In our article we want to tell you about the Mordovian Reserve. It is located in the Temnikovsky district of Mordovia, in the zone of broad-leaved and coniferous forests, as well as forest-steppe, on the banks of the river Moksha. The total area of ​​the reserve is more than thirty-two thousand hectares of land.

From the history of the reserve

Mordovian Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich was organized in March 1936, and it received its name in honor of government worker that time, who dealt with environmental issues in the country.

The primary task of creating the reserve was to restore the number of forests that suffered from felling and burned down in fires. In 1938, the taiga zone lost about two thousand hectares of trees. At the same time, a struggle is being waged to preserve the natural landscape of the region.

Mordovian Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich, as well as its environs contain many historical monuments. For example, here you can find settlements and human settlements dating back to the Neolithic era. In the seventeenth - twentieth centuries, the southeastern part of the Murom forests belonged to monasteries, whose ministers tried to preserve and increase forest wealth. They built special ditches to drain wetlands. Remains of their activities have survived to this day.

The reserve conducts regular monitoring of the state of the rarest species of flora on stationary registration sites.

Location of the protected area

Mordovian State Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich is located on the right bank of the Moksha. The border of the northern part of the protected area runs along the Satis, which is a tributary of the Moksha. The western border is delineated by the Chernaya, Moksha and Satisu rivers. From the southern side, the forest-steppe rises, which naturally outlines the boundaries of protected lands. It turns out that the forest areas of the reserve are included in the zone of coniferous and widely deciduous forests on the very border with the forest-steppe.

As for the climate, the protected area falls into the Atlantic-continental region. The frost-free period in a year is up to 135 days. Minus temperatures begin in November. The maximum warm temperature here reaches forty degrees, and the minimum in winter is up to -48 degrees.

water system

The water system of protected lands is represented by the Bolshaya and Malaya Chernaya, Pushta and Arga rivers. There are also streams flowing into Moksha. All of them also have their tributaries. However, during the summer period, some rivers partially dry up. Summer rains have little effect on water levels in rivers. Only heavy rains can lead to an increase in the water level of rivers. Most of the reserve is the catchment area of ​​the Puszta River. In the southwest there are lakes, and there are quite a lot of them, about two dozen. There are large and small sizes.

Flora of the reserve

The Mordovian reserve is completely covered with forests. Half of them are pine. But in the eastern and western parts, birch massifs predominate, in the central one - linden. Oaks grow in Moksha, the age of which is one hundred and forty - one hundred and fifty years. Sometimes there are more ancient giants, whose age reaches three hundred years.

The flora of the reserve is represented by 788 species of vascular plants, as well as 73 species of mosses. The most common type of vegetation is the subtaiga (light coniferous) forests of the most different types. Pine-oak and pine-linden forests are specific for this region. Humidity and soil provides such a wide variety of forest areas. Here you can see dry lichen forests, wet spruce forests, and black alder poplars.

I must say that the Mordovian Reserve (photos are given in the article) has preserved quite a lot of forests in its natural state on its territory. Pine forests dominate. There are no clear boundaries between the types of forests.

Fauna of the protected area

In 1930, the Mordovian Smidovich Reserve was engaged in the introduction of new species introduced into the protected area. So desmans brought from Primorye were released into the lakes, which not only took root in these parts, but also became quite common for this region, and the most numerous of the ungulate representatives. Marals were brought here from the Voronezh region and Kherson (Askania-Nova). Roe deer were introduced in 1940. Later, bison and bison, Ukrainian gray cattle were also brought. They even created a special bison park, which existed until 1979. Unfortunately, further work was stopped, the bison park was destroyed, and the animals themselves were sent to live freely.

Restoration of the number of beavers

Over the years of its existence, the Mordovian State Reserve named after Smidovich has restored the number of almost completely exterminated beavers. Work began at the end of the thirties. Now in the basin of the Moksha river, beavers have become quite numerous.

Eight hundred individuals were sent for further resettlement in Mordovia, Ryazan, Arkhangelsk, Vologda and Tomsk regions.

