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Nature Monuments

M.A. Sholokhov was fond of fishing and hunting. His homeland nature surrounding gave rise to the ideas and feelings that were later embodied in the lines of his creations.

The country of Sholokhov nowadays is still a living illustration of the writer’s books, it exists and gives rise to new plots. The places related to the events depicted in the “Tales from the Don”, in the novels “And Quiet Flows the Don”, “Virgin Soil Upturned” are included in the cherished landscape area of the Museum-Reserve. There are six nature monuments: the Giant Oak, Antipovskiy pine forest, Sholokhov lakes, waterside piece of wood Ostrovnoye, woodland of Paniki, Olshaniki (Chernya). Their flora and fauna are very diverse numbering over 1500 plant species and variations, 269 mushroom species, over 2700 animal species. There are found a great number of species registered in the Red List of Threatened Species of the Russian Federation and of the Rostov Region.

The writer’s favourite place is the woodland Ostrovnoye. There is clean water, lots of fish and waterfowl. Sholokhov often came here to get inspiration, and on the  pages of his novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” we can recognize Kalmytskiy Brod (ford), Lake Rassokhovo, Burnt Forest, Alyoshkin Copse, Devichiya Polyana (maiden’s glade) which are located in the area of the woodland. Here Mikhail Alexandrovich went fishing and hunting, he often brought here his guests to admire the beauty of the sight. The place was visited by the world-known writers Charles Snow, Martti Larni, the first world spaceman Yuriy Gagarin and many other famous people.

One of the writer’s most favourite nooks of nature was a picturesque deep-water Lake Staroye (Old). Here Sholokhov often made fishing outings for his friends and guests. The writer achieved all the flood-land lakes to be included into the system of the cherished natural areas. The people call the lakes “Sholokhov’s”. These lakes are a habitat of the endemic of Europe – the Russian desman registered in the Red List of Threatened Species of Russia and of the Rostov Region.

Mikhail Alexandrovich was fond of contemplating the River Don, the boundless upper regions from the 40-metre height of Lebyazhiy Yar lying 12 kms eastward of Vyoshenskaya. This is a majestic bend of the Don riverbed and a rearing arenaceous precipice over it – a steep bank. In the distance behind the river there are flood land forests and the White Hills – cretaceous steep slopes. Lebyazhiy Yar was visited by numerous prominent guests of the writer. In 2005, President of the Russian Federation V. Putin visited Vyoshenskaya for the 100th anniversary of M.A. Sholokhov. From that place he admired the quiet Don and the surroundings.

A unique thing is the Vyoshenskiy Giant Oak aged over 400. It is a real Don forest “ataman”, a witness of the historic events since the reign of Ivan the Terrible. It can be surrounded by no less than four adult men holding by their hands. Near it there are two more oak-trees growing, all they being the remains of an ancient arena oak grove.

Another remarkable place is the powerful spring Otrog, which does not freeze even in winter hard frost. On Epiphany Day and Whitsunday, Cossacks walk in a religions procession with the cross and banners to the spring.

Each of the Upper Don sights is beautiful in its way. On visiting Sholokhov country you will see a spring tulip steppe, silent barrows, boundless vastness opening up from the high precipices, a magnificent stream of the Father-Don. You will discover for yourselves the unique Open Air Novel, the museum, which exposition is the Don country nature itself, which M.A. Sholokhov glorified in his works.