Ecological Tourism in North-West Russia
Organized excursions visiting St. Petersburg, Russia and the "Vepsky
les" Nature Park
May 25 - August 8, 2003
For more information please contact:
Vampilova Ljudmila (histgeo [at] mail.ru)
Dear Colleagues:
The Russian State Hydrometeorogical University is very pleased to invite
you to take part in celebration of the 300th anniversary of St.
Petersburg on May 25 - August 8, 2003. Along with the diversified
programme for the celebration, we propose to hold a workshop for you to
get acquainted with the curricula and organization of students' field
work at the four Faculties the University is made up of: the Ecology,
Hydrology, Meteorology and Oceanography Faculties of the Russian State
Hydrometeorological University (RSHU). The trips are organized in such a
way that the tourists who have arrived would stay in St. Petersburg for
5 days, and then they take a bus to go on a scientific excursion to the
"Vepsky les" Nature Park ("The Veps' Forest"). The duration of the
excursion is 7 days.
The dates of the trips are as follows:
From May 25 to June 5
From June 8 to June 19
From June 21 to July 2
From July 12 to July 23
From July 28 to August 8
The "Vepsky les" Nature Park is situated in the north-eastern part of
Leningrad Region, being a part of Vepsovskaya Upland. The area is
ecologically pure and far from industrial centres. This is a land of
hundreds of lakes and rivers full of fish, springs with crystal-clear
water, virginal areas of taiga with diverse flora and fauna. This is the
only place where a small nation of Russia - the Veps - live, with their
original culture, language and traditions.
It is in this very area that in 1999 a specially protected nature
territory, the "Vepsky les" Nature Park, was created by the
Administration of Lenigrad Region. The area of this park is 190
hectares; it includes watersheds of the rivers of the Baltic and Caspian
water basins. The local lakes, springs, bogs and fens are the origins of
the rivers which carry their water to the Volga River and Ladoga lake.
The "Vepsky les" Nature Park is a nature-protection, recreation,
scientific and ecological-educational facility controlled by the
Leningrad Region Administration.
The main tasks of this nature park are protection of its unique nature,
preservation, study and revival of the Veps' culture, establishment of
the conditions for tourism and recreation in the picturesque and
ecologically pure region, implementation of research and organization of
ecological education of the population.
The various landscapes of the park include places with broad-leaved
forests which are not characteristic of the taiga zone. Their existence
can be explained by the presence of endogenous heat inflows and
geomorphologic features. The areas with over-grown primary
spruce-forests and pine-forests whose age is about 250-300 years (some
of the specimens being 400 years old) are unique.
Apart from the geobotanical rarities, there were found bifurcation
zones in the valley of the Urja and Kanzhaja Rivers which are connected
with the new tectonics. Between glacial forms of relief you can find the
rarely seen zvontsy with a peculiar type of soil called poddubitsa (the
soil formed under oaks).
Near the entrance of the "Urja-Kanzhaja" reserve, tourists are greeted
by a waterfall. Its height is 18 metres. The water falls down along the
vertical wall of dolomitic limestone. In the lower part of the waterfall
there is a pond where trout are bred.
Living in this nature park in close proximity are Russians and Veps, who
have a mutual influence on their traditions, culture, way of life and
customs. The Veps are a mysterious people of the European North; they
are the descendants of ancient dwellers of the Mezhozerije (a territory
between the three largest lakes: the White, the Onega and the Ladoga).
Veps' settlements were first mentioned in the Charter of Prince
Svyatoslav of 1137.
The Veps language belongs to the Finno-Ugrian group of languages. It is
very melodious and diverse. The Veps cultivate a special attitude to
nature. They think that a kind forest spirit is the master of all forest
areas, and a water master - Vedegheine - is the owner of water areas.
Tourists will be accommodated in comfortable guest houses of the local
inhabitants with vivid rural appointments.
In the park, you will be offered excursions on various topics.
The price for this trip, 1300 USD, is formed taking into account a
five-day-long stay in St. Petersburg (accommodation in the hostel,
transport for the excursion and a culture programme) and a
seven-day-long stay in the park ( including the guest-house
accommodation, meals, the fare to the park and back, as well as the
inter-tour transport in the reserves of the park and scientific
excursions). A helicopter tour over the territory of the park will be
probably offered at extra cost.
Welcome to our city and nature park!
We are looking forward to your replies indicating the date of the trip.
Please contact:
Vampilova Ljudmila
histgeo [at] mail.ru
Supervisor of scientific research in the "Vepsky les" Nature Park
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology
RSHU (Russian State Hydrometeorogical University)
http://rshu.ru
http://pages.rshu.ru/anniversary/