Holy Mountains (National Park)

In the park there are chalk mountains, on which rare plants of antiquity are preserved, for example, chalk pine , preserved from the preglacial period.

In 2008, the Cretaceous Mountains ( Holy Mountains ) on the territory of the National Mountains "Holy Mountains" were in the Top-100 of the All-Ukrainian competition " Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine " ^[1] .

The total area of ​​the park is 40589 ha, of which 11878 ha are owned by the park.

Flora : the total number of plant species growing in the park is 943, of which 48 are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine . The vegetation of the Seversky Donets river valley is protected: relic pine forest of Cretaceous pine, relict and endemic plant groups on the chalk detachments, barai forests, steppes, meadows and swamp vegetation. Flora has 20 endemic species.

Fauna : 256 species of animals live in the park, of which 50 are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. The fauna numbers 43 species of mammals, 194 - birds, 10 - reptiles, 9 - amphibians , 40 - fish.

In the park there are 129 archeological sites (from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages ) and 73 historical monuments. In 1980, the Svyatogorsky State Historical and Architectural Reserve was founded on the territory of the former Holy Assumption Monastery . The basis of the complex of monuments of the reserve is the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra (founded in the XIII - XVI centuries , received the status of the monastery in 2005), located on the rocky right bank of the Seversky Donets . The complex of historical monuments also includes a monumental sculpture of Artyom by I.P. Kavaleridze . Near the monument is the Great Patriotic War Memorial. Also included in the reserve is Kamyshev Oak - an oak - monument to the Hero of the Soviet Union , guard Lieutenant Vladimir Kamyshev . In 2011, in order to restore, a place was added to the territory of the reserve, where the so-called “Potemkin's Cottage” was previously located.

Highways and railways were built on the territory of the park, and a number of settlements are located (including the city of Svyatogorsk ). The city of Slavyansk adjoins the territory of the park from the south.

The following natural monuments and sanctuaries are included in the Holy Mountains National Nature Park ^[2] :

In the Slavyansk region:

• Mayatskaya Dacha is the largest oak forest massif in the Donetsk region! Botanical nature monument of national importance.
• “ Floodplain-1 ” is a floodplain oak forest, a forest reserve of local significance with an area of ​​590 ha.
• Tract "Sosna" - pine plantations of artificial origin, over 50 years old, forest reserve of local importance with an area of ​​527 hectares.
• Natural monument "600-year-old oak." A little higher than the Lavra along the Donets, on the left bank, there is a site of 200 - 300-year-old oaks. Most of them reach a height of 25 m and a diameter of about 80 cm, and some trees reach a meter and a half across. Here, at one of the edges, grows a 600-year-old oak, the oldest in eastern Ukraine. Its parameters: height - 29 meters, diameter - about 2 meters, trunk girth - 6.3 meters.
• Arboretum of Mayatsky Forestry

In the Liman region:

• The Lily of the Valley reserve is a forest in the floodplain of the Seversky Donets River, on which the May lily of the valley grows, a botanical reserve of local importance with an area of ​​43 hectares.
• The Black Stallion Wildlife Sanctuary is the place where black alder forests grow on the Black Stallion River, a general environmental reserve of local importance with an area of ​​223 hectares.
• "Chernetskoye" is a landscape reserve of local importance with an area of ​​197 hectares. On the territory there are pine plantations of artificial and oak plantations of natural origin.
• Lake Chernetskoye is a hydrological natural monument of local importance.
• Swamp Martynenkovo - an ornithological reserve of local importance.
• Podpesochnoye is a landscape preserve of local importance: around the Podpesochnoye lake there are pine and oak high-affinity plantings. Area - 197 ha.

In Svyatogorsk:

• “ Pine plantations ” - a landscape reserve of local importance, pine plantations around Svyatogorsk, under the age of 120 years. The area of ​​the reserve is 686 hectares. At the 19th session, the Donetsk Regional Council considered the issue of canceling the status of the reserve. ^[3]
• natural monument "Poplar"

• The official site of the National Natural Park "Holy Mountains"
• Official site of Svyatogorsk State Historical and Architectural Reserve