family of already-shaped). Under the reliable protection of the state are animals from the genus of bats: bats, night bats, horseshoe bats and evening bats.

Employees of the Yalta Reserve pay special attention to educating the population in environmental matters. This purpose is served by ecological trails and routes for everyone who wants to get more information about local attractions. The national parks of Crimea are becoming more and more famous. The names of these places were approved in the distant times of the USSR. It is important to treat these places with care so that our ancestors can also appreciate the natural beauties of Russia.

Azovo-Sivash National Natural Park

This park appeared almost twenty years ago - in 1993. Before that, there was the Azov-Sivash Reserve. Although the natural park is considered Crimean, however, some of it is located within the Kherson region. In other words, it occupies the west coast of 57,400 hectares.

The lion's share of the park's territory is located on the sea spit called and other small islands located nearby. Almost fifty species of fauna that live in the Azov-Sivash National Park have been included in the Red Book. Of course, the main national park of Crimea cannot be compared with this territory.

Reserve "Cape Martyan"

If you drive a little in the eastern direction of the famous one, you will definitely meet the Mys-Martyan reserve on the way. The entire area of its territory, including the Black Sea area, is 240 hectares. The status of the reserve was assigned to it in 1973, although the state took it under protection back in 1947.

The visiting card of the reserve is a relict forest, where at least five hundred species of vegetation grow, mostly belonging to the Mediterranean type. The name "Red Strawberry" (or "Small-fruited Strawberry") can be found in the International Red Book. This is the rarest representative of broad-leaved evergreen trees, which are found mainly in the eastern part of the European continent. This is also a national park of Crimea, so the inhabitants and plants of this area are treated in a special way.

Reserve "Swan Islands"

In the Karkinitsky Gulf - a part of the Black Sea, limited by the northwestern Crimean coastline - there are Lebyazhy Islands and a reserve of the same name. Its total area is 9612 hectares.

The reserve is part of the trajectory along which birds fly from Europe to the south (to Asia, Africa). Cormorants, flamingos, herons, etc. have chosen the islands to build their nests. In total, there are up to 265 species of birds.

Everyone should visit the national parks of Crimea, a list of which is presented in this article. These places delight and amaze with their naturalness.

If you look at the map of the Crimean peninsula, a large area of protected and protected areas immediately catches your eye. Indeed, the nature of the Crimea is too valuable a property to allow human intervention. So the mountainous Crimea almost completely entered the protected area, almost the entire Main Ridge is protected. Unique landscapes, forests, groves, water areas are protected by law in order to preserve their original appearance and save fragile biocenoses that cannot tolerate the economic activities of modern society.

At the present time, unfortunately, even the status of a nature reserve or wildlife sanctuary in the Crimea does not always save us from the menacingly impending front of reckless buildings.

scheme of objects of the reserved Crimea:

Reserves of Crimea

There are only six nature reserves in Crimea, but their total area inspires respect - 63,783 hectares. The largest of them - Crimean Natural - covers 44,175 hectares of protected area. It stretched from south to north from Massandra and Nikita to the northeastern border of Chatyr-Dag and from west to east from the Zagorsky to the Izobilnensky reservoir. Its main treasures are the highest plateaus in the Crimean mountains - Babugan-yayla, Gurzufskaya and Nikitskaya yayla, as well as the whole vast mountain-forest massif to the north of them.

Plateaus of reserved Crimea:

Winter Babugan-yayla - Crimean nature reserve

The structure of the Crimean Natural Reserve includes, as a branch, the Lebyazhy Islands ornithological reserve, which occupies mainly the protected part of the water area of the Karkinitsky Bay and directly the Lebyazhy Islands, the number of which is six, and which have become a real haven for many nesting here and migratory birds.

The next largest nature reserve is the Yalta Nature Reserve. It is most familiar to tourists, as it is located in close proximity to the coastal strip of the Southern coast of Crimea. Only now its reserve is a big question, since all the main routes by which tourists get into the mountains lie just through its forests.

