Reserve Volzhsko-Kama briefly. Volzhsko-Kama Reserve. Bulgarian Historical and Architectural State Museum-Reserve

VOLZHSKOY-KAMSKY
reserve

Location and history of the Volga-Kama Reserve.

The reserve with an area of ​​8 thousand hectares is located in the east of the Republic of Tatarstan, on the left bank of the Volga and consists of two separate sections - Raifsky and Saralovsky. The idea of ​​the organization arose in 1917, but was realized only in 1960.

The climate of the territory where the reserve is located is characterized as temperate continental with sharp fluctuations in temperature and precipitation.

The Raifa section has a flat relief with a network of ravines and gullies, while the relief of the Saralovsky section is characterized by elevation changes. The Saralovsky section includes a strip of the adjacent Kuibyshev reservoir. With its formation, the floodplain disappeared natural complex, and instead of it, bays, shallow waters and channels were formed, where marsh vegetation develops and favorable conditions are created for the life of fish and waterfowl. The rivers of the Raifa section are referred to as the so-called dry rivers. Main river- Bag, most of the tributaries of which are large ravines and gullies, through which storm water flows in the spring-autumn period. There are many lakes and marshes on the territory, which make up single system. The most extensive is Raifa Lake, which is the regulator of the flow of the Sumka River. Previously, Raifskoye, Beloe and Ilantovoe lakes were one common reservoir, but as a result economic activity people Big Raifskoye Lake was divided into three parts.

Soddy-podzolic soils predominate in the Volzhsko-Kama Reserve, and excessively moist soils are also common.

Among the landscapes of the reserve, forest, meadow, marsh and water landscapes are distinguished.

The nature of the Volga-Kama Reserve

The flora of the reserve includes 844 species of vascular plants. The most numerous are Compositae, cereals, legumes, sedges, cloves, cruciferous, rosaceae, labiales, burrows, buckwheat, umbrellas; 80% of all orchid species of the USSR, 60% - sedges, 8 species of wintergreens of European flora, 51 species of trees and shrubs.

The vegetation cover is dominated by pine, coniferous-broad-leaved and broad-leaved forests, swamps and fragments of steppes. Pure pine forests predominate in the north of Raifa. Spruce-broad-leaved forests grow on elevated areas. Pine forests in the area of ​​the Saralovsky site are located in the coastal strip. The edges of the forest are especially rich in steppe vegetation. The pine forests of the reserve are characterized by good growth trees. So, in the Raifa section, the age of the trees reaches 210 years, they reach a height of 38 m, and a width of 76 cm.

In the northeastern part, broad-leaved oak and linden forests grow, formed by pine, oak and linden. In pine woodlands there are inhabitants of the steppes, among them such rare species like feather grass, sedge squat, hakelia drooping. In lush grassland mixed forests a lot of goutweed and perennial forestry, medicinal lungwort, budra and ferns. In lichen pine forests, the soil is completely covered with a carpet of fruticose lichens. In blueberry-moss forests grow blueberries, lingonberries, stone berries, round-leaved wintergreen, hairy sorrel, lightning, northern Linnaea. IN good conditions blueberry-moss forests are replaced by sour-moss large-leaved mosses and rare plants Volga region such as single-flowered large-flowered and tuberous calypso.

The Raifa site is characterized by various types of marsh vegetation. On sphagnum bogs grow wild rosemary, heather, podbel, cranberries. Among the sedges there are lash-like, swampy, jellied, brownish and two-shift sedges, among orchids - single-leaved sedge. Of the ferns, the most interesting is the floating salvinia, which has a stem with whorls of three leaves, two of which are covered with hairs and float on the surface, and the third is submerged in water.

