Sparrow Hills reserve map. Nature Reserve "Vorobyovy Gory"

Text: Margarita Vasilyeva

Vorobyovy Gory has always occupied a special place and possessed special status in Moscow: from the 16th century a palace estate, then royal estate. In 1987, Sparrow Hills, and at that time the "slopes Leninsky mountains” were declared a natural monument of a geological nature with unique landforms, outcrops and springs.

Illustration: Valery Shaban

And in 1998, in order to preserve and restore the natural, historical and cultural complex unique for Moscow, the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve was created. Its territory with a total area of about 150 hectares is bounded from the northeast by the left bank of the Moskva River, from the west and south by Kosygin Street. The reserve stretches in a narrow strip, about 4 km long, from the Vorobyovskoye Highway (near the mouth of the Setun River) to the Third Ring Road in the area of Gagarinskaya Square. Komsomolsky prospect and Metromost coincide with the administrative boundaries of the districts (Western and Southwestern) and divide the reserve into 2 parts: western and eastern.

The combination of various forms of recreation with the knowledge of wildlife For this purpose, two ecological trails have been set up in the Reserve, including one for people with movement restrictions.

And the routes are:

Andreevsky Ponds. The ponds were dug out no later than the 18th - the first quarter of the 19th century, when a new manor park was arranged here. A walking area with places for recreation, a playground and shady gazebos has been created near the large Andreevsky Pond.
Route "On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills", where you can get acquainted with natural wealth Sparrow Hills - unique landslide slopes, flora and fauna.
The route "On the terraces of the Sparrow Hills" is also suitable for such a name - "Look deep into the Earth." On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, one can see brown and reddish clay layers and reddish sandy deposits with huge boulders - witnesses of icing.

Nature

Sparrow Hills is one of the most contrasting, complexly built and dynamically developing natural areas of Moscow, while located not far from historical center. Vorobyevo is known for its picturesque ridge-hilly relief, numerous ravines and gullies, active development of landslide processes, preserved fragments of the alluvial terraces of the Moskva River and numerous groundwater outlets along the entire slope of the Sparrow Hills - in the form of individual springs and entire swampy areas. In the era when this territory was covered by the sea, in the pre-Quaternary time, powerful strata of marine sediments accumulated here - Carboniferous limestones, Jurassic clays and Cretaceous sands. Sparrow Hills is an active geodynamic zone with anomalous values of magnetic and electromagnetic fields. The variety of nature of the Sparrow Hills is complemented by rivers, streams, small swamps, ponds and springs. The main waterway of the city - the Moscow River - within the boundaries of the reserve makes one of its loops and changes direction. Its width in the Vorobyovy Gory region is about 230 m, depth - from 3 to 5 m. The most famous springs in the reserve can be seen in the ravine near the stele of Herzen-Ogarev, in the ravine to the west of the springboard and to the north-west of the Church of the Holy Trinity. Three ancient ponds are located near the Andreevsky Monastery and the fourth - Forest Pond - in the central part of the reserve, was also dug out at least a century and a half ago.

The ponds here never dry up, because the water in them comes as a result of groundwater discharge on the slope of the valley. All ponds have had a decorative purpose for many years and have been preserved in their natural banks to this day. Sparrow Hills occupy a special place among Moscow landscapes. The main landscape axis of the reserve, as well as the whole city, is the valley of the Moskva River. Natural-territorial complexes (NTCs) of the floodplain adjoin the valley directly, they have been greatly altered by human impact, and have survived only in some places, for example, at the confluence of the Setun River in the northwestern part of the reserve, where you can see leveled surfaces occupied by wet meadows on sod soils.

