East European Forest Experiment Station (Tatar Forest Experiment Station) celebrates its 90th anniversary

Tatar Forest Experiment Station – now it is a branch of the Federal State Institution “Russian Research Institute for Silviculture and Mechanization of Forestry” “East European Forest Experiment Station” – was established on October 1, 1926 as the Forest Experiment Station “Tatarstan”, the purpose of which is scientific and practical addressing of forestry issues. Its task was a study of the state and capability of forests of Tartary, of different methods of forest engineering, research, systematization and summarizing of all the research work of forest experimental institutions. In 1932 the station was merged in the All-Union Research Agricultural Forest Reclamation Institute (VNIALMI); since 1936 up to now it is a subdivision of the Russian Research Institute for Silviculture and Mechanization of Forestry (VNIILM).

The main problem that solved by the station staff is a scientific support of forest management on the territory of the Middle Volga.

The great contribution to the organization, formation and maintenance of authority of scientific researches was made by the Directors: M.A.Shishkin, P.G.Troshanin, A.A.Bobrovsky, A.I.Murzov etc., and Professors: L.I.Yashnov, A.A.Yunitsky, N.A.Livanov, A.P.Petrov, D.I.Morokhin, F.V.Agliullin, N.M.Vedernikov.

In describing the research work of the station the attention is drawn to its diversity, however, silvicultural issues have always been and remain central.

Murzov Alexander developed the technology of gradual cutting in spruce and deciduous forests. Such a technology was mainstreamed. Today, among the companies working using only this technology is the Sabinsky Forest Establishment that has become one of the most advanced in the forestry of RSFSR.

Chief Researcher Vedernikov Nikolay developed an integrated system of cultivation and protection of coniferous and deciduous trees in nurseries, which was included into the “Instructions on the Protection of Plants from Pests and Diseases in Forest Nurseries” (1984) and “Instruction on the Protection of Forest Plantations and Young Trees from Destructive Insects and Diseases” (1994). Today, the testing of new biological drugs that increase resistance of seedlings to diseases and their viability are in progress in the station.

The Leading Researcher Klavdiya Krasnobayeva has developed new approaches, methods and technologies to establish objects of permanent seed plantations of main forest-forming species. She also has developed a “group-gap-selective felling system of renewal and tendance” on the basis of which in the Prigorodny, Bugulminsky, Zelenodolsky, Arsky, Sabinsky, Isleytarsky, Nizhnekamsky forest establishments of Tatarstan forestries, the hundreds of acres of normal forest are restored and established.

As a result of researches made by Fakil Agliullin, Doctor of Agriculture, the technology of coniferous and deciduous forests formation by improvement cuttings in the Republic of Tatarstan and Udmurtia on the zonal and typological basis is developed.

The Senior Researcher Chingiz Khasankaev has developed and carried out a set of measures to eliminate water erosion on gully systems and the banks of small rivers.

Under the guidance of Senior Researcher Gabbas Kamaltinov the valuable scientific object – the provenance trials of pine and spruce in Zelenodolsky and Arsky forest establishments where for many years the station staff studied the biological specifics of wood of different origins – was established. He also developed an original method of grafting the cedar on pine, eliminating the incompatibility of stock and scion, and the cedar forest near the building of the 18th city hospital in Kazan has been planted.

Over the 90 years of the Forest Experimental Station its employees – the true scientists – have accumulated a great intellectual potential: about 1,400 printing works were published, more than 500 experimental facilities, plots of normal forest and natural monuments were established. For services in forestry the station staff was granted the honored titles:

“Honored Forester of Russia”: Napalkov N.V. (1962), Mgebrov G.G. (1967), Troitsky B.G. (1967), Agliullin F.V. (1998);

“Honored Forester of the Republic of Tatarstan”: Bobrovsky A.A. (1968), Khasankaye C.S. (1983), Fyodorova N.S. (2002), Kuznetsov N.A. (2008);

“Honored Forester of Russia” and “Honored Forester of the Republic of Tatarstan”: Murzov A.I. (1972, 1987), Vedernikov N.M. (1977, 1997), Krasnobayeva K.V. (1986, 1997);

“Honored Forester of the Chuvash Republic”: Petrov V.A. (2015).

As of today, 14 researchers work with the Director Ainur Puryaev.

We congratulate our colleagues on the 90th anniversary! We wish you employment success, good health and further cooperation for the conservation and enhancement of our forests.