Beavers are very interesting animals. They fell trees for fodder and construction. They gnaw the branches, and then divide the trunk into separate parts. Imagine that they are able to knock down an aspen in just five minutes. And a tree with a diameter of forty centimeters is slowly butchered overnight. By morning, after their active work, only a stump and a bunch of sawdust remain. Beavers gnaw, standing on their hind legs, and at the same time rely on their tail. Their jaws work like a saw. Teeth in animals are self-sharpening, and therefore always remain sharp.

Beavers partially eat branches from a fallen tree on the spot, and the rest are floated along the river to their house or to the place where they will build a new dam. Sometimes animals even dig channels that serve to transport food. The length of such a channel can be a couple of hundred meters, and a width of up to fifty centimeters. The depth at the same time reaches one meter.

Beavers live in minks, or so-called huts. The entrance to their house is always under water. Animals dig holes in the banks. They are a complex system of labyrinths with four or five entrances. Walls and floors are very carefully processed by beavers. In general, the dwelling itself is located at a depth of no more than one meter, has a width of up to a meter and a height of up to fifty centimeters. Animals think over the dwelling so that the height of the floors in the house is twenty centimeters higher than the water. If suddenly the water level in the river rises, then the beaver immediately raises the floor, scraping building material from the ceiling.

Animals build huts in those places where it is impossible to dig a hole. These are either low swampy shores or shallows. The walls of the house are coated with silt or clay, it becomes strong and impregnable for any predator. Air enters the hut through the ceiling. There are many passages inside. With the onset of frost, animals insulate their homes and maintain a positive temperature throughout the winter. The water in the manholes never freezes, and therefore the beavers can always go under the ice of the reservoir. In the period of severe frosts, steam can be seen above the huts. This suggests that the house is inhabited. Sometimes the settlement of this animal simultaneously consists of holes and a hut. Why do you think beavers build dams? Everything is very simple. Although they are large, they are rodents. They have a lot of enemies: bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx. To prevent enemies from reaching them, the entrance must be flooded. For a beaver, this is not an obstacle, and predators will not get to it. However, these animals cannot live in water all the time.

Lynx in the Mordovia Reserve

The lynx is a protected animal in the reserve. An increase in the number of this animal is currently expected. According to the employees, this is due to the fact that this year there is an increase in their main food hare, the white hare.

In addition, researchers record an increase in the number of other animals, such as squirrels and spotted deer. It must be said that last years the number of squirrels, roe deer, foxes, and martens also increased. All these data were obtained thanks to the route accounting, which allows you to track the change in the number of certain individuals.

In general, the lynx is a very beautiful and hardy animal, which is a symbol of the reserve. the reserve first discovered a lynx in March 1941 following the traces of its vital activity. Then, in 1942, the hunters killed three individuals at once (it was a female and two young lynxes), and later an adult male as well. And since then, for six years, no traces of this animal were found anymore.

And only in 1949, the Mordovsky Reserve began to repopulate the lynx.

This animal is characterized by a dense and strong physique, has very developed legs. The fur of the animal is beautiful and thick. The lynx's sense of smell is not highly developed, but hearing and vision are excellent. Like all cats, she remarkably climbs trees, moves quietly and silently, and, if necessary, makes a big jump for her prey. In general, the lynx eats hares and some hazel grouse). However, sometimes they are able to attack prey much larger than themselves, if they see that they can overpower it. So recorded cases of attacks on roe deer, deer. The lynx is a nocturnal hunter.

There are rumors that cats are very strong and bloodthirsty, but talk of attacks on people is extremely exaggerated. If the animal is not touched, then it itself will never attack first. The lynx, on the contrary, tries to bypass the person.

Unfortunately, a decrease in the number of feral cats has been observed in the past. But now the population has increased significantly.

Tasks assigned to the reserve

The Mordovian State Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich takes measures to preserve the natural state of natural complexes (biotechnical, fire-fighting and other measures), measures to protect and protect forests, extinguish fires, equip territories with signs and information boards.

The workers of the reserve are faced with the task of identifying and suppressing any violations of the regime of the protected area. The Mordovsky Reserve conducts environmental and educational work, including with schoolchildren.

