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| Losiny Ostrov National Park | |
|---|---|
 Upper Yauza Swamps, the city ofBalashikha | |
  | |
| Location | Russia |
| Nearest city | Moscow |
| Coordinates | 55°51′49″N37°46′39″E / 55.86361°N 37.77750°E /55.86361; 37.77750 |
| Area | 116 km2 (45 sq mi) |
| Established | 24 August 1983 |
| Website | https://losinyiostrov.ru/ |
Losiny Ostrov National Park (Russian:Национальный парк "Лосиный Остров", literally -Elk (Moose)Island) is the second oldestnational park ofRussia (afterSochi National Park). It is located inMoscow andMoscow Oblast. It is thelargest 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]
The total area of the national park in 2001 was 116.21 km², (28,717acres). 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% ofswamp. An additional 66.45 km² is reserved for expansion of the park.
The park is divided into the three functional zones:
Geographically, the park occupies the joint of theMeshchera Lowlands andKlin-Dmitrovchine, which is the watershed of theMoskva River andKlyazma River. The relief of the territory is a slightly undulating plain. The true altitudes of the locality vary from 146 m (floodlands of theYauza River) 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 thePekhorka can be found on the territory of the park. The natural riverbed of the Yauza was practically destroyed in the course ofpeateries in the 1950s-1970s. The riverbed of the Pekhorka is vastly changed after theAkulovohydro-electric station was built. The Yauza has several inflows here, the largest of which is theIchka.
In Moscow, the national park area is crossed by theMoscow Little Ring Railway. TheBelokamennaya Station is located inside the park. The portions of the park which belong to Moscow and to Moscow Oblast are separated by theMoscow Ring Road, which is a multi-lane dual carriageway.
Losiny Ostrov National Park was created in 1983 on the land which since ancient times served as the strictly guarded hunting area of RussianGrand Princes andtsars. 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 -Ivan Kalita,Dmitri Donskoi,Vladimir of Serpukhov and their descendants. In them plowed lands and the forests, located on the territory of the present national park, are mentioned. Later, this region became the place for hunting by the tsars, and the land of the future park came under protection. During theTime of Troubles, the economic activity here was abruptly reduced, former plowed land was overgrown with forest. The prosperity of the Losiny Ostrov as a hunting area was due to TsarAlexis.
After the transfer of the capital toSaint 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 namedLosiny Ostrov orPogonny Losiny Ostrov. In 1798, these forests passed to the management of the newly formed forest department. In the middle of the 19th century theLosinoostrovskaya lesnaya dacha was opened, and the period of systematic forestry began. In 1934, theLosiny Ostrov was included in the 50 kilometers longgreenbelt of Moscow.
A large area of the forest was cut duringWorld War II. From this time on, the future national park has suffered from arbitrary seizures of land for vegetable gardens, intense pasturing of cattle, and even illegal cuttings. In the late 1950s, construction ofMoscow Ring Road split the forest to inner and outer (larger) sectors. In 1979, the united resolution of the Moscow urban and provincialSoviets of People’s Deputies organized theLosiny Ostrov as a natural park. In 1983 the decision of the Council of Ministers of theRSFSR 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 theelk and learn all about its life
On 20 April 2007, theMurder of Shamil Odamanov took place[2].
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