Most of the Vorobyovy Gory is occupied by the NTC of the primary slopes of the Teplostan Upland, which break off to the Moskva River. There are steep (25-40°), sometimes steep, landslide slopes in the reserve. The vegetation on them, due to the great steepness, almost everywhere remained natural, except for the ski jump area and the slope adjacent to it, which is actively exploited by skiers and snowboarders in winter. There are also gentle slopes and hollows occupied by broad-leaved forest; they can be observed in the area of the forest pond, above the rescue station, etc. In the middle part of the slope at heights of 135-140 meters, on leveled surfaces, one can see the PTK of a floodplain terrace with birch forests and meadow forbs. The highest level (from 150 to 180-190 m) in the reserve is occupied by the watershed surfaces of the Teplostan Upland. They have been preserved in the area of the enclosure complex, the metro bridge, near the Trinity Church; most of them are occupied by artificial linden-oak plantations.

Flora

Due to the location of the reserve on the slopes of the river valley, it is dominated by broad-leaved tree species - these are oak, linden and Norway maple, ash. Individual trees reach an age of 200-250 years and a height of 35-38 meters. No less widely represented are small-leaved species - birch and aspen. Black alder is found in wet areas. The "overseas guest" - American maple, or ash-leaved maple - has settled widely. The undergrowth is formed by shrubs such as hazel (or hazel), warty euonymus, forest honeysuckle, and common viburnum. Of the herbs in the reserve, forest and meadow species predominate. In spring, Ranunculus anemone appears one of the first, covering the reserve with a yellow carpet. After it, new leaves of hairy sedge appear instead of wintering under the snow. By the end of May, on slightly disturbed areas, a continuous green cover, along with sedge, forms gout and forest grass. Here and there you can see bright yellow and purple inflorescences of greenfinch and creeping tenacious.

Of the meadow species, the most common are the monetized loosestrife, whose rounded leaves resemble coins, and bedstraws.

In glades, forest edges and in light forests, there are graceful cuff leaves and bluish flowers of Veronica oak. Dioecious nettles and types of gravilates grow in damp places - river and city. Of the "Red Book" plants of the Vorobyovy Gory, one of the few orchids living in the city stands out - broad-leaved nappe and nesting. And of the early-flowering species - spring rank, yellow goose onion and corydalis - dense, still familiar to Sparrow Hills, and hollow, almost disappeared from the territory. A special group of rare species of the Sparrow Hills, as well as all of Moscow as a whole, are plants that are more characteristic of the steppes - green strawberries and St. John's wort.

Fauna

More than a hundred species of vertebrates are currently found on the territory of the Sparrow Hills. Of these, 4 species of fish that live in Lesnoy and Andreevsky ponds, 2 species of amphibians, 1 species of reptiles (common snake), up to 85 species of birds and about 15 species belong to the class of mammals, or animals. All year round on the Moskva River, and in the summer and on the ponds of the reserve, the mallard keeps. Often, walking along the embankment, you can meet feeding gulls - blue-gray and lake, and in the forest you can notice a bright large motley woodpecker and noisy fieldfare. In all seasons, tits are bustling near the feeders - great and blue tit, and nuthatches and pikas examine the bark of trees. To prevent all the blue food from getting to the pigeons, the feeders are covered with a special net. Sometimes squirrels also visit the feeders. With the advent of spring, finches and robins are among the first to arrive in the reserve, and, a little later, starlings and thrushes - songbird and redwing. Greenfinches begin to sing, the first molehills appear on snow-free areas, and wagtails “mince” along the paths and paths. By the beginning of May, warblers and flycatchers, as well as the "main feathered singer" - the nightingale, reach the Sparrow Hills. Forest mice rustle in the litter, and field mice rustle in the meadows and edges. Special attention in the Reserve is devoted to the conservation of the owls living here - the gray owl and the long-eared owl. In addition to them, hawks (goshawk and sparrowhawk) and falcons - kestrel and hobby falcon, which have become a symbol of the reserve, are found among the birds of prey on Sparrow Hills. During the summer months you can hear the cuckoo and the oriole. In spring, during migration, woodcock is found, and on the Moscow River - goldeneyes and crested ducks. The most interesting species of animals that you can meet here are the common hedgehog, the weasel - the only representative of predators, and the common shrew, which lives in slightly disturbed areas.