In addition, research work is being carried out. The administration of the sanatorium is engaged in the organization of cognitive ecological tourism. This is, first of all, the creation of special places for tourists to rest.

Reserve Mordovskiy and ecological tourism

The purpose of the reserve is to preserve and increase natural resources, and not hiding them from the human eye behind seven locks. Therefore, the Mordovsky Reserve is actively engaged in the development of ecological tourism. This is primarily a journey into the world of the new and unknown. Such tours are organized in forests untouched by man for cognitive and educational activities.

As part of such tourism, ecological trails, specialized recreation areas, visitor centers and many other interesting objects have long been created in the reserve. However, the territory of the reserve is closed, its visit is prohibited. But tourist excursions are possible, but by prior arrangement with the administration.

Since 2013, the reserve has also become a tourist operator of the Russian Federation. It offers its visitors eight different tour programs for every taste:

1. "Visiting the Reserve" - ​​a one-day program with a visit to the central estate and thematic events.

2. "Reserved Mordovia" - a one-day excursion route with a visit to the main attractions of the reserve.

3. Expedition to the Inorsky cordon. A seven-day hike with visits to monasteries, picturesque places, as well as holding cognitive activities and programs.

4. Expedition to the Pavlovsky cordon. For five days the guests live in wooden houses, go on excursions, visit monasteries and the main estate.

5. "The course This hike is designed for five days with accommodation and meals in the field. Instructors will teach you the basics of survival in the conditions wildlife, master classes are also waiting for you.

6. "Our animals". An exciting journey into the world of wildlife. The guide will introduce you to the life of birds and animals. also in winter time Vacationers can ride snowmobiles.

7. Family tour. This tour is for the weekend. In two days you will not only visit reserved places but also a number of monasteries.

8. Tour " National cuisine". You can not only enjoy the beauty of protected lands, but also taste dishes of national cuisines.

Instead of an afterword

Mordovian nature reserve them. Smidovich keeps and protects the wealth of nature. If you decide to visit it and admire the local beauties, then you can choose one of eight excursion tours currently provided. All of them are very different and everyone will be able to choose the right option for themselves. We wish you a good rest from everyday life and admire the local beauties.

The Mordovian Reserve was established in 1935 and is located on the territory of the Temnikovsky district, in the north-west of the republic. The purpose of the creation of the Mordovian Reserve was to protect and restore the forest massif of the southern part of the taiga zone with spruce plantations, to preserve and enrich the animal world by acclimatizing their most valuable species in this area.

In the vicinity of the Mordovian Reserve, many settlements and human settlements of the Neolithic era have been discovered. In the XVII - early XX centuries. The owners of the southeastern outskirts of the forests were monasteries, the treasury and private individuals. In the eastern part of the reserve, there is still a point where the borders of three provinces converge, called the "golden pillar". In 1936, after the definition of protected boundaries, he was named after the well-known in Mordovia politician Peter Germogenovich Smidovich, who made a huge contribution to the protection of nature in the country. During the Great Patriotic War in the Mordovian Reserve, the harvesting of the local rubber plant - euonymus was carried out, and the workers of a special laboratory searched for fungi containing penicillin.

The original area of ​​the Mordovskiy Reserve was 32,933 ha, but now it has somewhat decreased and is 32,148 ha. The protected area lies between the rivers Moksha and its right tributary Satis. In addition to them, other rivers flow here, but the Pushta is considered the main one in the Mordovian Reserve. The climate in this area is moderate, the relief is slightly dissected with small elevations between the floodplains of the rivers and logs. The area is wooded: birch and aspen trees grow in the west and east, linden and spruce trees grow in the center, and pine groves in the rest of the territory. vegetable and animal world The reserve is characteristic of middle latitudes. There are oaks that are 140-150 years old, and some are over 300 years old. There are plants and animals, birds listed in the Red Book - a real lady's slipper, a red pollenhead, a reviving moonwort, which has not yet been found anywhere else in Mordovia; birds - saker falcon, golden eagle, little bustard, black stork. The river beaver brought and restored to the population, practically exterminated in the region, Russian muskrat, spotted deer, Ascanian deer, Siberian roe deer and bison live here.