Of particular interest is the dendrological garden of the Raifa forestry with an area of ​​4.1 hectares, created on the initiative of professors from Kazan University in 1921. The territory of the garden is divided into three sections: 1) European includes Siberian spruce, mountain pine, Rumelian pine, European larch, oriental spruce, field maple, silver poplar, Hungarian lilac, pride, Tatar maple, Tatar and common honeysuckle, European euonymus, cotoneaster chokeberry , sea buckthorn, common barberry; 2) the Asian department - Siberian and Dahurian larch, Siberian and white-bark Okhotsk fir, yellow, stone and Dahurian birch, Manchurian walnut, Amur velvet, Maak bird cherry, river maple, blue honeysuckle, golden and Ruprecht, Dahurian and Japanese rose hips, Mongolian barberry and black, Chinese lemongrass; 3) American department - prickly black spruce and Engelman spruce, Weymouth pine, western thuja, virginian juniper, Canadian poplar, balsamic poplar, black walnut, gray walnut, white locust, white ash, ash-leaved maple, silver goof, shrub amorphous, round-leaved hawthorn , ferruginous and brook, spiked maple, sugar and California, Pennsylvania cherry, bird cherry.

Animals of the Volga-Kama Reserve

The fauna of the reserve includes 55 species of mammals. On the territory of the entire reserve, among insectivores, hedgehog, mole, and common shrew are common. The hedgehog appears in the spring, feeds mainly on the outskirts of settlements. In the formation of the soil cover and the regulation of the number of invertebrates the main role belongs to moles, which are common in all forests of the reserve. Shrews are found in all forests, but they are especially widespread in broad-leaved forests, where their main role is to form the abundance of forest litter invertebrates.

Of the bats, the red evening bat, two-colored leather, mustachioed and pond bats that hunt insects are common. The Red Book of the USSR lists a giant evening, which is found in a colony of red evenings.

The white hare and the hare are common species for the Volga-Kama Reserve. The hare lives in forests and practically does not go beyond the boundaries of the forest, the hare - in the fields, meadows and forest edges.

Of the rodents, the bank voles are considered the most massive, living in all forest biotopes. Their numbers are very large, especially in deciduous forests and aspen forests, as a result of which they play important role in the circulation of substances, on the one hand, feeding on plants and their seeds, and, on the other hand, being food for predators. common voles numerous in fields, meadows and sparse forests.

In reservoirs throughout the territory of Tatarstan, the muskrat lives, which is considered the largest of the voles. The number of squirrels in the Raifa forest depends on the number of pine and spruce seeds. Common in the reserve wood mouse and the forest mouse, characterized by a tenacious tail and a characteristic black stripe on its back, moving by jumping and deftly climbing trees, feeds mainly on invertebrates. Some rodents are quite rare, such as the flying squirrel and the red-backed vole.

Of the carnivores, foxes are the most common, feeding mainly on rodents, hares, birds, and lily of the valley berries. Raccoon dogs are quite rare and are found in the Saralovsky area. Wolves, which used to live throughout the reserve, now come every year in the winter season.

Badgers are common in the reserve, appearing in the reserve after hibernation at the end of April on the thawed patches and along the roadsides of the glades. They feed on a wide variety of foods from earthworms to small mammals. In the Saralovsky area, the American mink is often found, displacing the European minks that previously inhabited this territory. On the edges of the forest there is a weasel. Ermines, lynx, brown bears are rarely found in the reserve.

In summer, stray cats and dogs enter the reserve. They feed small rodents and birds in the buffer zone, which is unfavorable for the reserve.

Of the ungulates, the elk is considered especially numerous. It lives along the edges, forest clearings and roads where aspen and mountain ash pines grow. Most of the wild boars live in the Raifa area. The number of roe deer in the reserve today is quite small.

There are 195 species of birds in the reserve. Of these, 9 species are listed in the Red Books of the USSR and the RSFSR - white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, imperial eagle, short-toed eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, saker falcon, black stork, black-headed gull.

In the 50s - 70s. Imperial eagle, golden eagle lived on the territory of the reserve, peregrine falcon, osprey, saker falcon, black-headed gull nested. Gray partridge, shepherd, common crane, swans, large and little bittern, hobby, greater spotted eagle, honey buzzard, owls, deaf cuckoo.

