The Russian land is rich in beautiful places and unique landscapes. Perhaps life is not enough to see them all with my own eyes. The lake and forest complex of the Valdai Upland has been preserved due to the fact that at the end of the 20th century a national Valdai Park was organized here.
History
Why is this area so unique? A huge number of cultural and historical monuments of the Novgorod region are concentrated here. In time immemorial, Slavic tribes lived in the park. The number of archaeological sites preserved in this area is simply amazing - eighty-two objects! These are ancient settlements and mounds, hills and villages, as well as ancient sites dating back to 7-6 centuries BC.
Gardening art is represented by nine monuments - old estates with parks. Also here you can see 22 unique monuments of wooden architecture of the 17-19 centuries. The great architect of the seventeenth century N.A. Lviv created the church of Catherine in this area. Today it houses the Valdai Museum of History. Selvitsky island of Valdai Lake since 1653 is the haven of the Iversky Bogoroditsky Svyatoozersky Monastery.
He remembers Valdai National Park and significant historical events. Not far from Yazhelbits is Ignach cross. It was here that Batu turned his army before reaching Novgorod.
Geographical location and description
The park is located on the territory of Demyansk, Okulovsky and Valdai districts of the Novgorod region. The area it occupies is more than one and a half thousand square kilometers (more precisely - 1585).
Valdai National Park has a huge biosphere and environmental significance. Lake-forest landscapes of the main watershed of Europe, which were formed due to continental glaciation, are protected thanks to it. Glacial hilly moraine relief is presented in all its glory. The terrain seems hilly, and all due to the fact that there are significant differences in elevation between different surface forms. The surrounding plain complements the picture, which only enhances the effect.
The Valdai Upland is part of a long lake-hilly region - lakes. All these features were taken into account when designing such an object as the Valdai National Park. Its description will be incomplete if it is not noted that it passes, like a tape, along the main axis of the hill, extending 100 km from its northern part to the southern one. At the same time, it includes large lake groups, capturing the north of Seliger, as well as almost 200 shallow reservoirs. The most famous of them is Lake Valdai, on the island of which the already mentioned monastery is located, as well as Velje and Borovno (they boast picturesque shores and vast reaches).
A special zone occupies almost a quarter of the Valdai Park area. It is here, on the Polomet river, that research of channel processes is carried out. Their results represent a significant contribution of Russian scientists to the development of the foundations of ecology and hydrological science.
Flora
The Valdai National Park has rich flora. Its territory can rightfully be called the biodiversity conservation area of Eastern Europe. Higher plants are represented in 750 species. But most importantly, there are rare species - and there are 79 of them! Among them, some orchids are especially distinguished, as well as representatives of the flora, the place of growth of which is glacial lakes. Eleven species of plants are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
Fifteen hundred hectares were given for hayfields. The vegetation cover is represented by various forests: spruce, pine and birch. Northern oak forests with ash, hazel, forbs also occur in some places. Under forests allocated 86 percent of the total area. It was noted that there are 57 species of woody plants in them, of which cultivated - 15, and wild-growing - 42.
Fauna
Valdai National Park (Russia) has become a habitat for 45 species of fish, 180 species of birds and 50 species of mammals. Of these birds 32 species are migratory, the rest nest right there. Many of them are small or rare:
- bittern;
- large merganser;
- Curlew;
- gray crane;
- gray heron.
In addition, the golden book of Russia includes golden eagle, serpent eater, eagle owl, black stork and some others.
If we talk about terrestrial vertebrates, they are based on a bear, badger, marten, fox, lynx, wild boar, elk, white hare, as well as animals that spend part of their life in water: otter, river beaver, aquatic rat, mink. There are many different types of ducks. Wolves live throughout Valdai Park. Ponds are rich in fish: crucian carp, vendace, pike, burbot, bream, perch, perch, roach, ruff, etc. In total, there are 40 species of aquatic inhabitants, including rare ones: brook trout, brook lamprey, common sculpin and European grayling.
Climate
The area in which the Valdai National Park is located is characterized by a temperate climate. Such conditions have a positive effect on the diversity of plant and animal worlds.
The average temperature of the coldest month is -10 degrees Celsius, the warmest - +16. The average annual rate is +3 degrees Celsius. Snow covers the territory of the Valdai Park for 140 days, the height of its cover can reach 45 cm. The frost-free period is 128 days.
A rapid change in weather is characterized by the Valdai National Park. In Valdai (Russia), the most frequently observed south, west and south-west winds.