Unauthorized stay on the territory of the Mordovian Reserve is strictly prohibited! A special permit is issued free of charge by the administration located in the village of Puszta. There is also the Museum of Nature of the Mordovian State Natural Reserve named after M. P.G. Smidovich. Nearby is an Orthodox landmark - the Nativity of the Theotokos Sanaksar Monastery.

MORDOVAN
reserve

Location and history of the Mordovian Reserve

Mordovian State Reserve named after P.G. Smidovich, organized in 1936 by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR No. 57 of March 5, 1936, is located in the east of the Oka-Klyazma geomorphological and landscape province and occupies the interfluve of the Moksha and Satis at the junction of three zones: mixed forests, taiga zone and forest-steppe. The area of ​​the reserve is 32148 hectares, and its buffer zone is 6200 hectares. natural conditions The reserve is characteristic of the Oksko-Klyazma lowland, which is a slightly undulating plain. The territory of the reserve occupies four terraces of the right bank of the river. Moksha.

The first terrace is the river floodplain. Moksha, 4-6 km wide, is flooded with spring floods. It is characterized by the presence a large number oxbow lakes. Three ancient floodplain terraces were smoothed out under the influence of glaciation and erosion. As a result, they are a plain with a general slope towards the river valley. Moksha. However, each of the terraces has its own characteristics in the nature of the mesorelief and forest plantations. The second and third terraces above the floodplain are distinguished by a strongly dissected relief in the form of funnels and hillocks. The formation of the latter is associated with the development of karst phenomena. This process is observed at the present time. The karst relief leaves a certain imprint on the nature of plantings and plays an important role in the water balance. The fourth watershed terrace occupies the central and eastern parts of the reserve. It contains its highest point in the reserve with a mark of 187.7 m above sea level.

The tributary system of the river. Moksha forms the water network of the reserve. All small rivers, with the exception of the r.r. Pushty and Bolshaya Chernaya, are experiencing a spring, soon-passing flood and completely dry up or have intermittent flow in the summer. The climate of the reserve area can be classified as moderately humid with a moderately warm growing season and relatively mild winter with stable snow cover.

The average long-term precipitation per year fluctuates around 500 mm. Average annual temperature air is +4.5 degrees, with an average temperature in winter of -6.9, and in summer + 12.6 degrees. In some years there are significant deviations from the average data. In winter, temperature drops to -42.0 degrees were noted (December 1979, January 1986), and in summer the air temperature in some cases reaches + 39 degrees. Thus, the amplitude of the limiting temperature fluctuations is 79 degrees. Most hot month July with an average monthly temperature of +18.8, and the coldest - January -10.4 degrees. The amount of precipitation and its occurrence are subject to strong changes. Deviations from long-term averages towards a decrease in the amount of annual precipitation are often observed. The most significant deviations were observed in 1972, 1975, and 1989.

Usually, the largest number precipitation falls in July. Usually the period of minimum precipitation occurs in April and the first decade of May. The largest amount of precipitation in winter occurs in January. Snow cover is established between November 15 and December 16 and lasts an average of 150 days, with an average thickness of 48-65 cm during the period of maximum accumulation in February-March. Thus, the climate of the area where the reserve is located is characterized by relatively snowy winters with a significant temperature difference. Summer period is not marked by a stable regime in the amount and distribution of precipitation by months.