Passerines are considered to be background birds that are widespread everywhere. Wren is considered rare among them. Before the appearance of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, birds dominated - Dubrovnik bunting, yellow and yellow-headed wagtail, meadow chasing, common bunting, badger pebble, lentil. After the formation, the chaffinch, the forest pipit, the common bunting, in some years the common redstart, the brown-headed tit, the willow warbler, as well as the oriole, the gray flycatcher, the green warbler, and the mockingbird became.

Capercaillie, rare in Tatarstan, lives in the Raifa forest. At present, quail has become less common. Greater spotted eagle nests among birds of prey. Also found in the eagle owl reserve.

There are 6 species of reptiles in the reserve. The most numerous is the ordinary one, which is found everywhere in the reserve. In pure or with an admixture of linden pine forests there is a copperfish that feeds on agile lizards. Over the past 25 years, the number of vipers has declined sharply, as their wintering sites coincided with the places where wild boars congregate, which led to the death a large number these animals. In addition, on the territory of the reserve there is a spindle, nimble and viviparous lizards.

Among the amphibians on the territory of the reserve, there are common and crested newts, red-bellied toads, common spadefoot, gray and green toads, lake, pond, grass and moor frogs. The most numerous is moor frog. The common newt is numerous in the Raifa area. Due to adverse weather conditions and anthropogenic impact.

There are 30 species of fish in the reserve. Of the sturgeons, only the sterlet has survived. The number of pike has sharply decreased in the reservoir, but catfish, pike perch, bersh live there, and loach and loach live in reservoirs in the Raifa area. carp fish constitute most all the fish in the reserve.

Among earthworms, the Nordenskiöld worm has the largest number, and among terrestrial mollusks, the forest snail.

Of the large insects, beetles are common throughout the reserve. Among them, the forest dung beetle and May beetle reach the greatest abundance. The Red Book of the USSR lists the fragrant beauty, the hermit, the carpenter bee, as well as 7 species of butterflies - the swallowtail, podalirium, Apollo, Mnemosyne, polyxena, and a large iridescence.

Initial information about the national park was kindly provided by the administration of the resource www.biodiversity.ru

On the territory of Tatarstan, as in many areas throughout Russia, there are nature reserves and historical museum-reserves, which preserve the original state of unique natural and historical places.

Natural reserves of the Republic of Tatarstan: Volzhsko-Kama, national park Nizhnyaya Kama, as well as numerous custom sites.

In total, protected zones occupy about 1% of the entire territory of the republic, which is an insignificant amount. A lot of work is being done at the state level to increase such plots in the republic.

Brief description of the Volga-Kama nature reserve

Volzhsko-Kama Reserve covers an area of ​​more than 10 thousand hectares. Its territory is located near the largest and the Volga. The nature of these unique corners of the republic is rich in multiple varieties of flora and fauna.

The biosphere reserve- the only one of its kind in the territory of Tatarstan. It consists of two parts: Raifsky (about 6 thousand hectares) and the Saralovsky section (more than 4 thousand hectares).

The flora of this reserve has only about 844 species of vascular plants (including 51 species of shrubs and trees). Also quite rare species from the Red Book of Russia are noted here: red pollenhead, slipper, lily saranka and so on.

The Raifa section is notable for almost 300-year-old plantings of pines. The most unique here is the dedrosad, which contains about 500 varieties of vegetation from different parts of the world. located here and amazing beauty natural lakes.

The Saralovsky site is notable for the fact that white-tailed eagles listed in the International Red Book live in it. There is no other similar place in all of Europe with such a concentration of these exotic birds. Eight pairs of eagles nest on an area of ​​only 4,000 hectares.

The most unique national state museum-reserves of Tatarstan are of considerable interest. Some of them are briefly described below.

Bulgarian Historical and Architectural State Museum-Reserve

This is a kind of historical state located in the Middle Volga region and the Kama River basin (X-XIII centuries). It was created in 1969. This is the oldest historical place in Tatarstan.

