Homilsha forests
Homilsha forests- a national park located in the Seversky Donets river basin, covers an area of 143 km2, of which 34 km2 appear in the permanent estate of the park and 109 km2 – inscribed in its composition, without removal from landowners. It is located on the Left Bank of Ukraine, 45 km from the city of Kharkov in the Zmiev and Pervomaisky districts of the region between the villages of Gomolsha and Koropovo. This forest became the national park in 2004. Until that time, they were actively engaged in deforestation and hunting. Back in the eighteenth century, Peter I emphasized the unusual beauty of nature, creating a “protected ship meadow” on the territory and established « forest protection ».
One of the main architectural monuments is the ruins of the Zmievsky St. Nicholas Cossack Church, which was erected in 1648. and after, in 1676, nano-tun 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 daring behavior of the Cossacks and decided to restore order, destroying the Cossack porch. To figure out where the monastery is located, the presence of underground passages and the force of defense in it, she sends Prince Grigory Potemkin for reconnaissance. Under the guise of an old man, for some time the prince lived in a monastery and found out all the information. Later, in 1788. led by Potemkin, Russian troops took the monastery. Legend says that from hopelessness, the Cossacks drowned a lot of looted silver in the lake, from which it turned white. Now this lake is called - White.
In the Gomolshansky forests there are many archaeological sites, mainly mounds and settlements, from different periods ( from the Neolithic to the Romanesque culture ).
The plant world of the Gomolshansky Forest Park consists mainly of forests, which includes an oak forest with an area of 500 hectares of perennial oaks, with an age of 150-130 years, the oldest oak tree in Ukraine is growing there, age 600 years, there are also copies that are 350 years old. Broad-leaved maple-clear-lip, forests are also strong here. On the sandy territory of the left bank of the river, pine forests and soubras predominate. More than 800 species of plants, among which there are close to 40, — rare, as well as endangered, which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, are present in the park. You can also see here many medicinal plants – this is Russian valerian, oak tulip, kosari are thin and about 140 more varieties.
The fauna of the Gomolshanshansky forests is very saturated. Oleniums, roe deer, wild boars, foxes, badgers, ermines, ryol, a large rainbow, Armenian bumblebee, and median women live here. The many animals that are found in these forests are also listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, namely – 38 species. Four-legged people live in this area, who are listed on the European Red List and 66 species are protected by the Red List of the Kharkov Region.
The National Park lures tourists with its unusual combinations of natural landscapes with cultural and historical monuments. Gomolshanshansky forests are arranged by pedestrian, as well as horse, environmental routes: « Seversko-Donetsk circles », « Doubovy Guy », « Kazakh mountain », on which numerous tables and benches for recreation, springs, as well as fire and campaign stands. For the arrangement of ecological paths, data were used on the plant world and the world of animals, the composition of air, land and water in the park, obtained from studies of the national university named after Karazin.