The nature of the Mordovian reserve

The water regime of the eastern and western parts of the reserve has significant differences. The western part is characterized by annual spring floods of the river. Moksha and Satis and an extensive network of reservoirs (oxbow lakes) of various sizes. Groundwater occurs at a considerable depth, and spring outlets are very rare. East End, with a general evenness of the relief, it is distinguished by a shallow occurrence of groundwater (within 1 m). This contributes to the development of swamping processes. Of the variety of reservoirs in the eastern part, there are forest rivers that have an intermittent flow in summer and separate karst funnels, sometimes filled with water. Most of the floodplain within the reserve is covered with oak forests. As a result of felling of floodplain oak forests in the past, plots of floodplain meadow were formed. The terraced part of the floodplain is excessively moistened and is occupied by black alder forests with inclusions of birch and aspen. Undergrowth and undergrowth are represented by alder and black currant. The herbaceous cover typical for such places contains such moisture-loving species as: meadowsweet, touchy, nettle and fern. The second and third terraces are characterized by pure pine plantations with oppressed undergrowth and uniform grass cover. These are white-moss, blueberry, lingonberry, green-moss, lily-of-the-valley and molinium pine forests. Part of the third and the entire fourth terrace are occupied mainly by pine-broad-leaved forests - suboria, which form the basis of the forest area of ​​the reserve. The composition of the forest stand of such plantations in greater or lesser abundance includes oak, maple, and sometimes ash. The undergrowth consists of linden, honeysuckle, mountain ash, euonymus. Among the pine forests and suboreas, there are separate and often large areas of deciduous forests - birch and aspen forests. N.I. Kuznetsov (1960) considers their appearance as a consequence of forest fires. The lower parts of the slopes to the valleys of forest rivers are occupied by spruce forests, which pass into damp birch-alder forests in the floodplain.

The forest area of ​​the reserve, which is a spur of the southern taiga, maintains a connection with the surrounding forest areas. In the northeast, it merges with the forests of the Alatyr basin, and in the northwest with the Murom forests. To the south of the reserve lie open expanses of fields with small forest areas. The southern border of the reserve is bordered by a strip of young birch with an admixture of pine. The forests surrounding the reserve differ little in plant conditions from it, but the appearance of the forests of the forestries adjacent to it has changed significantly due to intensive logging. In these forests, pine forests have largely been replaced by deciduous young growths. The typological diversity and, above all, the “purity” of plantation types make it possible to consider the Mordovia Reserve as a natural museum, the expositions of which reflect the most typical types of plantations for the forest belt of the European part of Russia.

Despite the relatively small occupied area, an unusually large variety of flora and fauna is observed on the territory of the reserve. It can be said with certainty that the reserve serves as the core of the population of a number of animals and plants, supporting their viability. 96% of the territory of the reserve is covered with forest. More than half of the entire territory is occupied by pine forests growing mainly on sandy soils. Green moss pine forests dominate in the reserve. Lichen pine forests are located along the tops of sandy hills and slopes. On rich soils, pine forests are complex with a two-story stand. In depressions and places with a close occurrence of groundwater, there are pine forests - long mosses. The place of greatest moisture, the outskirts of sphagnum bogs, is occupied by low quality sphagnum pine forests. Pine is part of the forest stands with a predominance of deciduous species (birch, aspen, linden), which form mainly secondary plantations. Birch forests predominate in the western and eastern parts. The main plantings do not form large massifs and are distributed evenly throughout the territory. linden forests are distributed mainly in the western and central parts. Oak forests aged 140-150 years grow in the floodplain of the Moksha River (occasionally there are thick-set, unusually powerful oaks over 300 years old). elm, elm, linden, aspen take part in the formation of oak forests, in the undergrowth of which there are bird cherry, blackberry, buckthorn, black currant, viburnum, raspberry, etc. Pure spruce plantations are insignificant. Three types of spruce forests have been distinguished: spruce-sour forest, spruce-fern forest, and green-moss spruce forest. In the coastal floodplain of the river. The Moksha and along its tributaries there are black alder plantations. At present, the forest massif of mainly high quality class (grades 1-11) has been preserved in the Mordovia Reserve. Young stands in plantations occupy about 17%.

According to the latest inventory, 750 species of vascular plants (without introduced plants), 99 species of mosses and 139 lichens were registered in the flora of the reserve. The flora includes rare species, like a real lady's slipper, red pollenhead, water chestnut (chilim), reviving lunar. The latter species has not yet been found anywhere in Mordovia.

Animals of the Mordovian Reserve

The fauna of the reserve, due to its territorial location, is very diverse. If a jerboa can be found in the protected zone, then typical taiga representatives of the fauna are common in the protected area - lynx, bear, bile, etc. Almost from the moment of organization, large-scale work was carried out to acclimatize a number of animals on its territory.

