Fragment of Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov - Dashkov Estate

Beauty of nature, we all love to see,
From tiny insect to exotic tree.

Our environment, keeps us alive, 

         We must protect it, for society to thrive.

Saratov Region is the region of natural beauty where many of resources attract the attention of visitors from all parts of Russia. It is a combination of amazing resources which  have natural, historical as well as cultural significance.  124 nature monuments, about 300 cultural monuments, 18 ancient manors and over 3,000 architectural sites can be found in Saratov Region.

The National Park “Khvalynsky” is the pearl of the region with health resorts, tourist routes and apple gardens situated on its territory. It is rich in picturesque places, splendid landscapes, unique flora and fauna! A lot of plants, insects, animals are brought into the Red data Book of Russia. The territory of the National Park is divided into following zones: zapovednaya, economic, recreation and protected zones. Tourist routes include admirable ecopaths: the Cave of the Monk (the most mysterious place in the park), the Sacred Spring, Birch Grove, Tour at Lukomorye, Apple tree Garden and others. 

There are four nature monuments in the National Park “Khvalynsky”: the pine cretaceous, Springs (the most famous - “The Sacred Spring”),  Fragment of Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov Estate, “Mountain Belenkaya”.

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Count I.I. Vorontsov-Dashkov Estate

This protected nature monument 

represents the invaluable natural heritage of Saratov Region.

Since 1991 the fragment of Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov estate  has been declared as a  nature monument in Khvalynsk district.

The owner of the estate was Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov. He served as Minister of Imperial Properties in 1881–97 and the General Governor of Caucasus in 1905–15. He was officially in charge of the victorious Russian forces in the Battle of Saricamis during the early months of World War I. Illarion Ivanovich was an outstanding personality of the Vorontsov family.

                                                                     

The park attached to the house

The park was founded approximately in the second half of the 19^th century. 
It is said there were three alleys(lime, pine, poplar alleys) in the park. We can see only 20 mighty lime - trees in Lime Alley which reach 25 m in height with a trunk 64 cm in diameter. The remained part of the park includes 14 plants: 10 trees ( fir,  pine,  oak,  linden, small-leaved elm, Wych elm, green ash-tree, pear, apple-tree), 4 bushes  (hawthorn, lilac, yellow acacia, Tatar maple).

Pinus sylvestris or a pine ordinary is the oldest tree with a well formed symmetric crown among other plants in Vorontsov’s park. This evergreen tree grows up to 30 m in height and  has a trunk diameter of 70 cm.

There are four species of fir tree ordinary 12 m in height there, but they are in a deplorable state.

Quercus robur (the English oak or pedunculate oak) is massive and thickset, it is 12 m high having a mighty trunk 70 cm in diameter.

However, beauty and  pride of the park is Abies alba, the silver fir or European silver fir, the only invaluable species. It is an aboriginal  tree of the dark coniferous taiga. Abies alba is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40–50 m (exceptionally 60 m) tall and having a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m.

There were some attempts to grow up a fir in different places of the Saratov province, but because of various reasons those plantings didn't survive.  In Vorontsov’s estate the fir grows in the yard of the dwelling house,that, probably, helped it to remain.

The visitors also admire  Ulmus pinnato-ramosa Dieck which reaches 16 m in height with two mighty trunks 80cm in diameter.

Especially protected plants : 

*small-leaved Lime (20 species), *silver fir or European silver fir (1 species), *pine ordinary (1 species), *English oak or pedunculate oak (1 species), *green ash-tree (1 species), *Norway maple (1 species).

The purposes of the park:

*Protection Vorontsov's park. *Enforcement  of  park regulations. *Preservation the natural beauty.  *Protection and reproduction rare plants. *Tourism development and recreation in the park.