Historical monuments

Andreevsky Monastery (1675, 1805). Its buildings are located at the foot of the slope of the Moskva River valley next to the building of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was founded during the time of Ivan the Terrible in the Plennitsy tract. In 1648, the roundabout F.M. Rtishchev revived the monastery on the site of the former one that burned down, and in 1665 he founded a religious school under him, which served as the beginning of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. In 1685, the religious school was transferred to Kitay-Gorod, and the empty monastery was assigned to the Zaikonospassky Monastery. The monastic settlement gradually turned into a semi-village of Andreevskoe, which is in Prisoners (Prisoners). In the second half of the 17th century, the monastery was heavily rebuilt and turned into a center of educational activities under the leadership of a major political and cultural figure boyar Athanasius Ordyn-Nashchokin.
One of the first printing houses was founded here and a shelter for homeless children was located. At the end of the XVIII century the monastery was closed.
In the monastery complex there are churches of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Andrew Stratilates and ap. John the Theologian, as well as the Synodal Library. Until now, it has not been renewed and is the Patriarchal Metochion. The freshly restored gate church of Andrey Stratilat, which gave the name to the monastery, is interesting for its preserved colored tiles and frescoes. The Church of St. John the Evangelist stands out from the rest with a powerful three-tiered bell tower. The third church of the monastery ensemble is the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (1689-1701) in the Moscow Baroque style, which has preserved a frieze of large tiles, made by the unsurpassed master of monumental ceramics of the late 18th century Stepan Polubes.
Trinity Church. The current building of the temple was built in 1811-1813. in the style of classicism. In 1812, Mikhail Kutuzov prayed in it before going to the military council in Fili. Napoleon came here to look at the panorama of Moscow. In Soviet times, the Trinity Church, far from the center, not only miraculously survived, but was not even closed, so its ancient interior was preserved. Moreover, after the prohibition of bell ringing throughout Moscow, it was in the Vorobyovskaya Church that the bells continued to ring - it was located outside the administrative line of the city.
Grachev's dacha. This is the only surviving example of the rich dacha development of the Moscow suburbs of the early 20th century. A three-story, high attic, spectacularly arranged building with a brick ground floor and wooden upper floors stands on the edge of the Sparrow Hills plateau at the intersection of the street. Kosygin from Vernadsky Ave. Of the interior decoration, only the chiseled balusters of the central staircase survived.
The estate of Dmitriev-Mamonov. The most significant period in the development of the estate was the first years of the 19th century, when it passed into the possession of the famous philanthropist, the most enlightened man of his time - Nikolai Yusupov. An extensive park with greenhouses was laid out at the estate.
In 1833, the estate was sold to Count Matvey Dmitriev-Mamonov and was named Mamon's Dacha. Further in time, it was inherited, rented out, sold.
Monument to A.I. Herzen and N.P. Ogarev at the place of their oath. In 1978, a stele was erected on a high slope in memory of the revolutionaries. An inscription is carved on the wall of the obelisk: “Here in 1827 the young men A. Herzen and N. Ogarev, who became great revolutionary democrats, took an oath to fight the autocracy without sparing their lives.”

Ecocenter "Vorobyovy Gory"

In June of this year, the Center resumed free walking tours: sightseeing tour introduces the flora and fauna of the Sparrow Hills, as well as their unique relief; historical - with such sights as the Andreevsky Monastery, the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Novoandreevsky Bridge, the Luzhnetsky metro bridge, the Grachevs' dacha, the escalator gallery, the stele of Herzen and Ogarev, the Moscow State University, the Temple of the Life-Giving Trinity, the ruins of the Krynkin restaurant. The Ecocenter also organizes the Freemarket - a free fair where you can exchange things, and participation in the Fascinating Science Festival, waste paper collection and other recyclables. The main goals of the work of the Ecocenter are environmental education, increasing the environmental culture of adults and children of middle and senior school age. Since 1954, a meteorological observatory at Moscow State University has been operating in the Reserve. From here, the weather in the city is monitored from five weather stations. These data are then taken into account in the weather forecast for Moscow.