In 1936, the river beaver was introduced, a species almost exterminated in the region. As a result, in the future, it was thanks to the reserve that the species was restored, moreover, over 800 individuals of the river beaver were caught on the territory of the reserve for the purpose of subsequent resettlement in the Mordovian Republic, Arkhangelsk, Ryazan, Vologda, Tomsk and other regions. In 1937 and 1938 Russian desman was released into the lakes of the reserve (Inorki, Tarmenki, Taratino, Valza). In 1938, 53 sika deer were brought from Primorye, which later became not only common, but also the most numerous representative of ungulates in the reserve. In 1937 and 1940 9 specimens of the Askanian deer were brought from Askania-Nova and from the Khopersky Reserve. A dozen young Siberian roe deer released to the territory of the Mordovian Reserve in 1940. In 1956 bison were brought to the reserve (purebred males and trihybrids of females - bison, bison, gray Ukrainian cattle). The purpose of the importation is the breeding of a purebred animal in the type of bison by the method of absorption crossbreeding. A bison park was created that existed until 1979. Unfortunately, in the future, work was suspended for a number of reasons, the bison park was destroyed, and the bison were transferred to free keeping.

For this period of time, the most common and numerous species in the reserve are elk, wild boar, beaver, marten; of birds - capercaillie, waterfowl, etc. Of particular interest is the so-called "peninsular" population of the brown bear that lives in the reserve, the total number of which is this moment is estimated within a dozen individuals. The appearance of cubs is observed almost every year, but this does not lead to an increase in the total number of bears, which is explained by bear migrations to adjacent territories. To maintain the viability of the existing brown bear population, it is necessary to increase the area of ​​the reserve, which has been repeatedly raised.

Additional information about Mordovia Reserve

Currently, 47 people work in the reserve, which includes employees of the scientific, environmental and educational departments, the department of forest protection, accounting, and household services. In addition to the topic “Chronicle of Nature”, which is obligatory for all reserves in Russia, scientific employees are annually engaged in the implementation of various contractual research programs. For four years, the Mordovia Reserve has been the coordinator of R&D of the State Committee for Ecology of the Russian Federation in various areas. Topics were developed jointly with a number of other reserves (Kerzhensky, Privolzhskaya forest-steppe, Nurgush, Severo-Baikalsky, etc.) In close contact with teams Mordovian University them. N.P. Ogarev and the Mordovian Pedagogical Institute. M.E. Evseviev developed an ecological framework and perspective plan development of the system of protected areas in the Republic of Mordovia. Together with the Institute VNIIEF (Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region) and the laboratory of environmental genetic monitoring of the Institute of General Genetics. N.I. Vavilov, such topical issues as "Organization of biota monitoring based on the Biotest" system (environmental-genetic and biochemical monitoring), "Application of the lichen indication method to determine atmospheric pollution by heavy metals and radionuclides", "Project for the creation of a background monitoring station" were carried out a number of other serious scientific studies Over the past five years, by order of the Administration of the Closed Territory of Sarov, specialists from the scientific department of the reserve have been conducting comprehensive studies of the forested territory of the city of Sarov.

And at the same time, the reserve lacks scientific personnel. Ornithologist, soil scientist, entomologist are urgently required. Respond, colleagues, you are waiting for great things and a lot of work!

There are 17 people on the staff of the forest guard. Protection is carried out both at cordons, located mainly along the perimeter of the reserve, and through special raids. Two mobile patrol groups have been created. It should be noted that there have been no cases of poaching (hunting, fishing) directly in the protected area over the past five years. Violations of the protected regime occur, as a rule, in the buffer zone of the reserve. Particular attention is paid to environmental education aimed at developing competent environmental thinking, educating the younger generation in the spirit of respectful, caring attitude to nature, explaining the goals and objectives of the existence of specially protected natural areas. For this purpose, on the basis of the Mordovian GPP, environmental camps are annually organized for students of Mordovia and Nizhny Novgorod region. Here, schoolchildren not only have a rest, but under the guidance and with the direct participation of the staff of the reserve, they conduct theoretical and practical training. The seriousness of the research is evidenced by the fact that every year the work performed by schoolchildren on the basis of the Mordovian GPP was occupied at various All-Russian conferences of students (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Star) prizes.

