NEWS ARCHIVE: JUNE 2004
June 25, 2004
"Minskiy kurier" (The Minsk Courier) Newspaper, No 118
Visitors are always the welcomed gusts
53,000 tourists have seen sights and beauty of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" for the first half of this year. The number of visitors was almost the same like for all last year when about 60,000 people visited the Pushcha. Geography of countries whence tourists were coming to Pushcha appreciably extended too. Groups from 33 countries visited the Park since the beginning of this year. As a whole, according to calculations of employees of the National Park, the tourist infrastructure will allow to serve up to 200,000 visitors per one year in the near future.
Ivan KUKSA
53,000 tourists have seen sights and beauty of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" for the first half of this year. The number of visitors was almost the same like for all last year when about 60,000 people visited the Pushcha. Geography of countries whence tourists were coming to Pushcha appreciably extended too. Groups from 33 countries visited the Park since the beginning of this year. As a whole, according to calculations of employees of the National Park, the tourist infrastructure will allow to serve up to 200,000 visitors per one year in the near future.
Ivan KUKSA
June 16, 2004
"Minskiy kurier" (The Minsk Courier) Newspaper, No 368
Hurricane was powerful but for nothing .
The hurricane passed through the area of the Brest region but it did not put the essential damage to the forest of the Byelorussian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the deputy director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Anna Dengubenko said. The thee-days inspection of the forest revealed only small-scale blockages of trees, mainly dead wood, she emphasized.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha seriously suffered in 2002 for the last time when hurricanes came across its territory. As a result, forest in the National Park was totally damaged on the area exceeded 180 hectares and 110,000 cubic metres of the destroyed wood. After the Ministry Natural Resources and Environment Protection, the Committee of Forestry and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus permitted the conducting clear cuttings after they inspected the suffered areas. Then, for the first time for last 60 years, large-scale artificial afforestation started on these areas. Pine and oak seeds have been gathered and landed for this purpose, on the average about six thousand young trees per a hectare.
This year by the decree of the President the area of the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha was increased to 42,000 hectares and now it makes up 161,000 hectares. Because of joining new lands the forest inventory is conducted in the Pushcha.
Valery SIDORCHIK
The hurricane passed through the area of the Brest region but it did not put the essential damage to the forest of the Byelorussian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the deputy director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Anna Dengubenko said. The thee-days inspection of the forest revealed only small-scale blockages of trees, mainly dead wood, she emphasized.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha seriously suffered in 2002 for the last time when hurricanes came across its territory. As a result, forest in the National Park was totally damaged on the area exceeded 180 hectares and 110,000 cubic metres of the destroyed wood. After the Ministry Natural Resources and Environment Protection, the Committee of Forestry and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus permitted the conducting clear cuttings after they inspected the suffered areas. Then, for the first time for last 60 years, large-scale artificial afforestation started on these areas. Pine and oak seeds have been gathered and landed for this purpose, on the average about six thousand young trees per a hectare.
This year by the decree of the President the area of the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha was increased to 42,000 hectares and now it makes up 161,000 hectares. Because of joining new lands the forest inventory is conducted in the Pushcha.
Valery SIDORCHIK
June 18, 2004
"Minski Kuryer" (The Minsk Courier) Newspaper, No 347
There are giant and old-aged trees
The integral inventory of forests which is carried out once ten years has been started in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". Both the situation concerning the vegetation is estimated and new habitations of birds and animals are investigated. This inventory is especially important because new areas have been recently joined to the Park that requires an all-round scientific estimation. It is supposed that the inventory duration will be lasted as minimum as one year.
Ivan KUKSA
The integral inventory of forests which is carried out once ten years has been started in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". Both the situation concerning the vegetation is estimated and new habitations of birds and animals are investigated. This inventory is especially important because new areas have been recently joined to the Park that requires an all-round scientific estimation. It is supposed that the inventory duration will be lasted as minimum as one year.
Ivan KUKSA
June 11, 2004
"Sovetskaya Byelorussia" (The Soviet Byelorussia) Newspaper, No 108
Territory of health
The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is in full possession of the services to meet tourists this year. About 30 new excursion routes for the coming visitors have been developed. New hotels and places for rest were built. The rent office of sport stocks is open to serve guests as well as all conditions for active rest are available. All routes pass through the recreational zone and the tourists can move on some of them without a guide, on foot and on bicycles using road signs.
The general director of the Reserve Nickolai Bambiza opened one "trade secret" to me: the new tourist complex is constructed in the Pushcha. It will include several motels, though with limited amount of rooms but with all accessories for entertainments. All works are conducted in the frame of the joint Belarusian-Polish project. Besides of this, sports paths, for example a 15-kilometers line for driving on a roller ski are set up in the vicinities of the governmental residence "Viskuly".
Nickolai Bambiza promised that the number of workplaces (the National Park employees 1,300 people now) will be considerably increased after the new tourist infrastructure starts to serve tourists. Inhabitants from neighboring villages will have the additional chance to earn money because the administration of the Reserve plans to develop the rural tourism as well. Tourists who wish to meet the rural life will get such an opportunity already in this season. Some tens of attractive manors are under preparation to serve them.
