Homilsha forests
The Gomolshansky forests, a national park located in the basin of the Seversky Donets River, covers an area of 143 km2, of which 34 km2 are listed in the permanent estate of the park and 109 km2 are included in its composition, without withdrawal from landowners. It is located on the Left Bank of Ukraine, 45 km from the city of Kharkov in the Zmievsky and Pervomaisky districts of the region between the villages of Gomolsha and Koropovo. This forest area became a national park in 2004. Until the same time, deforestation and hunting were actively engaged in here. Back in the 18th century, Peter the Great emphasized the unusual beauty of nature by creating a "protected ship meadow" on the territory and establishing a "forest guard".
One of the main architectural monuments is the ruins of the Zmiev St. Nicholas Cossack Temple, which was built in 1648. and then, in 1676, it was rebuilt. There is a legend that Cossacks lived in this temple, who were engaged in robbery and ripped off money for travel on local roads. Catherine II became interested in such audacious behavior of the Cossacks and decided to restore order by destroying the Cossack militia. In order to figure out where the monastery is located, the presence of underground passages in it and the strength of the defense, she sends Prince Grigory Potemkin to investigate. Under the guise of an elder, the prince lived in the monastery for some time and found out all the information. Later, in 1788, Russian troops led by Potemkin took the monastery. Legend says that out of desperation, the Cossacks sank a lot of looted silver in the lake, which turned it white. Now this lake is called the White Lake.
There are many archaeological sites in the Homolshan forests, mainly mounds and settlements from different periods (from the Neolithic to the Roman culture).
Flora of the park The Homolshan forests consist mainly of woodlands, which include an oak grove with an area of 500 hectares of perennial oaks, 150-130 years old, and the oldest oak in Ukraine, 600 years old, grows there, as well as specimens that are 350 years old. Broad-leaved maple-ash-lime forests are also gaining ground here. On the sandy territory of the left bank of the river, pine forests and sub-forests predominate. More than 800 plant species, of which close to 40 are rare and endangered, which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, are present in the park. You can also see many medicinal plants here – this is Russian valerian, oakwood tulip, tonka mowers and about 140 more varieties.
The fauna of the Homolshan forests is very rich. Deer, roe deer, wild boars, foxes, badgers, ermines, minks, large rainbow beetle, Armenian bumblebee, copperheads live here. Many animals found in these forests are also listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, namely 38 species. Quadrupeds live in this area, which are listed on the European Red List and 66 species are protected by the Red List of the Kharkiv region.
The National Park attracts tourists with its unusual combinations of natural landscapes with cultural and historical monuments. Hiking, as well as equestrian, ecological routes are arranged in the Homolshan forests: "Seversko-Donetsky steeps", "Oak Guy", "Cossack Mountain", on which numerous tables and benches for recreation, springs, as well as fire-fighting and propaganda stands are scattered. For the development of ecological trails, data on the flora and fauna, the composition of air, land and water in the park, obtained from research by the Karazin National University, were applied.
