Meshchyorsky National Park, Russia

 

Description of Meshchyorsky National Park

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%)

 

Fauna

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.