Losiny Ostrov National Park

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Losiny Ostrov National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Upper Yauza Swamps, the city of Balashikha
Location	Russia
Nearest city	Moscow
Coordinates	55°51′49″N 37°46′39″E / 55.86361°N 37.77750°E / 55.86361; 37.77750
Area	116 km2 (45 sq mi)
Established	24 August 1983
Website	http://elkisland.ru/

Losiny Ostrov National Park (Russian: Национальный парк "Лосиный Остров", literally - Elk (Moose) Island) is the second oldest national park of Russia (after Sochi National Park). It is located in Moscow and Moscow Oblast. It is the largest urban park in Europe.

Losiny Ostrov is one of a few locations in Moscow where one can see wild animals in their natural environment, including the moose. In total there are 44 species of mammals and 170 bird species, 9 amphibian species, 5 reptile species and 19 fish species.^[1]

Geography

Belokamennaya Station

is ahead

The total area of the national park in 2001 was 116.21 km², (28,717 acres). Forest occupied 96.04 km² (83% of area) of the total, of which 30.77 km² (27%) fall within the boundaries of Moscow city. Other land types in the park include 1.69 km² (2%) of water and 5.74 km², or 5% of swamp. An additional 66.45 km² is reserved for expansion of the park.

The park is divided into the three functional zones:

• Especially protected, 53.94 km² (47%), closed to the public;
• For training and excursion, 31.30 km² (27%) is open for restricted visits along established routes;
• Recreational, 29.81 km² (26%), is open for mass entry.

Geographically, the park occupies the joint of the

) to 175 m above sea level. In the center part of the park relief is expressed weakly. The most picturesque locality is on the southwest of the park, where the above-floodplain terraces of the Yauza River are clearly expressed with the sufficiently steep slopes to its floodlands.

The sources of the Yauza and the

.

In Moscow, the national park area is crossed by the

, which is a multi-lane dual carriageway.

History

Losiny Ostrov National Park was created in 1983 on the land which since ancient times served as the strictly guarded hunting area of Russian

. Its territory was declared reserved in 1799, the first forest management was established here in 1842, and the idea of the creation of the national park was expressed as early as 1909.

This place is known from the 14th century, in particular, from the testaments of Russian princes -

Alexis

.

After the transfer of the capital to Saint Petersburg, this territory lost its value as a tsarist hunting ground, but the government property continued to be guarded by imperial edicts. Approximately at this time the territory finally became named Losiny Ostrov or Pogonny Losiny Ostrov. In 1798, these forests passed to the management of the newly formed forest department. In the middle of the 19th century the Losinoostrovskaya lesnaya dacha was opened, and the period of systematic forestry began. In 1934, the Losiny Ostrov was included in the 50 kilometers long greenbelt of Moscow.

A large area of the forest was cut during

formed the national park.

Since 2002, the Elk Biological Station has been in operation. It opened in December 2015 after reconstruction. There you can touch and feed the elk and learn all about its life

On 20 April 2007, the Murder of Shamil Odamanov took place^[2].

• 
  A pond on the Elk River
• 
  Elk in an urban park
• 
  Babaevsky pond
• 
  Losinka Horse Club
• 
  Ichka River in Losiny Ostrov

References

External links

• (in Russian) Official site
• (in Russian) Unofficial site
• (in Russian) Treasure Island Documentary dedicated to Losiny Ostrov fauna