Reserves of Crimea: Yalta Natural

	One of the decorations of the Yalta natural Reserve - Mount Ai-Petri

The eastern enclave of the Yalta reserve, which is quite strictly protected, can be considered an exception. But the mountains beckon their admirers, especially since the passes are open most of the year. And only during the summer drought, when forest fires break out here and there, patrols appear on the passes, turning tourists back. Usually they close the Shaitan-Merdven pass, the Koreiz trail leading to Ai-Petri, the Gurzuf saddle pass. However, there are plenty of alternative options to get into the mountains, which is what lovers of outdoor activities use.

Passes of the reserved Crimea:

Shaitan-Merdven - the pass from the South Coast to the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains	Gurzuf saddle - a pass between the Gurzuf plateau and Babugan-yayla

The rest of the Crimean reserves are much smaller. The third place in this honorable list is occupied by the Karadag nature reserve, covering an area of 2,855 hectares. It boasts a decent level of protection of its wealth, due to which it is slowly recovering from the industrial development of its bowels in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The unique biota of this place can be seen only as part of an excursion group.

Reserves of Crimea: Karadag natural:

Mountains-reserves - part of the reserved Crimea:

Mount Ayu-Dag - landscape reserve	Mount Castel - botanical reserve over Alushta

Between Belogorsk and Stary Krym, there is the Kubalach tract, which in 1978 was turned into a nature reserve with a total area of 526 hectares. The Kubalach ridge and the mountain of the same name (738 meters) are covered by a dense forest of beech, oak, hornbeam and ash.

To the east of this reserve, on the outskirts of the Old Crimea, there is a natural monument "Agarmysh Forest". The forest area, mainly from beech, hornbeam and oak, traditional for the Crimea, covers the slopes of the Sychevaya ravine between two mountains - Big Agarmysh and Small Agarmysh. In the expanses of the Agharmysh mountain range, you can find many caves.

One of the most beautiful nature reserves of Crimea "New World" surrounds the village of the same name, located on the banks of picturesque bays and protected by beautiful mountains. The security status of these beautiful places cannot hold back the influx of vacationers, since all the beauties and sights are accessible and close. And there is something to protect, first of all, a relic juniper grove - the property of the Novy Svet nature reserve.

A real monument to the forces of nature is the Grand Canyon of Crimea, for the preservation of which in 1974 a landscape reserve was created on 300 hectares of area. Not only the famous canyon, but also the surrounding forests, where the springs that feed the waters of the canyon originate, fell into the legally protected zone. The incomparable beauty of the gorge is subject to a real invasion of tourists, and only the inaccessibility of some sections saves it from total littering.

The Khapkhal hydrological reserve includes 250 hectares of continuous deciduous forest covering the slopes of the Khapkhal Gorge, through which the Eastern Ulu-Uzen River flows. The main magnet that attracts tourists to the territory of this reserve is the picturesque waterfall Dzhur-Dzhur, the most full-flowing waterfall in Crimea. The rest of the territory is little visited by vacationers, thanks to which the forest has retained its original beauty. This is the greenest of the Crimean reserves.

The Paragilmen botanical reserve is also completely covered with forest. It stretched from the west, where it rests against the slopes of Babugan-yayla, to the east, where the mountain of the same name stands, singled out as a separate natural monument. On this mountain you can find endemic and rare plants of the Crimea, but visiting it is free.

The small reserve Kanaka (160 hectares) occupies the coast between the Luch resort and the village of Rybachye. In the east of the reserve, in the Kanaka ravine, relic groves of tree-like juniper and dull pistachio grow, for the sake of which this status was assigned to this beautiful coastal zone. You can visit the Kanaka nature reserve without hindrance, tourists and vacationers are attracted by kilometers of beaches and relative desertion.

Less than a dozen kilometers southeast of Cape Kazantip, on the outskirts of the village of Ostanino, there is an ornithological reserve “Ostaninskiye (Astaninskiye, Oysulskiye) plavni. The reed-covered floodplains of the banks of the Samarli River attract a large number of birds for nesting and rest after a long flight. Pine trees grow in a small reserve (50 hectares), which is unusual for the steppe landscape of the Kerch Peninsula.

Five kilometers northeast of the Ostaninskiye plavni, the Kazantip Bay limits Cape Chagany. Between this cape and the salty Chokrak Lake lies the Karalar steppe, designated as a landscape reserve for the protection of unique steppe landscapes and steppe biocenosis. And the flora and fauna are very rich here, hunting is prohibited, although visiting is not limited.