Western part of the natural reserve " Sparrow Hills» (89.82 ha) is one of the most beautiful places in Moscow. The high right bank of the Moskva River has always attracted people with dense forests, complex terrain and a wonderful panorama overlooking the river. Remains of settlements of the Dyakovo culture (Early Iron Age) were found here.

This place has been called Sparrow Hills since the 15th century. Grand Duchess Sofya Vitovtovna, the wife of Prince Vasily I of Moscow, bought the village from a local priest, nicknamed Sparrow by the people. Since then, it has become a palace.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great, lived on Sparrow Hills with his whole family, and later young Peter came here. Under Elizabeth Petrovna, on the high bank of the river, there were two wooden churches, there was a garden and a large birch grove. The last royal palace on Sparrow Hills was built for
Catherine II.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the wooden mansions fell into disrepair and were dismantled. Until our time, only the Church of the Trinity (1811), which once stood on its outskirts, has survived from the village of Vorobyovo.

In 1812, the architect A.L. Witberg assumed that the slope would descend in three terraces from the top of the mountain to the river. But in 1827 construction was stopped, because. in the course of earthworks, it turned out that landslide processes were taking place. In 1827, young Herzen and Ogarev took an oath on Sparrow Hills - to fight for the freedom of the people until the end of their lives. A stele was erected on a high slope in memory of the revolutionaries. In the October days of 1917, the Red Guards installed heavy artillery on the Sparrow Hills and began shelling the Kremlin. From 1935 until the beginning of the nineties Vorobyovy Gory were called Leninskiye. After the construction of the new building of Moscow State University in 1952, the Lenin Hills became a symbol of Soviet science. The nature of Sparrow Hills is unique. Due to the danger of development of landslide processes, they successfully avoided intensive development and largely retained their natural appearance. Sparrow (Lenin) mountains in 1987 were declared a natural monument, and in 1998 they became part of a specially protected natural area - the State Nature Reserve "Vorobyovy Gory".

Improvement and security

To preserve and restore biological diversity, taking into account the need to preserve especially valuable natural objects zoning has been introduced in the protected areas. Each zone, depending on its functional purpose, has a special regime of protection and nature management. This is the so-called gradation of protected areas by visiting or not allowing visitors to a particular area. As for saving the corners wildlife and at the same time environmental education, then for this in the Natural Reserve "Sparrow Hills" created an ecological trail. The route was laid in such a way that it was possible to capture the maximum area for viewing the area. To get acquainted with the territory, its features, flora and fauna, information boards, gazebos, benches are located throughout the route, for people with handicapped the trail is equipped with ramps, railings and Braille tables.

environmental education

Employees of the environmental education department of the State Budgetary Institution "Administration of Protected Areas for CJSC" in their work on environmental education focus on hiking on the territory of the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve. After all, it is much easier to perceive information visually and of course more interesting.

Excursions of the GPBU "Management of protected areas in the ZAO" provide good material for the development of the education of aesthetic feelings and love for nature. During the excursion, the children observe the surrounding nature, get acquainted with the characteristics of plants and animals, observe the forests and learn their features. The main purpose of the excursion is the formation of ideas about objects and natural phenomena in a real setting. Various environmental and sports events and promotions are held year-round for city residents in the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve: “Moskva River - clean banks”, “Gift to the city”, “Falling leaves of good deeds”, etc. For children preschool age colorful theatrical tours are held, with the participation of fairy tale characters. This interest encourages children to be active. Participating in a fairy tale in the fresh air, the child will no longer pass by the injured animal, he will definitely help.

Gallery

Sparrow Hills is a natural reserve covering the territory of the historical area "Sparrow Hills". It was founded on July 21, 1998.

