The Meshchersky National Park is a national park
located in the territories of Klepikovsky and Ryazan districts of
the Ryazan region of Russia. In the park there are places associated
with
K. Paustovsky - the village of Grishino
S. Yesenin -
Spas-Klepiki
A. Arkhipov - the village of Egorovo.
The list of
architectural monuments includes:
Renovation Church (v.
Ershovo, 1868)
Church of the Intercession (p. Seleznevo,
1903-1910)
Assumption Church (v. Struzhany, 1910). The Church of
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an Orthodox church of
the Klepikovo deanery of the Kasimov diocese. Located in the village
of Struzhany, Klepikovskiy district, Ryazan region, on the shore of
Lake Sokorevo, through which the river Pra flows. In 1676, the
Resurrection Church was listed in the village. In 1740, the
Resurrection Church burned down, and in 1746 a new one with the same
name was built. The bell tower was built in 1782. The Wooden
Assumption Church was built in 1798. According to the data of 1883,
the parish included 27 villages. In 1910, the wooden Assumption
Church was sold to the village of Ershovo. Instead, a stone church
of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos was built with three
aisles: the main one - in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of
God, the right - in honor of Paraskeva, the left - in honor of John
the Baptist. The closing time of the temple has not been set. In
1945 the temple was returned to believers. In 1996, the church
burned out inside, but was restored. The parish includes the
villages of Struzhany, Chebukino, Dunino, Belyakovo, Altukhovo,
Lebedino, Nefedovo, and more recently Pansurovo, Aristovo-Kolychovo,
Tyukovo and Fomino.
Transfiguration Church (Spas-Klepiki, 1860).
In addition, there
are over 100 archeological monuments in the park, including the
sites of the ancient man: Black Mountain, Vladychinskaya, Shagara,
Sovka, Tyuk town, Deulinsky burial ground, etc.
Meshchyorsky National Park is highly popular for outdoor
recreation - hiking, cycling, camping, boating, fishing, collecting
berries and mushrooms, etc. The park strongly emphasizes ecological
education, with children's camps, festivals, and scientific
participation.
Meshchyorsky National Park is located in a
flat, ancient alluvial valley formed during the Quaternary Period as
the Oka and Dnieper glaciers (and the Moscow glacier on the
northwest edge of the park), receded and left a glaciofluvial cover.
The Pra River watershed contains small rivers (including the Buzh
and the Pol), streams, and a 48 km chain of lakes interconnected by
channels. The lakes are shallow (under 1.1 meters at low water),
with marshland along the shores. The largest lakes are Lake
Velikoye, which has an open water area of 20.7 km2, Lake Dubovoye
(12.2 km2) and Lake Martynovo (2.46 km2). At the confluence of the
Pra and Oka rivers, the floodplain is 10 km wide.
The
altitude of land in the Meshchyorsky National Park ranges only 40
meters vertically, from 80 to 120 meters above sea level. The
wetlands experience floods in the spring, and low-water levels and
dryness during the summer dry season. As with most national parks in
Russia, the territory is zoned for different uses and levels of
protection. By the 1995 zoning plan, Meshchyorsky is laid out for
the following:
Zone of Strict Protection: 20.1 thousand
hectares (19.8%)
Ecological Restoration: 50.8 thousand hectares (49.3%)
Traditional Economic Activities: 29.4 thousand hectares (28.6%)
Recreation and Visitor Services: 2.7 thousand hectares (2.6%)
About 50 species of mammals live in the park: elk, wild boar, beaver, white hare, squirrel, ermine, weasel, American mink, pine marten, etc. There are about 30 species of fish in the reservoirs, including pike, bream, tench, ide , blue bream, crucian carp, etc. More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the national park.