The Bulgarian complex is the world's northernmost monument of Muslim architecture of the Middle Ages. This unique monument in the world testifies to the ancient states that disappeared long ago - Volga Bulgaria and the Golden Horde. It is evidence of a vanished culture, the way of life of those times.

Here, during the excavations, numerous valuable archaeological finds were found and continue to be found: various fossils of ancient eras, sites of an ancient man.

The museum-reserves of Tatarstan are still replenished with archaeological exhibits found during endless excavations in these amazingly interesting historical places.

Sviyazhsk Island

In the Zelenodolsk region of Tatarstan, there is a small island at the confluence of the Pike and Sviyaga rivers.

The island-town has been known for almost 500 years. The beginning of Sviyazhsk comes from the fortress. In 1551, behind enemy lines, it was built (in just 1 month). Thanks to her, the capital fell.

Today, only the Trinity Cathedral has been preserved on this territory. In those days, a service was performed in it in the presence of Ivan the Terrible himself before

Today Sviyazhsk is the most popular tourist complex in the republic.

"Old Kazan" ("Iske Kazan")

Museum-reserves of Tatarstan carry the history of the beginning of life of the Tatar people (and not only), the formation of culture and religion.

"Old Kazan" is considered the starting point of the history of modern Tatarstan. These are the most sacred places of worship for Muslims. These are lands, hills and stones that contain answers to numerous questions.

Kazan is a city with 1000 years of history. He was once just a small locality. However, the question of the connection between the "Old" and "New" Kazan is controversial.

The existence of the medieval Old (Iska) Kazan is evidenced by ancient settlements located near three villages: Kamaevo, Tatarskaya Aisha and Russian Urmat (Vysokogorsky district).

According to legend, the city was founded by the Bulgarian princes (seven-year-old Altyn-bek and nine-year-old Alim-bek). It was built on the Kazanka (in the upper reaches), where a large bend (horseshoe-shaped) was formed by its course. Features of the local landscape resemble a huge half-cauldron (half shown). Hence the name of the city.

Beautiful Kazan Kremlin

The cultural historical reserves of Tatarstan also include the main attraction of the capital and the republic - the Kazan Kremlin. He is most valuable object cultural heritage republics.

The fortress is a complex of Tatar and Russian styles of architecture.
This includes the following buildings: (X-XVI centuries), the stone Kremlin (XVI-XVIII centuries) and many others architectural structures(XVI-XIX centuries).

Particularly attractive is the "falling" tower of Syuyumbike, which was erected by Ivan the Terrible (1552) after he captured Kazan. There are various myths and legends about this.

There are museums and expositions on the territory of the Kremlin. The unique Kazan Kremlin is a historical monument under the protection of UNESCO.

The national reserves of Tatarstan carry important information about the historical events of ancient times, about the culture, customs and traditions of peoples.

Volga-Kama Reserve, located 20 km from Kazan, a large industrial center with a population of over 1.5 million, located on the left bank of the Volga River. Since ancient times, the forests, which today are part of the reserve, were considered sacred by the indigenous inhabitants of the Cheremis. Later, when in the 17th century a monastery was built near Raifa Lake, which, by decree of Tsar Alexei, received all the surrounding territories into its possession, a strict ban was imposed on logging and hunting. To hunt in the monastic lands was considered a great sin. After the revolution of 1917, the monastery was closed, but thanks to the active performances of Kazan scientists Raifa forests were not touched, and in 1960 the Volga-Kama Reserve was formed to protect them. So, thanks to the efforts of monks and scientists in the very center of the European part of Russia, unique forests were preserved almost in their original form, the age of which today is more than 300 years old.

In 1991 the monastery began to be restored. Having taken its original form, it became not only the main center of pilgrimage for the entire Volga region, but also popular place for cultural tourism and recreation in the suburbs of Kazan. IN different time Raifa Monastery was visited by: Boris Yeltsin, Mintimer Shaimiev, Alla Pugacheva, Lyubov Kazarnovskaya, Yuri Shevchuk, Alexander Kalyagin and many others. Almost all foreign delegations visiting Tatarstan, politicians, business representatives, famous artists visit the monastery.