A special place in the ecological and educational work is occupied by the Museum of Nature of the Reserve, which has been operating since 1936, when the first exhibits of animals, birds and insects collected by the expedition of Moscow University under the guidance and with the participation of prof. S.S. Turov. Later, in 1951, a separate museum building was built. with total area 387 m2 with five exhibition halls, four utility rooms. Collected for long years existence of the museum collection (1441 units), are a permanent exhibition which includes 4 thematic sections - "The history of the creation of the reserve," Mammals "," Birds "," Insects ". All exhibits, panels, dioramas, biogroups, are made by the hands of the reserve staff. Every year, the Museum of Nature is visited by thousands of people, where they can get acquainted with all the diversity and uniqueness of the animal world of the only reserve in the region, listen to lectures about the history, the goals of creating the reserve, and get answers to all their questions.

The staff of the reserve takes an active part in all Russian and international environmental campaigns and events - "Marches of Parks", "International Bird Day", "Day of Nature Reserves", "World Conservation Day environment”, etc. Throughout the year, round tables are organized with the teaching staff and students of local educational institutions, various lectures and conversations, and articles on environmental topics are published.

Mordovian State Nature Reserve is 70 years old. Traveled a long way with a good human life. There was a lot of things along the way and not always the best. There was also indifference, a dismissive attitude of those in power, there were also direct persecutions aimed at the collapse of our entire system of protected areas. And yet we persevered. Honor and praise to you, dear colleagues, all the best in the coming anniversary year and all subsequent ones, good luck and success in our noble field!

Ph.D. Bugaev Konstantin Evgenievich, Deputy Director of the Mordovia Reserve for scientific work, specially for FLORANIMAL

The reserve was established in 1936 and named after the statesman Pyotr Smidovich, who paid much attention to the issues of nature protection in the country. The total area of ​​the reserve is more than 32 thousand hectares. The combination of different geographical zones - taiga and deciduous forests and forest-steppe, in which the reserve is located, determines the diversity of its flora and fauna. The main river of the reserve is Pushta, 28 kilometers long. The reserve is completely covered with forests. Half of them are pine. Birch massifs predominate in the eastern and western parts, linden forests dominate in the central part. Here you can also see dry lichen forests, damp spruce forests and black alder poplars. In the floodplain of the Moksha River, oaks grow, whose age is one hundred and forty - one hundred and fifty years. Sometimes there are more ancient giants, whose age reaches three hundred years.

In the Mordovian Reserve there are many rare plants and mushrooms, including orchids venus slipper, neottiantha klobuchkova, the rarest lichens - lobaria pulmonary and menegation perforated, ram mushroom. The reserve is inhabited by the Apollo butterfly, hymenopterous carpenter bee and parnodos, powerful birds of prey white-tailed eagle, greater spotted eagle, graceful black stork, relic animal Russian muskrat and other species of animals listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The forests of the Mordovia Reserve are a refuge for ungulates and predatory animals - elk, deer, wild boar, marten, lynx, brown bear, wolf, fox. Over the years of its existence, the Mordovian Reserve has restored the number of almost completely exterminated beavers. Work began in the late thirties of the last century. Now in the basin of the Moksha river, beavers have become quite numerous.

Ecotourism is intensively developing in the Mordovia Reserve - a journey into the world of untouched nature, an opportunity to escape from everyday life and relax your soul. In the Mordovia Reserve, ecological trails, recreation areas have been created, visit centers and other objects for visiting are being opened. It offers visitors 8 tour programs for every taste. Among them are expeditions to the cordons of Inorsky and Pavlovsky, weekend tours along the protected paths, a walk along the mythological route "The Path of the Ancestors" with a performance based on the Mordovian epic and master classes in making a talisman doll. For tourists, a survival course in the forest has also been developed - an extreme tour in field conditions, with a field kitchen and a bathhouse on the lake, master classes, excursions and a 6-kilometer hike.