Geography

The territory of the reserve with an area of 1.375 km² is located on a high bank and rises 70 meters above the river's edge. A wide steep slope is dissected by deep ravines, along which small rivers used to run: Chura with tributaries, Krovyanka and Kotlovka; groundwater outlets (springs) occur, landslide processes are observed. The reserve is bounded from the northeast by the left bank of the Moskva River, from the west and south by Kosygin Street. It stretches in a narrow strip, about 4 km long, from Vorobyovskoye Highway (near the mouth of the Setun River) to the Third Ring Road near Gagarin Square. Komsomolsky prospect and Luzhnetsky metro bridge coincide with the administrative boundaries of the districts (Western and Southwestern) and divide the reserve into 2 parts: western and eastern. Three ecological trails pass through the territory - "On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills", "Andreevsky Ponds" and "On the terraces of the Sparrow Hills", the total length of which is more than one and a half kilometers. On the territory of the nature reserve there are two Andreevsky ponds: small and large, named after the nearby Andreevsky monastery. On the terraces of Sparrow Hills there is also a Forest Pond.

The territory received the status of a nature reserve in accordance with the Decree of the Government of Moscow dated July 21, 1998 No. 564 “On measures to develop the territories of the Natural Complex of Moscow”. In 2013, the territory of the reserve was attached to Gorky Park.

Flora and fauna

Due to the fact that some areas are difficult to access for farming and recreation, as well as due to the diversity of biotopes, a relatively high level of biodiversity has been preserved on the territory of the reserve. The flora of the reserve includes more than 400 species of vascular plants, of which 43 are included in the Red Book of Moscow, including such herbaceous plants as the many-flowered kupena, the common ostrich, the broad-leaved dreamflower, Fisher's carnation, and the Danish astragalus. The most common tree is Norway maple, also common are heart-shaped linden, English oak, drooping birch and common ash, there are aspen, elm, horse chestnut, Norway maple, black alder, Siberian larch, bird cherry, small-leaved linden, Pennsylvania ash, poplar. A relatively small number of mammals live in the reserve - the European mole, common shrew, common squirrel, bank and common voles, woodland and field mice, occasionally the bats. At the same time, almost 100 species of birds were noted, of which 37 are included in the Red Book (for example, the gray owl, corncrake, white-backed woodpecker, grosbeak, goshawk). Crested Duck nests on Andreevsky Ponds. From amphibians you can meet grass and lake frogs.

"Specially protected natural area" Vorobyovy Gory was not lucky enough to be in the center of Moscow. The outcome was predictable, but no less sad...

To start, a little history:

In 1987, the Sparrow (Lenin) mountains were declared a natural monument of a geological nature with unique landforms, outcrops and springs. The territory of Sparrow Hills is "protected by law":

"Specially Protected natural area of the City of Moscow, the natural reserve "Vorobyovy Gory" was established in order to preserve, restore and develop the Natural Complex of Moscow by Decree of the Government of Moscow of July 21, 1998 No. 564 "On measures to develop the territories of the Natural Complex of Moscow."

Tasks of the nature reserve:

Preservation of historical, cultural and natural complexes;

Preservation and restoration of valuable objects and territories that are habitats of rare, endangered or vulnerable species of plants, animals, birds or insects in the conditions of the city of Moscow;

Carrying out research work on the study of objects of special protection of the natural reserve "Vorobyovy Gory";

Creation of conditions for maintaining recreational potential territories within the city;

Restoration of disturbed landscapes, biogeocenoses, natural, historical and cultural complexes and objects."

Today we will take a walk along Sparrow Hills and see how well these tasks are being carried out.

Even 15 years ago, it was indeed an almost virgin forest park, in which rare plants grew and rare animals lived. Even cycling competitions were banned there under the pretext that it could harm the natural habitat of rare varieties of grasshoppers.

The arrival of new "masters" of Sparrow Hills in 2011 was marked by the famous statement that bad cyclists caused damage to the reserve in a million dollars (33 million rubles). Ah ah ah!

Under the auspices of the fight against cyclists, Sparrow Hills began to "beautify". That is, to plow with heavy equipment, cut down trees and shrubs. In 2013, paths were laid there, which made the park more pedestrian-friendly, but harmed the park's ecosystem hundreds of times more than all cyclists, because. quads, tractors and trucks drove throughout the park.

This winter, the landscaping continued: all paths received lighting. But at what cost! Firstly, for this, trenches were dug along the entire length of the paths. Now tractor ruts half a meter deep are visible everywhere, filled with dirty slurry.