Andrei NEKRASOV
The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is in full possession of the services to meet tourists this year. About 30 new excursion routes for the coming visitors have been developed. New hotels and places for rest were built. The rent office of sport stocks is open to serve guests as well as all conditions for active rest are available. All routes pass through the recreational zone and the tourists can move on some of them without a guide, on foot and on bicycles using road signs.
The general director of the Reserve Nickolai Bambiza opened one "trade secret" to me: the new tourist complex is constructed in the Pushcha. It will include several motels, though with limited amount of rooms but with all accessories for entertainments. All works are conducted in the frame of the joint Belarusian-Polish project. Besides of this, sports paths, for example a 15-kilometers line for driving on a roller ski are set up in the vicinities of the governmental residence "Viskuly".
Nickolai Bambiza promised that the number of workplaces (the National Park employees 1,300 people now) will be considerably increased after the new tourist infrastructure starts to serve tourists. Inhabitants from neighboring villages will have the additional chance to earn money because the administration of the Reserve plans to develop the rural tourism as well. Tourists who wish to meet the rural life will get such an opportunity already in this season. Some tens of attractive manors are under preparation to serve them.
Andrei NEKRASOV
June 11, 2004
"Narodnaya Volya" (The People's Will) Newspaper, No 105
Coming to the Pushcha...
Director of the National Park and Biosphere Reserve "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Nickolai Bambiza said that 53,000 people visited the Park for fife month of this year while only about 60,000 visitors came to the Pushcha last year. Representatives of 33 countries came to the main reserve of Belarus. The leader of the Reserve explained that this is because of improvement of the tourist infrastructure in Pushcha. Tourists are of interest, first of all, of visiting the Belarusian Santa Clause residence which opened the door at the end of 2003 and serves visitors all year round. In addition to the renewed hotel in the village of Kamenyuki, the former administrative office is reconstructed into the hotel with 50 double-rooms for two persons. The facilities of the local restaurant will be also improved, it is now under reconstruction. There is a plan to build more camping-sites for amateurs of ecological tourism, hunting and fishing inside of Pushcha. Thus, the National Park hopes to serve up to 200,000 tourists every year in the near future.
Larusa SHIGANOVA
Director of the National Park and Biosphere Reserve "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Nickolai Bambiza said that 53,000 people visited the Park for fife month of this year while only about 60,000 visitors came to the Pushcha last year. Representatives of 33 countries came to the main reserve of Belarus. The leader of the Reserve explained that this is because of improvement of the tourist infrastructure in Pushcha. Tourists are of interest, first of all, of visiting the Belarusian Santa Clause residence which opened the door at the end of 2003 and serves visitors all year round. In addition to the renewed hotel in the village of Kamenyuki, the former administrative office is reconstructed into the hotel with 50 double-rooms for two persons. The facilities of the local restaurant will be also improved, it is now under reconstruction. There is a plan to build more camping-sites for amateurs of ecological tourism, hunting and fishing inside of Pushcha. Thus, the National Park hopes to serve up to 200,000 tourists every year in the near future.
Larusa SHIGANOVA
June 10, 2004
"Vecherniy Minsk" (The Minsk Evening) Newspaper
Extension of the bison habitation
The National Park "Pripyatski" has been considered until recently as the largest state nature protection institution. But after the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" extended the territory in 42,600 hectares more and its total area reached 152,200 hectares, it is true this Reserve became the most spacious in Belarus.
To save the unique natural complex and to ensure the control for protection of animals, the President of the Republic of Belarus issued an order according to which some lands of Brest, Volkovysk and Pruzhany timber enterprises are joined to the Reserve. Many animals will be settled out from the Belovezhskaya Pushcha to new areas. Areas used for the agricultural production and bordered the National Park are also joined. In 1950-1960 the drainage of lands was conducted that resulted lowering the level of ground water. The experts will try to change the situation and to restore the hydrological regime. The ecologically friendly agriculture is also under plans for new areas.
Alexander Luchkov, head of the Department of Protected Natural Territories and Nature Use at the Property Management Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus, has told to the correspondent of "VM" that expansion of the borders of Belovezhskaya Pushcha will not bring troubles to the local inhabitants. New areas will provide the development of ecological tourism and the integral nature protection.
Olga ARTISHEVSKAYA
The National Park "Pripyatski" has been considered until recently as the largest state nature protection institution. But after the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" extended the territory in 42,600 hectares more and its total area reached 152,200 hectares, it is true this Reserve became the most spacious in Belarus.
To save the unique natural complex and to ensure the control for protection of animals, the President of the Republic of Belarus issued an order according to which some lands of Brest, Volkovysk and Pruzhany timber enterprises are joined to the Reserve. Many animals will be settled out from the Belovezhskaya Pushcha to new areas. Areas used for the agricultural production and bordered the National Park are also joined. In 1950-1960 the drainage of lands was conducted that resulted lowering the level of ground water. The experts will try to change the situation and to restore the hydrological regime. The ecologically friendly agriculture is also under plans for new areas.
Alexander Luchkov, head of the Department of Protected Natural Territories and Nature Use at the Property Management Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus, has told to the correspondent of "VM" that expansion of the borders of Belovezhskaya Pushcha will not bring troubles to the local inhabitants. New areas will provide the development of ecological tourism and the integral nature protection.
Olga ARTISHEVSKAYA