On the eastern border of the Karalar reserve there is an amazing lake Chokrak with therapeutic mud and water, which is fed from underground hydrogen sulfide sources. To protect the lake from anthropogenic influence, Chokrak and its coast were enclosed within the boundaries of a hydrological reserve.

Two hundred meters from the left bank of the Western Bulganak River, in the place where its course passes through the village of Vodnoye, in 1989 a small (21 hectare) landscape reserve "Weeping Rock" was organized. This is the name of the exit of karst rocks to the outside, through the cracks and cracks of which water penetrates, forming a small lake. Weeping rock is surrounded by a small forest.

Those who visited Cape Tarkhankut, certainly sought to get to Dzhangul, or as it is officially called the landscape reserve "Dzhangulskoe landslide coast". Here you can see firsthand how a landslide can destroy the coast. Stone chaos - a heap of stones of different sizes - make a proper impression on those who came to Tarkhankut for the first time.

Dzhangul is an integral part of the Tarkhankutsky National Park, which is also called the "Beautiful Harbor". In this park, under the protection of the law, there are also the Bolshoy Kastel beam and the Atlesh tract with coastal waters. Rocky, puff-cake-like cliffs and grottoes of Atlesh make a proper impression. This very beautiful place was chosen by tourists for wild recreation and for diving. The shores of the Karadzhinsky Bay between the capes Tarkhankut and Priboyny, Bolshoi and Maly Atlesh on the southern coast of the Tarkhankut Peninsula are considered the most popular vacation spot.

The upper plateau of Chatyr-Daga is allocated in a separate reserved tract "Yayla Chatyr-Daga". Despite the fact that this plateau still needs to be conquered, it is especially loved by tourists. No one limits the visit, therefore Chatyr-Dag is one of the most visited plateaus of the Crimea. The lower plateau is more reminiscent of Karabi-yayla with its numerous caves and is protected more strictly, as it is part of the Crimean Nature Reserve. only the Valley of Ghosts with its forest and unique weathered stone forms falls under the protected status. However, it is the Valley of Ghosts that is visited the most, including by excursion groups.

The beautiful Belbek gorge for the preservation of unique geological forms, conducive to scientific research, received the status of a natural monument of national importance. A relic yew grove located a little to the south is singled out as a separate natural monument. The Belbek canyon is adjacent to such historical monuments as the fortress of Suren and the cave monastery of Chelter-Koba. The reserve "Kachinsky Canyon" is designed to preserve the outstanding geological features of the gorge and the flora of its slopes. On the territory of the reserve there is a cave monastery Kachi-Kalyon. Visiting the canyon is not limited, the proximity to Bakhchisaray makes it a popular object on the maps of tourists.

The longest canyon of Crimea - Chernorechensky - like its aforementioned counterparts, has turned from a natural monument into a state reserve, as well as the forest peaks covering it. The pristine beauty of its shores predetermined its entry into the ranks of the most valuable reserves of the Crimea. This canyon on the Chernaya River is freely visited by tourists, except for the section of the river where it leaves the Chernorechensky reservoir, which, being a reservoir of water for Sevastopol, is inaccessible to visitors and is even surrounded by barbed wire.

The largest cave in the Crimea is Kizil-Koba on the western slopes of Dolgorukovskaya yayla. Both as a miracle of nature and as an object of archaeological research, the Red Cave needs state protection, so since 1963 it has been declared a natural monument. Now its bowels can be visited with a fascinating excursion. The surrounding forests and the beautiful Su-Uchkhan waterfall received the status of a protected object.

Mangup-Kale, although it has an undeniable historical and cultural value, is protected by law in a comprehensive manner - both as an archaeological heritage and as an important natural object. Numerous caves and grottoes, karst formations are a valuable landscape monument of nature, requiring the careful attitude of its many visitors.

Mangup is a complex natural monument that hides a cave city
- this is also a reserved Crimea

One of the youngest sanctuaries in Crimea is Sasyksky. Lake Sasyk is the largest lake in Crimea, the mud of which is considered curative. In order to protect the lake, which also allows many rare steppe plants to grow on its shores, in 2012 it was declared a landscape reserve.

