NEWS
On October 5, 2016 the field ceremonial meeting of the Academic Board of the Russian Research Institute for Silviculture and Mechanization of Forestry (VNIILM) dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the branch of the Institute – Tatar Experiment Station (now – the East-European Forest Experiment Station) is set to be held. It was established in 1926 as a Forest Experiment Station “Tatarstan” as part of Kazan experiment forestry in Lopatino forest village of the former Yudinsky District of the Tatar ASSR as a research institution.
The main purpose of the Station was the solution of scientific and practical forestry issues, namely in key areas of forestry, forest inventory, forest protection, forest exploitation and the economy. The tasks that faced the research team were the study of the status and productivity of forests of Tartary, the study of different methods of forestry equipment usage, as well as the systematization and generalization of all research work of forest experiment institutions. When the issue of Station establishment in Kazan was addressed, the availability of high-quality forests on the border of taiga and forest-steppe, and the own Russian botanical and geographical school that has developed thanks to the works of Academician S.I. Korzhinsky and professor A.Ya. Gordyagin and their students in Kazan played the crucial role.
For 4 years the station was under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department of Tatnarkomzem; in 1930 it joined the Volga-Kama branch of the Forest and Floating Institute; in 1932 Tatar Experiment Station joined the VNIALMI system; starting from 1936 and up to now the station is a subdivision of VNIILM.
From 1938 to 1970, the scientists of the Station published the individual collections of works which had the great practical significance. In particular, in 1938-1939 four editions of the “Collection of Forestry and Forest Plantations” dedicated to improvement cuttings in pine forests and oak plantations (M.A. Anikin, D.I. Morokhin); study of pine fructification (P.D. Trusov); diseases of pine seedlings in nurseries and pests of oak plantations (V.V. Gulyaev, P.G. Troshanin, S.G. Timofeev, N.A. Petrova); the influence of pine twisting rust and May beetle on pine growth (P.G. Troshanin) were issued. In the first editions of the “Collection” there was a section “On-the-spot proposals” for the exchange of best practices among workers of forest establishments. From 1940 to 1970 in Kazan it was published under a different name – “Collection of Articles on Forestry”.
In 1948 on the territory of the Forest Experiment Station the employees of the station established the arboretum to which in 1981 the status of specially protected natural reservation of the Republic of Tatarstan – a natural monument “Kazan Arboretum” – was given. Currently, in the collection of the arboretum there are more than 50 species of trees and shrubs, including 22 species of the local flora and 29 species of flora of North America, the Far East, Western Siberia, the Caucasus and the Balkans. On the territory of the arboretum the excursions with students and schoolchildren of Kazan are arranged.
Over the years of its existence the Forest Experiment Station has accumulated enormous intellectual potential – about 1300 scientific works were published, more than 500 stationary experiment forest facilities. The library fund of the East European Forest Experiment Station is one of the oldest in the Volga region and contains more than 22 thousand items: books, field materials, research papers, dissertations of employees and stock materials since 1844.
Today East European Forest Experiment Station is engaged in scientific support of forest management throughout the Middle Volga and conducts its researches in creative collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ministries of Forestry of the Chuvash Republic, the Republic of Mari El, as well as with Mari Technical University, Kazan higher educational institutions and Dresden University of Technology.
The regular meeting of the Public Council was held with E.A. Gu’skov in the chair. The experts discussed the following issues:
- Implementation of the legislative and regulatory enactments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan by the structural subdivisions of the Ministry and the State Public Institution “Lesnichestvo”
- Report on the implementation of measures to keep the state forest register, the use of forests and forest management provided for by the Forest Plan of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2010-2015.
- Report on the effectiveness of forest use in the Nizhnekamskoye Forestry.
The staff of Zeya Buylary Nature Sanctuary was invited to a demonstration lesson in Kiyatskaya High School devoted to the Day of Forest Workers. The demonstration lesson was given in order the children form a careful attitude to the nature of their native land. The specialists of Zeya Buylary Nature Sanctuary told the young generation about flora and fauna, about the importance of forests in human life. The schoolchildren took part with interest in quizzes and showed their performance.
At the end of the lesson the most active pupils were awarded with diplomas and memorable gifts.
There is a large plot of unexplored forest. On the small scale map there is a large green spot. There are no roads, no landmarks. The forest managers make such forests public.
It is unlikely that a person who appreciates the beauty of nature and hears its unique sounds will be able to stay indoors for a long time. Such travel lovers usually graduate forestry educational institutions. Such a person is Felix Volkov who graduated Yoshkar-Ola Institute, specializing in forestry, and according to allotment came to Kazan Board of Forest Management. After several months of work, he was called up for military service. Having served the specified term in the Soviet Army, Felix Volkov returned to Kazan Board of Forest Management.
