Deer Ruchy Nature Park

Deer Ruchy Nature Park is located in the Sverdlovsk region in the Nizhneserginsky municipal district 100 km southwest of Yekaterinburg. Among the most interesting sights of the park are the karst caves Druzhba, Arakaevskaya and Sportivnaya, the rocks Svyashchennik, Dyrovaty Kamen, Utoplennitsa, Pisannitsa and Lyagushka. The Druzhba Cave is the largest cave in the Urals, the length of its passages is 500 meters. There are underground streams, lakes and ice formations that persist throughout the year, as well as the Marble Gallery – a passage whose walls are made of snow-white dolomites. Not far from the Druzhba Cave there is a karst sinkhole 50 meters deep. In total, there are more than 100 caves on the territory of the park.

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Dyrovaty rock is located on the bank of the Chusovaya River. Under the influence of wind and rain, many passages, grottos and small caves were formed in it.

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General Information

  • Full name: Deer Creek Nature Park
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  • IUCN Category: III (natural park).
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  • Date of foundation: October 29, 1999.
  • Region: Sverdlovsk.
  • Region: Sverdlovsk region, Nizhneserginsky district.
  • Area: 12,700 haha.
  • Area: 12,700 hectares
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  • Relief: mountainous.
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  • Climate: moderately continental.
  • Climate: temperate.
  • Official website: http://olen.ur.ru/.
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  • E-mail: olen@olen.ur.ru.
‘ Deer Creek Nature Park

History of creation

People lived in the valley of the Sergi River as far back as 14,000 years ago, as evidenced by the data of archaeological excavations conducted in the territory of the park.

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The impetus for the organization of the natural park “Deer Streams” was the 1973 monograph by Vasily Ivanovich Prokaev “Brief physical and geographical characteristics of the south-west of the Middle Urals and some issues of protection of this territory”. The question of the organization of the protection area was raised since 1975, but for various reasons the final decision was postponed. Only in 1999 the Deer Streams Nature Park was established by the decree of the Governor of the Sverdlovsk region.

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In seven corners of the Earth: in Australia, Canada, Peru, Mali, Vanuatu, Hawaii, as well as in the Urals in the nature park “Deer Streams” on September 17, 2005, seven “Angels of United Hope” were installed. According to the idea of Swedish artist and sculptor Lena Edvall they should stand guard over the peace and tranquility of the Earth.

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‘ ‘Angel of the One Hope’ is called to protect the planet from wars, cataclysms and disasters

Plant life

The park is the border of two natural zones: forest-steppe and mountain taiga. There are 378 species of higher vascular plants growing here.

The park is distinguished by a unique type of anthropogenic landscape – park larch forests.

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The most common species are St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), snakewort (Bistorta major), medicinal angelica (Potentilla egesta), wilted thawolga (Filipendula ulmaria), etc.

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‘ Morning Mist.

Anyone who has ever once tried St. John’s wort tea will probably always remember the thick rich flavor. There are other folk names for this plant: hare’s blood, St. John’s wort, red grass, krovets, krovotsa, khvoroboy and others. Antiseptic and antimicrobial means of St. John’s wort are known. In ancient times, it was called the herb of a hundred diseases.

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Whence, then, such an intimidating name – St. John’s wort? It was noticed that some animals, particularly small cattle, began to get very sick and even died after using this plant.

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The poisonous Lobel’s brome (Veratrum lobelianum) and the erect lily (Potentilla erecta) also grow here. Dense thickets of willow (Salix sp.) and alder (Alnus sp.), twisted with hops, are located near the water. Common oregano (Origanum vulgare) grows abundantly on dry meadows.

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Oregano essential oil contains a high concentration of carvacrol and is a more potent antibiotic and antihistamine than many drugs, but care should be taken when using it. All medicinal plants are poisonous to some degree.

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‘ Karst Bridge Rock. There are many holes and wide passages in this rock, and inside there is a specially equipped staircase leading to the upper platform. From where there is a gorgeous view of “Deer Creek.”

Animal life

The fauna of the park has not yet been fully inventoried. Final species lists are being compiled and refined. Moose (Alces alces), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), forest polecats (Mustela putorius) and other species are known to live here.

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River beavers (Castor fiber) are common on the river and tributaries, building their dams here. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) nests on the cliffs. There are owls (Bubo bubo), common owls (Strix aluco), sparrows (Glaucidium passerinum), ruffed grouse (Bonasa bonasia), grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), grouse (Tetrao urogallus).

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There are three species of woodpeckers in the park: great mottled (Dendrocopos major), gray (Picus canus) and black (Dryocopus martius). One of the most interesting species is the black woodpecker, or yellows. It differs from its congeners by its large size, tar-black plumage color and bright red cap on its head.

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This is interesting

There is Mitkina Mountain on the territory of the park, and on it there are the remains of the Mitkina mines. This deposit of sedimentary iron ores began to be developed in the second half of the XIX century. The owner of the mines was a Moscow merchant, actual state councilor Mikhail Gubin. Ore was extracted by open-pit mining in summer and in adits in winter. Today these mines are four lakes located in a cascade. Two of them are shallow, and the depth of the other two reaches 19 meters. The name comes from the surname of the first clerk of these mines, the German Mitkin. The upper lake was favored by beavers and they built their dam here. Mitkin’s lakes are associated with various mysterious phenomena. Sometimes voices are heard here and wandering lights are seen. Is it really so? It is worth seeing for yourself.

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‘ The Big Fail Cave, which is an open crevice up to 33 meters deep. It is believed that the Big Gap was formed by the collapse of a huge cave, as its bottom is covered with large irregularly shaped blocks.

Park Mode

The park is open to the public, provided that the requirements of the administration are met. It is necessary to adhere to the routes, the length of which ranges from 6 to 15 kilometers. The most popular route is the “Bazhukov Trail”. In the far part of the park you can visit the landscape-historical open-air museum “Mitkinskiy mine.”

How to get there

The distance from Yekaterinburg to the natural park “Deer Streams” is 120 kilometers. You can take a train to the station “Druzhinino”, then a suburban train Druzhinino – Mikhailovsky Zavod, which runs twice a day – to the stop “Bazhukovo”. Travel time will be about 4 hours. You can take a suburban bus to Mikhailovsk, Arti, Urmikeevo, Tyulgash. The ticket should be taken to the stop “Deer Streams Nature Park”. Travel time will be about 2.5 hours. Further 2 km is a walking route. It is convenient to get there by private car, especially since there is a parking lot at the entrance to the park.

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Where to stay

On the territory of the park there are all conditions for comfortable accommodation. You can stay in two-room suites of the administrative building, in the cabin “Forest Deer”, at the cordons “Yeager” and “New Cordon” or in a tourist shelter. All detailed information is available on the park’s official website.

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