Erzi (Ing. Arzi - "Eagle") is a state natural reserve located in the Dzheyrakh and Sunzha regions of Ingushetia, Russia.
The reserve was established on December 21, 2000 by
the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 992 on
the territory of the part of the federal nature reserve "Ingush".
Initially, the area of the reserve was 5,970 hectares. The
protected zone was formed by the Decree of the Government of the
Republic of Ingushetia No. 326 dated October 23, 1999. Its area was
34 940 hectares (according to the Regulations on the State
Institution "Erzi State Natural Reserve", approved on December 20,
2000 (as amended on March 17, 2005) .)). In accordance with the
decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1446-r dated
October 3, 2009, the territory of the Erzi reserve has been expanded
by 29322 hectares in the Sunzhensky and Dzheyrakhsky districts of
the Republic of Ingushetia. Thus, the territory of this reserve has
increased almost 6 times and is 35,292 hectares.
Geographic
information
The reserve is located on the northern macroslope of
the Greater Caucasus, in the Dzheyrakh-Assinsk depression and the
Rocky Range mountains adjacent to it from the north. The largest
rivers in the territory of the reserve are Assa and Armkhi, which
belong to the Terek river basin. About a third of the territory is
occupied by forests: on the northern slopes of the mountains there
are areas of oak and beech forests, sometimes with an admixture of
Norway maple. Sea buckthorn, willow and gray alder grow in the
floodplains of rivers. Above 1500 meters on the slopes, hooked pine
with an admixture of oak, birch, hornbeam, linden, mountain ash.
Further, there is a birch crooked forest with an undergrowth of
Caucasian rhododendron, and above 2000 meters, mountain steppes and
meadows, above which are alpine meadows. Above 3500 meters there is
a belt of glaciers and snowfields.
Such rare species as bezoar goat, tur, chamois, forest cat live here; of birds - Caucasian snowcock, golden eagle, peregrine falcon.
More than 180 species of rare plants grow, including many endemics of the Caucasus. There are unique natural objects - an array of hooked pine, thickets of sea buckthorn.
One
of the largest tower complexes in Ingushetia is located on the
territory of the reserve. The tower complex is located at the end of
the mountain range in the Dzheyrakh gorge and includes 8 combat
towers, 2 semi-combat towers and 47 residential towers encircled by
stone defensive walls.
The battle towers are up to 30 meters
high, at their base are square (from 4.8 m to 5.8 m), mainly in five
floors (one 6-storey) with pyramidal-stepped roofs.
In one of
these towers, in the 19th century, a bronze figure of an eagle was
discovered, made at the end of the 8th century AD, known as the
"Eagle of Suleiman".