His first facilities for management of forest resources of the country were the green areas of the Perm Region, Buryatia, Irkutsk region. In subsequent years, Felix Volkov had a chance to manage forests of Chuvashia, Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk Region and Sverdlovsk Region.
Since 1975, in Tatarstan the next stage of forest management began. The Kuibyshevsky Forest Establishment (now – the Bolgarskoye Forestry) was the first for Felix Volkov where he worked as a taxator. Later, as an engineer, he repeatedly managed many forestries of the Republic of Tatarstan (Menzelinskoye, Cheremshanskoye, Nurlatskoye, Sabinskoye, Isleytarskoye, Zainskoye, Prigorodnoye, Yelabuzhskoye, Aznakaevskoye, Aksubaevskoye, Agryzskoye, Mamadyshskoye) by conducting an audit of the forests. Three times he was involved in forest management of the Laishevskoye (1980, 1992, 2014) and Nizhnekamskoye (1985, 1995, 2005) Forestries.
In 2015 Felix Volkov went to field works on forest inventory in Aksubaevskoye Forestry. After that he drew up the explanatory notes in respect of this forestry. Today Felix Volkov continues to work in the Kazan branch of Roslesinforg. As the leading engineer he takes personal charge of performing the complex jobs requiring perseverance and a lot of experience. These tasks are the writing of forest management plans, explanatory notes and regulations on forestry. The main purpose of Felix Volkov is the education of young generation, forestry workers, especially those who love and appreciate their profession – taxator.
Today, on September 28, 2016 Felix Volkov celebrates his 70th anniversaryd. We congratulate him on the anniversary! We wish him you good health, happiness, inexhaustible energy and many happy returns of the day!
The employee of the Ministry of Forestry of Tatarstan Niyaz Khabirov – the Head of the Biodiversity Department – took part in Crimea in the seminar on “Sharing of experience in recreational use of forests”. The event was organized by the State Committee for Forestry and Hunting of the Republic of Crimea in the framework of the Agreement on trade and economic, scientific and technological and social and cultural cooperation between the Republic of Crimea and the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as in the framework of the Agreement on Cooperation between the State Committee for Forestry and Hunting of the Republic of Crimea and the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. In the conference the forestry experts of the Chechen Republic, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Karelia took part too. As part of the seminar, the forest industry representatives got familiar with the facilities of the use of forests for recreational purposes in the Kuibyshevskoye Forestry, examined facilities of the Yalta mountain-forest nature reserve (Yaltinskaya Cave, Ai-Petri picks), as well as Altushinskoye Forestry (“Nikulin’s Walnut” natural monument) and Sudakskoye Forestry (Novy Svet Nature Sanctuary).
In the conference room of the Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan a briefing “Preparation to and Holding of the Traditional Environmental Campaign – the Day of Tree Planting” was held. The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan Almas Nazirov told reporters on the role of forests in nature and human life, on what areas the young trees are going to be planted on October 1, 2016. In the report Almas Nazirov noted that every year more and more volunteers join the “Day of Tree Planting” and appealed everyone to take an active part in the autumn stage of the campaign and plant the own tree. The forestries will provide the planting material free of charge.
In compliance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan No.377-r dated 09.03.2016, on October 1, 2016 the traditional republican environmental campaign “The Day of Tree Planting” will be held. The autumn tree planting organized by the Ministry will be held in the territory of the Vysokogorskoye district forestry and Matyushinskoye district forestry of the Prigorodnoye Forestry, in the Privolzhsky district of Kazan city – Vakhitovsky Square – and in all municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Ministry requested to the state agencies, departments, and educational institutions to support the campaign. The specially assigned forestry experts will assist and consult those wishing in planting. The tree planting will start at 9.00 a.m.
The photographic report indicates the assembly point.
In the conference room of Tatarstan Government House a briefing of the Minister of Forestry Almas Nazirov will be held. The subject is “Preparation to and Holding of the Traditional Environmental Campaign – the Day of Tree Planting”.
On September 24 the trade union Spartakiad among income-earning youth and students dedicated to the 25th anniversary of social partnership of Tatarstan and the Day of Trade Unions of Tatarstan was held. The event took place in Olimp Sports Complex.
The Spartakiad has already become traditional. This year the students of Lubyansky Forest Engineering College turned in a good score. They took the following winning places:
- 1st place in beach volleyball;
- 1st place in the Darts;
- 1st place in tug of war;
- 2nd team place among the educational institutions of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The winners were awarded with Certificates of Honour and gift cards for the purchase of sports equipment.
Last Sunday, on September 25, 2016, 20 employees of the Ministry of Forestry took part in the All-Russian “Nation’s Cross-Country Race 2016”. The foresters covered the distance of 1 km with ease. Track and Field competition was held at the Millennium Square. Totally, the similar events were held in 79 Russian cities. In Tatarstan there were about 20 thousand run lovers.