From the very beginning, the monastery began to establish close ties with the reserve. Today, relations between the reserve and the monastery are enshrined in an agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance. Together, booklets, sets of postcards, a colorful book "Raifa-Sviyazhsk" were published, full houses were installed, video films were shot and replicated. More than once, the Raifa Monastery took part in resolving difficult situations, establishing mutual understanding between the reserve and local residents. The experience of such interaction between the reserve and the monastery is, in its way, unique for Russia. The development of such cooperation can serve as an example for other protected areas in terms of finding new ways to work with the population, regional bodies authorities, the press.

Given the long-standing close relationship between the monastery and the reserve, it seems logical to place the new visitor center of the Zapovedny Teremok reserve near the walls of the monastery. Professor of Moscow University Grigory Aleksandrovich Kozhevnikov wrote in 1914 in his article Monasteries and Nature Protection: “The structure of the reserve is quite consistent with the very idea of ​​a monastery, for which communication with untouched, primitive nature provides excellent ground for contemplation and self-deepening, and the economic exploitation of nature, on the contrary, introduces into the circle of worldly turmoil."

Volga-Kama State Reserve

Organized in 1960 Currently area Reserve 8034 ha, including 7079 ha forested, 58 ha occupied by meadows and 62 ha - reservoirs. It consists of two separate sections - Raifsky and Saralovsky, located at a distance of about 100 km from each other.

Raifa section located in the Zelenodolsk district of Tatarstan, 25 km west of Kazan; Saralovsky - in the Laishevsky district of Tatarstan, 60 km south of Kazan, on the left bank of the Volga.

The formation of the relief and hydrological network of the reserve is associated with the history of the development of the Volga and Kama valleys, which arose long before ice age on the Russian plain. Relief The Raifa massif (altitude 62-105 m above sea level) is mostly flat, with a well-defined ravine-beam network. The most beautiful Raifskoye lake, into which the Sumka river flows, has been preserved, there are other, smaller forest lakes - Rotten, Dolgoe, Ilantovo, Linevo, as well as the Sopa and Ser-Bulak rivers. There is a process of siltation and shallowing of lakes and rivers. The soils of the Raifa area are quite diverse: sandy, sandy loamy podzolic, sandy loamy podzolic, loamy. The area is dominated by sandy soils of varying degrees of podzolization, formed on the Wurm deposits. The slopes of the upper terrace are composed of sandy loams and loams of rice age.

The relief of the Saralovsky site is characterized by a significant fluctuation in absolute heights - from 50 to 140 m, the soils are strongly podzolic.

Climate reserve atlantic-continental forest area. The average annual temperature is 2.5°C; the average temperature in January is 13°C, in July 19.1°C; annual rainfall is 506 mm. The snow cover in the forest lasts for about 200 days, reaching a thickness of 72 cm. The prevailing winds are south and west.

In the Raifa section from the 16th century there were no final fellings, so the primary forest with typical flora and fauna has been preserved here.

The nature vegetation the site belongs to the subzone of mixed coniferous deciduous forests, but biocenoses of three natural areas: southern taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests. About 87% of the area is covered with forest, dominated by pine. Other forest-forming species are oak, linden, spruce, birch, aspen; in a small amount there are fir and larch. The main types of forests are sedge oak forests, maple-linden spit and nettle-spit forests, spruce-proles lime forest, oxalis spruce forest with linden, scops pine forests with linden, linden, lingonberry, blueberry, marsh. The formation of pine forests is represented by all the main groups of associations - from dry lichen forests to swampy sphagnum forests; it is possible to observe all stages of spruce entry under the pine canopy. The southern border of the distribution of spruce and fir in the European part of Russia passes along the Raifsky site; and the oak grows here almost on the northern border of its range. Mixed forests are represented by linden forests with oak and wormwood forests with oak and spruce, which characterize the contact zone between spruce and oak. Birch-cotton grass-sphagnum bogs with wild rosemary, marsh myrtle, podbel, cinquefoil, shift, duckweed, salvinia, heather, cranberry, marsh sheikhzeria, single-leaved pulp, sedges, etc. are interesting. The flora of Raifa includes about 570 species of vascular plants. Rare species - single-leaved pulp, calypso tuberous, chaff sedge, tangled and two-seeded, callused sedge. 160 species of mosses have been registered, including 32 species of hepatic, 24 sphagnum and 104 species of briaceae.

