Relict Forest

Relict Forest (Reliktovy Les) is a nature monument in the Aurgazinsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan, about a kilometer northeast of the village of Staroabsalyamovo, not far from the village of Kurmanayevo. The forest is also known as the Absalyamovo Relict Pines and stands on a high hill whose surface is dotted with karst sinkholes — rounded hollows and depressions formed where underground rock has dissolved over time.

Nature

The forest is made up of old pines more than a hundred years old. Some trunks reach about 45 centimeters in diameter, with a girth of up to a meter and a half. Young pine saplings rise everywhere between the old trees, so the forest keeps renewing itself, and trees of very different ages now stand side by side — century-old trunks next to young seedlings. On the drier, more open parts of the hill, where karst sinkholes alternate with clearings, grow plants that are rare for this part of Bashkortostan, including feather grass and an elliptical golden-grass species. A pine forest, karst relief and steppe plants coming together on a single hill is an unusual combination for this part of the republic, which is why the site was given protected status.

History

The forest was given protected nature-monument status because of the age of its trees and the unusual combination, for this flat area, of a pine stand growing on a karst-riddled hill. During the Great Patriotic War local residents cut down part of the old pines, since the wood was needed and there was no one to guard the rare stand. The forest thinned out noticeably, and new trees have grown on those cleared patches since then — which is why old and young pines stand side by side today.

Getting there

The road to the forest runs from the villages of Staroabsalyamovo and Kurmanayevo in the Aurgazinsky District. To reach the hill with the pines, you need to cross a small ditch between the two villages, after which the climb to the forest begins.

Good to know

There is no tourist infrastructure on the hill: no marked trails, parking areas or signposts. The approach runs along a dirt road and through the ditch mentioned above, so in wet weather the way in can be hard going; it is best to visit in dry weather and wear suitable footwear. The nearest landmarks for orientation are the villages of Staroabsalyamovo and Kurmanayevo, both close to the forest.