On the Bakalskaya Spit, which is washed by the waters of the Karkinitsky Bay, there is a regional landscape park "Bakalskaya Kosa". A place of rest and a popular tourist attraction, the spit is a reminder to a person how economic activity, in this case, sand mining, aggravated by the sea element, can destroy natural landscapes. The spit is eroded, cutting off the islands from the land. The structure of the reserve also includes the salty Bakalskoye Lake.

One of the attractions of Sudak is Cape Alchak-Kaya, a protected natural boundary since 1988. An ecological fenced path has been laid along the rocks, but with proper dexterity, you can not use it when walking along the coastal rocks. This is a small but very beautiful corner of the reserved Crimea.

In addition to the listed objects, to some extent protected by the state from the influence of the layman, there are still quite a few places in Crimea with the status of natural monuments, the list of which includes groves of rare trees, sections of the steppe or gullies, grottoes, islets, capes, caves.

Most often, their status serves only as an edification for tourists, many do not even realize that the visited object is protected. Easily accessible caves and forests are particularly affected. Cutting down trees and careless handling of fire has already led to the destruction of thousands of hectares of protected Crimean massifs. Therefore, nature protection is not only on the conscience of rangers and foresters, but also on the vacationers themselves.

How we will see the nature reserves and sanctuaries of the Crimea in the future depends largely on us.

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The Crimean Nature Reserve is the largest protected area, where unique plants, animals and natural resources are collected on an area of 44 hectares.

The Crimean Nature Reserve is located in a specific place. Its territory is dotted with streams and rivers, the height of the plots above sea level is significantly different. Here, nature itself has created special conditions that are successfully complemented by the Black Sea climate. The area is ideal for the life of many species of animals and plants, which are considered rare and are listed in the Red Book.

History of the reserve

Even under the imperial rule, on the territory of the modern reserve, then still a remote and practically unexplored place, the “Reserve of Royal Hunts” was created. A forest area of 3 hectares was allocated, where wild animals were brought from all over the world.
By 1925, its territory already occupied 23 hectares, and by 1949 the Lebyazhy Islands were added to the natural formation. This area received the official status of a state reserve only in 1991.
The forest part of the protected area is the highest section of the Crimean mountain range. It is surrounded on all sides by high mountains. The ancient rocks of which the sites of the reserve are composed belong to the deposits of the Jurassic period. There are limestone deposits, conglomerates, sandstones, shales. Their presence and centuries-old transformation contributed to the appearance of caves, gorges, natural cracks.

The fauna of the reserve

A special place in the Crimean nature reserve is occupied by invertebrates, mostly insects. There are more than 8 thousand different types of them here! Freshwater crab, centipedes, ticks and scorpions - this is not the whole list of pleasant and not very inhabitants of the area.

The rivers are full of trout, chub, minnows. Frogs and toads, lizards, snakes, snakes, marsh turtles jump along the banks of reservoirs. A lot of representatives of birds nest in gorges and caves, away from a person who poses a threat to their offspring. Not uncommon in nature reserves and bats - there are more than 15 species of 18 living in the entire Crimea.

Of the large vertebrates, roe deer, acclimatized moufflons and wild boars, red deer live in the reserve. Badgers, hares, martens and even squirrels brought from Altai are found in large numbers here.
Most of the animals living in the protected area are listed in the Red Book. The strictest accounting and monitoring of the number of individuals of the endangered species is carried out.

Flora

The vegetation of the Crimean reserve is quite diverse. Representatives of the flora grow here as nature itself intended, relying on its own characteristics and needs. On the lower tiers of the mountain range, powerful downy oaks with an undergrowth of hornbeams feel comfortable. Above are sessile oaks, mixed with ash and hornbeam. Hornbeam and beech forest plantations rise to the next level, soil and climatic conditions at an altitude of 800-1200 meters are quite suitable for them.
In the high-mountain meadows, which are called yayls, fragrant herbs and flowers bloom from spring to autumn: St.
The vegetation cover of the Crimean Natural Reserve is also represented by pines, beeches, lindens, Steven and field maple, euonymus, mountain ash, aspens, dogwood, alders. Many tree species are listed in the Red Book and are at risk due to a significant reduction in area.

