Askania-Nova
Askania-Nova | |
---|---|
wilderness area) | |
Location | Askania-Nova (settlement), Kakhovka Raion, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine |
Coordinates | 46°27′07″N 33°52′51″E / 46.45194°N 33.88083°E |
Area | 333.08 km2 (128.60 sq mi) |
Established | 1898 |
Governing body | National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine |
Website | http://askania-nova-zapovidnik.gov.ua/en/ |
Askania-Nova (
History
The nature reserve was established in 1898 by
In March 1919, Askania-Nova was confiscated from the Falz-Fein family by the Red Army as part of the state nationalization programme. The last owner refused to evacuate to Germany. She was Sofia-Louise Bohdanivna (Gottlieb) Knauff (1835–1919), the mother of Friedrich Falz-Fein. Her refusal resulted in her summary execution by two Red Army guardsmen who shot her for failing to surrender her estate in Khorly (today a port in Kherson Oblast).[1] On April 1, 1919, Askania-Nova was declared a People's Sanctuary Park by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR; while on February 8, 1921, it was reorganized into a State Steppe Reserve of the Ukrainian SSR.[2] The main purposes of the reserve were to preserve and study the environment of the virgin steppe, as well as possibly to acclimatize and study a larger number of animal and plant types.
Askania-Nova became a scientific-steppe station, a zoo-technical station with breeding farms, a
In 1983, Askania-Nova was reorganized into a
In March 2022, following Russian occupation of the region, administration of Askania-Nova was taken over by Russia,[3] which reclassified the steppes to hunting grounds. Shortly thereafter, photographs showing Russian soldiers alongside hunted deer carcasses from the park were posted on social media. Russian troops further caused damage to the park by driving heavy equipment through protected steppe areas, digging trenches, and causing three fires, burning almost 1,400 hectares. Askania-Nova's Ukrainian administration continues to operate in absentia, with international donations contributing towards assisting former employees forced to leave the institution.[citation needed]
The biosphere reserve
The reserve consists of the acclimatization zoo, arboretum (2.1 km2, or 518.9 acre), and virgin steppe sanctuary (110 km2, or 42.5 sq mi), the last such area in Europe) and has total area of 825 km2 (318.5 sq mi). The Askania-Nova wetland Great Chapli Depression is registered on the International list of Ramsar Convention and has an area of 4x6 km. Part of the sanctuary include a small town and six villages with total population of 10,000 people (1997). There is no direct railroad station in the area, and the sanctuary can be reached by bus.
Flora and fauna
More than 200 species of
Larger animals on the reserve include the
The reserve is known for its herd of Przewalski's horses, the largest group kept in captivity, living on an area around 30 km2 (11.5 sq mi). The
The biosphere reserve has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports healthy populations of red-breasted, bar-headed and greater white-fronted geese, mute swan, ruddy shelduck, demoiselle and common cranes, black-winged pratincole, and pallid harriers.[4]
Climate
Climate data for Askania-Nova (1991–2020, temperatures and humidity 1981-2010, extremes 1910-2005) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 16.3 (61.3) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
28.1 (82.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
37.7 (99.9) |
40.1 (104.2) |
40.3 (104.5) |
36.6 (97.9) |
33.5 (92.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
40.3 (104.5) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
2.6 (36.7) |
8.0 (46.4) |
16.0 (60.8) |
22.6 (72.7) |
27.0 (80.6) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
23.4 (74.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
15.7 (60.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.7 (28.9) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
3.0 (37.4) |
9.8 (49.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
16.6 (61.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
10.2 (50.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.8 (23.4) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.8 (47.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −30.3 (−22.5) |
−32.5 (−26.5) |
−22.5 (−8.5) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
0.9 (33.6) |
7.4 (45.3) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−22.4 (−8.3) |
−24.3 (−11.7) |
−32.5 (−26.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 28 (1.1) |
26 (1.0) |
28 (1.1) |
32 (1.3) |
39 (1.5) |
52 (2.0) |
38 (1.5) |
35 (1.4) |
34 (1.3) |
29 (1.1) |
36 (1.4) |
31 (1.2) |
408 (15.9) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 63 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
86.0 | 83.8 | 79.0 | 71.6 | 68.2 | 66.4 | 60.9 | 60.7 | 68.9 | 77.7 | 86.1 | 87.4 | 74.7 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 68 | 94 | 144 | 209 | 284 | 302 | 339 | 315 | 242 | 170 | 80 | 54 | 2,301 |
Source 1: | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Climatebase.ru (extremes)[7] |
Access
The sanctuary is located in a relatively remote area. Its territory completely overlaps the Askania Nova municipality which beside its
In popular culture
- The Winter Horses by ISBN 978-0-385-75543-6) - a historical fiction novel about two people at Askaniya-Nova in Ukraine attempting to save Przewalski's horses from the dinner tables of Nazi soldiers during World War II.
See also
- Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type
References
- ^ Falz-Fein Lineage Archived November 26, 2022, at the Wayback Machine (in English)
- ISSN 2415-3362.
- ^ Vasyliuk, Oleksii. "Askania Nova Biosphere Reserve captured by invaders". Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020" (CSV). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1981–2010". National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- ^ "Askanija-Nova, Ukraine Climate data (Period supervision: 1910–2005)". Climatebase. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
- ^ List of settlements of Askania-Nova municipality Archived September 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Askania Nova in Ukraine - interesting facts and photos
- Friedrich von Falz-Fein – Genealogical pages on the Falz-Fein family tracing the history of Askania-Nova back to Johann Fein, in English
- Webpage in Russian
- Page of Ascania-Nova on the 7wonders of Ukraine website – in Ukrainian