The Museum of Nature operates in the Mordovia Reserve. It is located on his central estate in the village of Pushta. This is one of the oldest museums of this kind located in the reserves of Russia. The collections collected over the long years of the museum's existence are a permanent exhibition of great importance in the study of the animal world of the reserve. The museum reveals all the diversity and uniqueness of the animal world of the only reserve in the region and is represented by four exhibition halls: "Fauna", "Insects", "Flora", "Fish, amphibians, reptiles".

Hall "Fauna" tells about representatives of the animal world of the reserve. The expositions are memorable scenes from the life of animals and birds at different times of the year. Here you can see such animals as bison, maral, sika deer, raccoon dog, as well as unique exhibits of mammals rarely found in the reserve: muskrat, forest and garden dormouse, otters, mink, ferret, various bats. The pride of the museum is the black-throated loon, bittern, black stork, mute swan, steppe harrier, imperial eagle, gray shrike, which are endangered species in Russia. In an interactive format, here you can listen to the voices of animals and birds.

Exhibition Hall "Insects" introduces visitors to the collections of insects and the most typical representatives of the fauna of the reserve, living in various ecosystems. A real hornet's nest is presented with a garland of wasps and hornets. The most interesting and rare algae, mushrooms and plants are presented in the Flora hall, as well as a saw cut of a tree that is over 130 years old. In the “Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles” hall, you can see the structure of the heads of snakes and fish skeletons on models, listen to frogs, touch a toad, look into the mouth of a viper and “catch” fish. The museum is equipped with a video hall for watching educational films.

The address: Republic of Mordovia, Temnikovsky district, Pushta village

On the territory of the republic there are the Mordovian Reserve and the Smolny National Park.

Mordovian Reserve
The reserve is located on the wooded right bank of the Moksha River, the left tributary of the Oka, in the territory of the Temnikovsky district of the Republic of Mordovia. The main tasks of the reserve at the time of its creation were the preservation and restoration of the forest massif of the southern spur of the taiga zone, the conservation and enrichment of the animal world through the reacclimatization and acclimatization of the most valuable species, the study of harmful entomofauna and the search for rational methods of dealing with it.

Most of the territory of the reserve is included in the catchment area of ​​the Pusta River, which flows into the Satis on the border of the reserve. The channel of the Pushta is slightly incised almost along its entire length and already from the upper reaches it has a pronounced floodplain, often swampy, without a noticeable cut of the bedrock bank. The hydrology of Puszta is noticeably influenced by beaver dams, which flood large areas. In dry years, the riverbed dries up to the very bottom.

There are about two dozen lakes in the southwestern part of the reserve. These are the oxbow lakes of Moksha, sometimes large and deep (Picherki, Bokovoe, Taratinskoe, Inorki, Valza). The lakes are connected by channels. Flowing in the winter, they have great importance for fish habitat. In autumn, they serve as the main daytime place for ducks, including migratory ones.

The vertebrate fauna of the reserve has a mixed character due to its location on the border natural areas. On the one hand, it contains species of the European taiga ( Brown bear, elk, capercaillie, hazel grouse), Eastern European mixed broad-leaved forests (squirrel, pine marten, polecat, mole, European mink, forest and hazel dormouse, dormouse, yellow-throated mouse, bank vole, shrews, black grouse, jay, oriole, pied flycatcher, stockhead, green woodpecker).

On the other hand, species of the steppe fauna ( big jerboa, steppe pied, gray hamster, common hamster, European roller, golden bee-eater, hoopoe). There are many hunting animals in the fauna (squirrel, pine marten, white hare, fox, elk, black grouse, capercaillie, hazel grouse), one rare endemic European look(desman), species whose numbers have been restored by long-term protection (elk, beaver, pine marten).

Smolny National Park
The Smolny Nature Park is located on the territory of the Ichalkovsky and Bolshe-Ignatovsky regions of the Republic of Mordovia. Created to save natural complex, representing ecosystems typical for Mordovia, having a special ecological and aesthetic value, its use for recreational and cultural purposes.

Many picturesque landscapes, such as dune hills in the Alatyr floodplain, floodplain lakes, healing springs, rich forests make the park promising for the development of scientific, ecological tourism, recreational use. Within the territory of national park there are four children's summer camps, there is a sanatorium-dispensary "Smolny".