Description of the attraction
The Yastrebinoye Lake natural monument, known throughout Russia, was created in 1976. It is located in the Leningrad region, in the Priozersk district, which is 10 km north-west of the Kuznechnoye railway station. You can get to this place from St. Petersburg, having reached the desired station, and then walk along the road 10 km to the boundaries of the reserve.
State supervision over the preservation of the monument is represented by the Government of the Leningrad Region, represented by the Committee for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of the Leningrad Region. The regime of protection of a complex natural monument regulates the conduct of economic activities by a person.
The total area of the complex monument is 629.5 hectares. This area has been declared a natural monument for the purpose of preserving the nature of Yastrebinoye Lake with its natural outcrops of crystalline rocks, unique flora and fauna, so inherent in the north of the Karelian Isthmus.
Yastrebinoye Lake is inclined to fall in the middle of selgow ridges overlaid with granites. The length of the lake is 2 km, oriented in the direction from the north-east to the south-east. The lake is surrounded by kams, ridges and oaks, which creates a picturesque and picturesque relief of the surrounding area. Nearby there are outcrops of crystalline rocks, forming sheer walls, terraces and niches made of stone, which is more pronounced in the structure of the most massive selgovy ridge, which stretches for 900 meters and rises by 45 meters. It is also worth noting that the width of the largest selgow ridge varies within a fairly wide range - from 100 to 350 meters. In this place, the available rocks go under the edge of the water surface of the lake.
The versatile topography of the area has led to an unusual flora inherent in the northern side of the Karelian Isthmus. A characteristic feature of the natural relief is the combination of an oak forest complex with a rocky vegetation cover, which gives the impression of a southern appearance. Selga peaks are equipped with rocky vegetation and green moss pine forests with some admixture of birch, juniper and alder. In the lower part of the slopes there are small-leaved forests and rich forbs: spring rank, liverwort, spiky raven. In the northern part of the lake there is an area with meadow vegetation and small sphagnum bogs. On the cliffs you can see the woodsia fern and the spring torita.
The fauna of the complex monument "Lake Yastrebinoe" predominates to a greater extent in the sparsely populated northern parts of the Karelian Isthmus. As for the representatives of terrestrial vertebrates, they are very diverse due to the presence of reservoirs, meadows and forest thickets. Reptiles and amphibians: spindle, grass frog, gray toad, viviparous lizard. It is surprising that forest and forest species of animals live next to each other. Birds are represented by a variety of owls, blackbird, blue tit, common buzzard, wasp eater, nightjar. In the glades, you can find carkeet and corncrake. European mink and broad-fingered crayfish are especially rare.
Protected objects of a natural monument include not only outcrops of crystalline rocks and a lake, but also animals and plants: northern woods, already, various species of owls, corncrake, Dortmann's lobelia and many other representatives of flora and fauna.
On the territory of the reserve, it is strictly prohibited: laying roads, cutting down trees, littering lakes, dumping garbage, as well as making fires in unmarked places.
For a long time, in the area where the monument is located, gatherings, trainings and festivals of climbers, tourists and rock climbers have been held. Due to the high anthropogenic load, it is envisaged to carry out the regulation of recreation, as well as planning the arrangement of the territory, including the location of garbage bins, parking lots and tent sites.
