Stolby Nature Sanctuary

Stolby Nature Sanctuary
Map showing the location of Stolby Nature Sanctuary

Map of Russia

Location Krasnoyarsk krai, Russia
Nearest city Krasnoyarsk
Coordinates 55°32′N 92°28′E / 55.53°N 92.46°E / 55.53; 92.46Coordinates: 55°32′N 92°28′E / 55.53°N 92.46°E / 55.53; 92.46
Area 47154 hectares

Stolby Nature Sanctuary (Russian: Государственный природный заповедник «Столбы») – is situated on the northwestern spurs of the Eastern Sayan which is contiguous with the Central Siberian Plateau.

Natural borders of protected territory are right tributary of the Yenisei River. Bazaikha River is in the northeast. Mana and Bolshaia Slizneva rivers are in the south and southwest. Area borders upon Krasnoyarsk city from the northeast. Visitors are able to get to the boundary by a city bus.

The park is founded in 1925. It was initiated by citizens in order to save natural complexes of rocks around the picturesque Syenite Buttes, also known as Stolby. The park’s area is 47,219 hectares.

It is presented to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Flora and fauna

Flora of national reserves includes about 740 vascular plants and 260 kinds of mosses. Fir taiga, which is typical for the midlands of the Eastern Sayan, prevails. 290 types of vertebrates are revealed on the territory of sanctuary. Fauna has a pronounced taiga aspect (red-backed mouse, sable, Siberian musk deer, hazel grouse and others) with the inclusion of forest-steppe animals (Siberian roe deer, steppe polecat, long-tailed ground squirrel and others)

Also, there are species from The Red Book of Russia:

Tourism

Main attraction of the reserve is rocks. General name of rocks is Stolby, although all of them and even some stones have its own name. Area is divided into two parts. The first is straight Stolby, which are opened for tourists. The second is Wild Stolby, which are located in the depths of the reserve, where access is restricted. Inhabitants of Krasnoyarsk are visiting Stolby during more than 150 years in order to do sport or have adventure holiday. During this time, stolbism emerged and developed. Places, frequented by tourists, can be separated up three districts.

History of explorations

Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt visited the Stolby in 1720 – 1727. He stayed triply in Krasnoyarsk in the time of his exploration of Siberia, which continued seven years.

Vitus Bering visited it in 1733-1734.

In 1735 Stolby were visited by participants of overland team of the Second Kamchatka Expedition, including naturalists Johann Georg Gmelin and his assistant Stepan Krasheninnikov.

In 1771-1773, eminent explorer of Siberia professor of natural history Peter Simon Pallas visited the Stolby. He lived about a year in Krasnoyarsk and work on monographs "Journey in various provinces of the Russian Empire," "Description of plants of the Russian state," "Russian-Asian zoogeography."

The gold rush started in Siberia in the 1830s. Gold was mined in the Stolby. "Royev Ruchey" (Eng. "Scooped Brook") was named so because of the activities of miners.

In 1833 furs of 67 sables, foxes and 43 to thousands of skins of other animals were extracted in the "Stolby"

In 1870 and 1880s, teacher of the Krasnoyarsk gymnasium Ivan Savenkov started to organize school trips to the "Pillars". Savenkov wrote a topographical description of the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk, which would be starting paper for all entry-level geologists of Siberia. He published it in 1886.

Yenisei provincial executive committee declared this earth location to be a natural reserve "Stolby" by the resolution dated June 30, 1925.

In 1947 married couple Yelena Krutovskaya and James Dulkeyt set up a cattery for keeping of animals injured by poachers. It was in the Reserve's region for tourist and excursion .[1]

From the late 1940s to the beginning of the 21st century, 16 collections of scientific papers was published. The effect of air pollution and recreational using on taiga ecosystems is investigated. One of the researchers of "Pillars" was author of several books about the reserve Ivan Beljak.[2]

In 2000 the cattery of reserve became the basis of the zoo "Royev Ruchey".

See also

References

  1. ↑ Krutovskaya Elena (Russian)
  2. ↑ Krasnoyarsk Regional Youth Library: "105 anniversary of the birth of Ivan Belyak Philipovich" (Russian), 06 января 2013

External links

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