Earth. 100 thousand years ago…
The seas carry the bitter cold, and the glacial shell binds the continents. The last glacial epoch is coming – the Valdai glaciation.

Vast Pliocene savannas and grassy seas are scattered on the plains of Eurasia. After them, steppe mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, cave bears, bighorn deer, saber-toothed cats and giant ground sloths conquer the continent.

But the real masters of the glacial prairies are the powerful and majestic steppe bison, gathering in huge, vast herds of tens of thousands of individuals. It was during this era of trials that modern man was born – Homo sapiens.

Has the Ice Age sunk into oblivion?
In the heart of the Central Russian Upland, the answer is kept by the South Russian taiga, spread out on the sand sands, which has become a cozy home for representatives of the ancient tribe of forest giants.

It is here on the territory of the Oryol Polesie National Park that the largest livestock of one of the most ancient animal species existing today, the European bison, lives today in the CIS territory. This is the business card of the national park and the whole Oryol region.

Outdoor enthusiasts are greeted by 78 thousand hectares of picturesque coniferous forests, lakes, hills of the Oryol polesie. Ivan Turgenev, who often walked and hunted in the majestic silence of the Polesie forest, wrote about it this way: "The view of a huge, hugging forest, the whole sky, the view of the "Polesie" resembles the view of the sea. And the same impressions are aroused by him: the same primitive, untouched force spreads wide and imperiously in the face of the viewer."

Some interesting facts:

1. The park, created in 1994, united the largest forest area of the Oryol region.

2. The flora of the park has more than 940 species of plants, including 23 species listed in the Red Book.

3. The park is home to 285 species of vertebrates, of which 89 are listed in the Red Book.

4. The life and work of the great Russian writer Ivan Turgenev is closely connected with the park. The heroes of his famous "Notes of the Hunter" and the story "Mumu" lived in Polesie.

5. The history of the park and its surroundings is connected with the Russian epics about Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber. Somewhere here, after a fight with the Robber Nightingale, Ilya Muromets lost the kladenets sword that Svyatogor gave him.

6. In the remote and hidden corners of the national park lies the kingdom of the white Nymphaea – the mystical flower of the Oryol polesie, which is also popularly called the water lily, mermaid flower and overgrown grass. Since ancient times, the flower has been surrounded by riddles, myths and mystical fog, which even the most pragmatic consciousness cannot dispel.

7. In the village of Ilyinskoye, the Turgenev Polesie Museum opened its doors to guests, where unique household items, utensils and clothes of peasants of the Orel region of the late 19th century are collected, and where you can try viburnum jam.

8. The Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, which annually hosts one of the largest events in the Oryol region - Trinity Round dances, was built in the 18th century. This is one of the oldest temples in the Orel region.

The Orlovskoye Polesie National Park is located near Moscow. He is known for his picturesque landscapes, whose beauty remains unchanged at any time of the year.  If you want to change the situation and plunge into the purity of the wild nature, then this place is a great option for a weekend tour. You can relax with the whole family or just a big friendly company in nature.

You can pre-order spacious gazebos for 15-50 people and relax in nature with the whole family or just a big friendly company. Firewood will be brought, there is electricity. Nearby there are gazebos, tables, barbecues, camping and bonfire areas, parking lots, toilets. Of course, there are also a number of comfortable hotels. In general, entertainment for any wallet.

There are more than 80 tourist parking lots and picnic spots on the territory of the national park. Often people come here only for walks along the ecotropes surrounded by the wild nature of the Central Russian upland:

"Kudeyar Trails" is a 3.2 km long route that passes through areas of deciduous and coniferous forest overgrown with lichens and shrubs.

The "Storeroom of the Sun" — the route introduces the aquatic world of Polesie and passes through a swampy area. The length of the route is 1 km.

"Sosnovy Bor" is a 1.5 km long trail leading past majestic oaks and a young spruce forest.

Sakharovsky Springs is a 3.5 km path through the forest with places for recreation and springs.

"Echo of the War" is a small trail (only 200 m) that passes through the military historical site of the Great Patriotic War - the command post of the 16th Guards Division. The trail lies in the tract "Sopova Gorka", which is not far from the village of Zhudersky.

The park simultaneously combines the beauty of wildlife, modern tourist infrastructure and cultural and historical education facilities. A rich animal world, hundreds of species of wild plants, a huge forest area, hills and mounds, rivers and lakes — all this is united on the territory of the South Russian taiga, which is so close to the capital of our homeland – the city of Moscow.

Operating mode
The visitor center is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00

Cost

🌲Entrance to the national Park: free of charge

🌲Parking space on the territory of the national park – 150 rubles .

🌲Picnic point rental – 150 rubles, gazebo rental – 300 rubles.

🌲Excursion service:
sightseeing tour – 1000 rubles/hour for a group of up to 40 people;
excursion along the ecological trail – 1000 rubles/hour for a group of up to 15 people.
The point of getting up-to-date information on the Holy Spring from the park staff continues to work on weekends.

For details and time of excursions, please call: 8-953-623-5554

Coordinates for the navigator: 53.2512928,35.2919225

The zoo complex

🌲Visit to the zoo complex🦌:
adult ticket - 350 rubles,
children's ticket (from 7 to 15 years old) - 250 rubles
. children under 7 years old - free of charge.

Zoo opening hours:
from 09.00 to 17.00 (weekdays);
from 09.00 to 19.00 (weekends and holidays).

Address: Oryol region, Khotynetsky district, village of Zhudersky

Phone: 8-953-812-0191

Coordinates: 53.25133950454273,35.29249017619575