Photo

Location on the map

The fauna of forests is an integral part of the protected natural complex. A common detail of the Crimean mountain landscape, which can be seen even in paintings or sculptural compositions, is deer grazing somewhere on a slope or a slender mouflon with steeply curved horns, standing on top of a sheer cliff. In general, this is quite typical, although, of course, it is far from always possible to meet a herd of deer in the forest, and even more so a mouflon “posing” on a rock.

In Crimea, there is no other similar natural area with such a variety of wildlife. Within the farm there are 34 species of mammals, more than 135 species of birds (of which 44 live permanently in the forests of the reserve, 41 nest, 16 winter, 29 constantly fly during flights and more than 5 fly from time to time), 10 species reptiles, 4 species of amphibians, 7 species of fish. It should be taken into account that the species diversity is replenished with new finds. Maintaining a strict conservation regime allows you to save rare and endangered species of animals.

Deer and roe deer are the original inhabitants of the Crimean mountains. There is evidence that deer were an object of hunting five thousand years ago, and in the Middle Ages there were so many of them that they were found even in the steppe part of the peninsula. However, in the last century and at the beginning of our century, deer were savagely exterminated. The establishment of a protected regime in the mountainous Crimea turned out to be timely: if it weren’t for it, this beautiful animal could be completely exterminated. Currently, only in the protected area there are over a thousand heads of deer.

There is something unimaginably beautiful in the proud posture, and in the constant alertness - in the whole appearance of this largest mammal of the Crimean mountains. Deer are swift and tireless in running through the mountains, easily overcome forest blockages, thick jungles, rocky placers and steep slopes. During the day, deer can be seen in the meadows and in the forest. By evening, they usually go out to high mountain pastures. They live in groups. Adult males spend most of the year outside the herd. In February - March, they shed their horns, and by the time of the rut (the mating season), which occurs in September, they grow new horns. At this time, the forest is deafened by the loud roar of males, fierce battles begin because of the females. As a rule, these fights end with the flight of the weak, but sometimes there are tragic cases when the opponent dies. The victorious male becomes the owner of the "harem" and fiercely protects the females from the encroachment of other males. Fights during the rutting period are of great biological importance, since the strongest dexterous animal always comes out victorious, the qualitative characteristics of which are passed on to offspring.

In the reserve-hunting economy, work is being carried out to study the physiology of the deer. Its impact on the environment.

Roe deer is the smallest representative of wild ungulates of the reserve. The animal is surprisingly graceful, slender and graceful. In coloring and external outlines it is similar to a deer, but much smaller than it. An adult roe deer weighs only 30-40 kilograms. Males have small beautiful horns shed in autumn and grow back in spring. Roe deer live everywhere in the forests of Crimea, but their numbers are small.

Up to 300 animals live in the reserve.

Roe deer live in small herds and alone. Young growth appears in the spring and has a camouflage coat color. In the early days, babies are very weak and helpless. Roe deer feed on various herbs, young shoots of shrubs and trees, tree bark, acorns and other plant foods. In winter, they migrate to the southern slopes of the mountains free from snow cover.

Mouflon is an animal acclimatized in the Crimea. The European mouflon is a wild relative of the domestic sheep. His homeland is the island of Corsica. It was brought to the Crimea in 1913 and released in the amount of 13 individuals on the slope of Mount Bolshaya Chuchel. By the time the reserve was organized, only 8 animals were counted. The strict nature reserve regime and the protection of animals favorably affected the increase in the number of mouflons. Currently, they are strictly protected, as a result of which the population is growing from year to year. Mouflon is a herd animal, there is always a leader in the herd. This is an extremely cautious animal with developed vision, smell and hearing. Currently, mouflons are found on the peaks and slopes of the Chernaya and Bolshaya Chuchel mountains, on the slopes of Babugan-yayla. Their food is herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. In winter, with deep snow cover, it is necessary to feed the animals with hay. In snowy winters, mouflons descend from the tops of the mountains into the valleys.