Saralovsky site 91% is covered with forest, 60% of the forest stand is pine and linden. Once upon a time, spruce-fir forests grew here, as evidenced by strongly podzolic soils. The forests adjoin the forest-steppe and are represented by lichen, lingonberry, moss, grass pine forests with linden, bilberry, linden with aspen, snot-sedge oak forests with pine and other types of forest. The most interesting are steppe pine woodlands on sandy hills and ledges of terraces, where steppe elements penetrate: Siberian bluebell, purple goat, sleep-grass, Sumy cornflower, Marshall's wormwood, intermediate couch grass, Polissian fescue, cornflower head, sandy astragalus, gray keleria, spiked speedwell and others. Of the rare species, there are pinnate feather grass, squat sedge, and drooping hakelia. A total of 500 species of vascular plants have been registered. The species composition of aquatic vegetation is rather poor. Wide-leaved cattail, bur-reed, reed, duckweed, multi-root, salvinia, etc. are common.

In the flora of the reserve there are 80% orchids, 60% sedges and 8 wintergreen species typical for the European part of Russia; 40% of the flora are taiga elements, 34% are nemoral. 51 species of trees and shrubs were noted, of which 43 species local flora and 8 settled from the Raifa dendrological garden.

Fauna The reserve is rich, 80% of the animals found in Tatarstan live here. 6 species of insectivores were noted, including the common hedgehog, mole, shrews - shrews, common and small shrews; 9 species of bats: pond, water, Natterer and mustachioed bat, long-eared, red and giant evening, Nathusius's bat, two-color leather (widely distributed). The fauna of rodents includes 21 species, including flying squirrel and common squirrel, river beaver (reacclimatized), garden and forest dormouse, wood mouse, wood and yellow-throated mice, red-backed vole, etc .; hare hare and hare. Occasionally there are a wolf, a bear, a lynx, an ermine, a forest polecat, a roe deer, a reddish ground squirrel, a hamster; fox and elk are common; badger, raccoon dog, weasel, American mink, pine marten are quite numerous.

Numerous birds: black grouse, hazel grouse, gray partridge, quail, turtle dove, wood pigeon, stock dove, blue dove, corncrake, chauffeur; gray heron common; shorebirds include black waders, fern, woodcock, snipe, less often lapwing and little plover; there is a capercaillie and a gray crane. On the migration, the morodunka, oystercatcher, great snipe, turukhtan, fifi, river and little terns, mallard, teal, whistle and cracker, pintail, gray duck, goldeneye, wigeon, red-headed pochard, etc. are noted. pygmy owls, scops scops owls, among predators - the greater spotted eagle, serpent eagle, golden eagle, imperial eagle, white-tailed eagle, peregrine falcon, hobby falcon, black kite, marsh and meadow harrier, etc. Eared and marsh owls, eagle owl are not uncommon.

herpetofauna It is represented by 5 species of reptiles: spindle, quick and viviparous lizards, copperhead, common viper. Amphibians 10 species: common and crested newts, red-bellied toad, common spadefoot, gray and green toads, 4 species of frogs. Of the fish, roach, ide, tench, minnow, silver bream, bream, crucian carp, pike, perch, ruff, sterlet, asp, sabrefish, carp, pike perch, etc.

The value of the reserve is the Raifa Dendrological Garden, represented by the American (47 species of trees and shrubs), European (65 species) and Asian (60 species) divisions. There are 172 species of trees and shrubs in the garden.

Scientific profile of the reserve- study of the dynamics of the processes of the main elements of the natural complex of the Raifa forest area, as well as the Saralovsky site, which is under the influence of the Kuibyshev reservoir.