Description of the attraction
Zaporozhye oak is a botanical natural monument in the city of Zaporozhye. The age of this oak is at least 700 years old, and it is of significant cultural and historical value for the whole of Ukraine. It is a kind of symbol of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, as well as a place for pilgrimage and tourism. The oak is located in the historical place of Zaporozhye - Verkhnyaya Khortytsya.
This tree is a relic of the very first oak forests of the Dnieper region. The height of the oak is 36 meters, which is quite rare among the oak trees growing in open areas; the girth of the trunk is 6, 32 m, and the diameter of the crown of the tree is 43 meters. Earlier the crown of this oak reached 64 meters in diameter.
At the end of the 20th century, the condition of the oak began to deteriorate. In 1990, Ukrainian scientists found out the cause of the tree disease - the rise of groundwater. In many ways, the tree suffered from the negligence of tourists. In 1996, this ancient tree was struck by lightning, and its death began to accelerate. By the year 2000, only one living branch remained on the tree, but tourists continued to cut the branches from it.
Since 2002, work has been carried out to preserve the tree: they installed metal poles to support heavy branches, the wood is treated with preservatives and the soil is strengthened, which subsides. In 2008, experts from the Zaporozhye National University examined the oak and found a large number of cracks and numerous pests, as well as a large fragility of the branches.
Since 1972, this oak has been a protected area. And since 2010 it has been recognized as the National Tree of Ukraine.
At the end of August 2001, not far from the oak, a historical and cultural center was opened, which was called the "700-year-old Zaporozhye oak". The author of this project is the People's Artist of Ukraine Gaydamaka A. V.