Hundreds of square meters of fences and some sports facilities appeared here and there. Sparrow Hills turned from the Reserve into an ordinary city park, which is actually understandable if you look at the name of the customer company on this poster.

On the official website of the ecological center "Vorobyovy Gory" there are the following words:

"According to experts, in order to preserve natural heritage on Vorobyovy Gory, it is necessary to preserve the territorial integrity of the reserve, limit economic and construction activities here, control the development of erosion and landslide processes, restore disturbed areas in a timely manner and promote the formation of natural plant communities rather than gardens and parks."

As we can see, what is happening now in the reserve contradicts this. But landslide processes, as you will now see, are being studied - but not from a scientific point of view and not for environmental purposes ...

On the very slope where rare grasshoppers lived, now there are heavy cars and drilling rigs - geological surveys are being carried out to study landslide slopes.

The research is carried out by order of the Department of Construction of the city of Moscow, which has its own plans for Vorobyovy Gory. Now we are talking about putting up a giant monument to Prince Vladimir on the observation deck of the Sparrow Hills.

My value judgment: Sparrow Hills as a reserve, reserve, forest park ended, now it's just a city park, with smooth paths instead of paths, artificial lighting, football fields, etc.

I really hope that as a fly in the ointment, the park administration will meet the needs of cyclists and legalize all existing bike trails, as well as contribute to the construction of new ones. Because otherwise it would be a rare duplicity...

But Sparrow Hills is still a pity.

Sparrow Hills is a natural reserve covering the territory of the historical area "Sparrow Hills". It was founded on July 21, 1998.

The specially protected natural area of the city of Moscow, the natural reserve "Vorobyovy Gory" was established in order to preserve, restore and develop the Natural Complex of Moscow by Decree of the Government of Moscow dated July 21, 1998 No. 564 "On measures to develop the territories of the Natural Complex of Moscow".

Sparrow Hills is one of the most beautiful places in Moscow. The high right bank of the Moskva River has always attracted people with dense forests, complex terrain and a wonderful panorama overlooking the river.

The nature reserve is located on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills. Area 106 hectares. Three decorative ponds and an array of natural broad-leaved forests have been preserved. Old lime forests predominate, there are areas of birch forests, a fragment of black alder. There are springs, damp lawns and lowland swamps. Typical forest grasses have been preserved, including ferns, sedges, ranunculus anemone, European hoof, perennial forest grass, there are corydalis, nettle bell, lily of the valley, lungwort, many-flowered kupena and others. Mole, squirrel, hobby falcon, raven, blackbirds, nightingale, green warbler and others live here. Three ecological trails have been created (“On the slopes of the Sparrow Hills”, “Andreevsky Ponds” and “On the terraces of the Sparrow Hills”), a children's menagerie. Vorobyovy Gory are part of the Moscow "seven hills". They are a steep cliff of the Teplostan Upland, formed by the undermining of the Moskva River. They are located on the right river bank, opposite the Luzhnikovskaya bend. The name was given to the village of Vorobyovo located here. Sparrow Hills stretch from the mouth of the Setun River to the Andreevsky Bridge Okruzhnaya railway. Max Height- 220 meters, above the river's edge - 80-100 meters. The slope facing the river is dissected by a network of deep ravines. In the 17th century, at the foot of the eastern part of the Sparrow Hills, the Andreevsky Monastery was founded. In 1817, on the site of the royal palace of the 17th century, the first Cathedral of Christ the Savior was laid as a monument to the victory in Patriotic War 1812. In 1924-1991, the Sparrow Hills were called Lenin in memory of V.I. Lenin. In 1949-1953, in the area of the Lenin Hills (at an altitude of 196 meters), a new complex of buildings of Moscow State University was built and Observation deck. On Sparrow Hills, in addition to the nature reserve, there are buildings of the presidium and a number of institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The wooded slopes of the Sparrow Hills and embankments, built in 1958-1961, are a place summer holidays Muscovites. Since 2012, the embankments of the Moscow River have been part of the TsPKiO im. Gorky.