The wild boar inhabits deaf and hard-to-reach areas of oak and beech forests. In the distant past, this animal was completely exterminated. Its restoration began in 1957. At present, these animals have settled everywhere in the forests of the mountainous Crimea. Their number in the reserve ranges from 350-500 heads. The boar is a strong and strongly built animal. The mass of individual old males exceeds 250 kilograms. The wild boar feeds on all kinds of food, both of plant and animal origin. Favorite food is acorns, beech nuts, fruits of wild apple and pear trees, dogwood. In search of food, wild boars are able to migrate over considerable distances. Rummaging in the ground and eating a lot of forest pests (insect larvae and insects themselves), wild boars play the role of "orderlies" and thereby bring great benefits. In addition, by loosening the soil in search of food, they contribute to the growth of seeds in it. In winter, animals are fed with corn, potatoes and other root crops.

Wild boars live in groups (3-10 heads each), but during the rutting period they form herds of up to 20 or more heads. Adult males, as a rule, keep separately and join the herd only during the rut.

The wide distribution of the animal in the forests of Crimea makes it possible to shoot it under license outside the territory of the reserve.

The fox is a representative of the predators of the reserve. Found everywhere. It feeds on mouse-like rodents, hares and birds. It is interesting to watch a hunting fox: before jumping, she makes a graceful stance, leaning on her fluffy tail. Puppies in March-April, in a litter from 3 to 10, but more often 4-5 foxes. They grow quickly, both parents participate in the upbringing of the young.

The stone marten is a dexterous and beautiful animal. Highly valued for the beauty and strength of the fur. The number of martens in the reserve is small, since the animal is not numerous in terms of its biological characteristics. In agility and speed, the marten is not inferior to the squirrel. It is nocturnal, but sometimes hunts during the day. The basis of nutrition is made up of mouse-like rodents and feathered inhabitants of the forest, and willingly eats ripe cornel fruits. Most often he arranges his lair in deaf forest thickets.

The badger is found everywhere in the forests of Crimea. Dwellings are arranged in deep burrows with numerous burrows and holes. Very clean animal (periodically cleans its hole). It feeds on mouse-like rodents, birds and their eggs, insects and their larvae, rhizomes and fruits of individual plants. By the onset of winter, badgers become very fat and hibernate for the winter period.

The squirrel is a very beautiful, mobile and curious animal. It was brought to the Crimea in 1940 from the Altai Territory (125 Teleut squirrels). In the forests of the mountainous Crimea, it acclimatized very well and quickly settled throughout the territory. Currently it is a commercial animal (outside the reserve). It feeds mainly on seeds of coniferous trees, beech nuts, hazelnuts, mushrooms, and berries. It is not uncommon for a squirrel to prepare significant stocks of these feeds for the winter. She arranges her dwelling on trees, sometimes in hollows of old trees. In harvest years, the animal brings offspring 2-3 times (each time from 3 to 10 cubs). Squirrels at the age of two months are quite independent.

Window to nature. V. A. Lushpa, P. I. Shlapakov, V. A. Medvedev.

I wanted to get into the largest nature reserve of Crimea for a long time.
However, having visited it in mid-May, I immediately realized for myself that I would have to visit it more than once - this is not the place that you can tell everything about in one story.
There is history here, and little-known objects that I love so much, including abandoned ones, and an incredibly rich natural world.
It emerged at the beginning of the 20th century as a reserve for royal hunting, became a nature reserve under the Soviet regime, was badly damaged during the war and again returned after it to the status of hunting grounds for Khrushchev and Brezhnev ... Here you can walk and walk, search and search, tell and tell...
But this is in the future, but for now ... For now, a story about the mountainous part of the reserve and its flora, the Romanov road and the gazebo of the winds, unique microthermal plants and the Crimean edelweiss ...

2. The Crimean nature reserve consists of two significant parts - a mountain-forest area of about 34 thousand hectares, located in the central part of the main ridge of the Crimean mountains, covering the Nikitskaya and Gurzuf yayly, Babugan, the Sinab-Dag and Konek ridges and going down the foothill wooded part almost to the Partizansky reservoir in the north of the mountain range.
On the territory of the reserve there is the highest point of Crimea - Mount Roman-Kosh, as well as the sources of such rivers as Alma, Kacha.

3. Initially, the reserve arose in 1913 as a reserve of imperial hunting.
At that time, a jaeger service was organized for the royal hunting reserve, and on Mount Bolshaya Chuchel, forest areas were allocated to demonstrate animals brought to the Crimea - Caucasian deer, Dagestan turs and bezoar goats, Corsican mouflon, bison.

4. With the advent of Soviet power in the Crimea, in 1923, on the site of the royal reserve, a reserve was created with an area of \u200b\u200babout 23 thousand hectares, a weather station appeared here, a laboratory in which scientists conduct their research.
During the Great Patriotic War, the reserve was badly damaged by fires, bison were completely destroyed and almost the entire population of deer, roe deer and other large animals died.
In 1957, the reserve was turned into the Crimean State Protected Game Reserve. During the time of the Soviet leaders N. S. Khrushchev and L. I. Brezhnev, the former reserve turned into a hunting ground for high-ranking officials not only from the USSR, but also from other countries. They say that Leonid Ilyich was very fond of visiting here and hunted quite often.
The status of the reserve was returned to this territory only in June 1991 by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR.
By the way, at present there is an opinion that the reserve has been turned into a hunting ground for the current President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, that access to it is completely limited and almost commandos with machine guns are patrolling around the perimeter.
In fact, all this is complete nonsense. Yanukovych was here only once - he was shown the restored hunting lodge of the former General Secretaries. And during his stay here, of course, there was an enhanced security regime and you could see special forces with machine guns.
The reserve remains a nature reserve, which is naturally protected by a significant staff of rangers and foresters, but this is far from what the rumors are about.

5. You can get to the reserve almost without problems - car excursions are organized here, the route of which starts in Alushta or Yalta.
The route passes through the forest part and the yails, it is quite long and takes about 5 hours.
My visit to the reserve was combined with the research work of two employees, so the route was completely different from the excursion.
The first stop is the source of the Kacha River.
It is here that an almost imperceptible stream flows out of the mountain bowels, going down as a full-fledged river, which, flowing through the Kachinskaya valley, flows into the Black Sea.

6. Small rapids and waterfalls of the source of Kacha

7. Milk rivers, green banks

8. The fauna of the reserve is quite rich - more than 200 vertebrate species, 52 of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, and 30 - in the European Red List.
The largest red deer population in Crimea lives on its territory.

9. A female red deer is closely watching my camera.

10. Romanovskaya road, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is the highest asphalt road in Ukraine.

11. The road starts from the village of Massandra, passes through the Nikitskaya yayla, and descends through the main basin of the Crimean mountain forest reserve to Alushta.
It was built more than 100 years ago in very hard-to-reach places. The reason for the construction is clear - the royal people needed to quickly and comfortably get to their hunting grounds.
An almost 60-kilometer road was built in 3 years, spending a very large sum for those times

12. Crushed stone for the construction of the road was taken here from some slopes. Slices of them are visible in our time

14. For 100 years, the road has not changed much. Only some of its especially dangerous sections have slightly changed their configuration.
In general, it is worth saying that the road was built to the conscience - after all, until 1957 it had never been repaired.

15. one of the old sections of the road, which is not used today

16. And this span has been around for 100 years

17. Having taken a turn, the road goes out of the beech forest to the yaila .. Absolutely incredible views open up from here for many kilometers

18. View of the southern coast of Crimea

19. View of Nikitskaya Yayla

20. Very similar to the remains of some old stone road near the Arbor of the Winds.

21. View of the Pisara-Bogaz pass

22. The famous Arbor of the Winds.

23. Cracks in the rocks on Mount Shagan-Kaya

24. Dangerous scree slopes lead down. But it was on them that scientists came to study rare plants.

25. Alexander Nikiforov studies the relic endemic plant Silene jailensis

26. Selena yaylensis (Silene jailensis) in person. A unique and extremely rare plant that exists in the world only on screes on the southern slopes of the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains.
In total, scientists counted 446 copies of these plants.
Selenium grows only on hard-to-reach rocky slopes, where there is absolutely no soil. It consumes moisture only condensed in rock crevices, where its roots branch.