Ryazan forester has grown a forest on the killed land

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

And trees grow on the stones … This is what they often say, trying to assure that even the most fantastic dream can sometimes become a reality. Viktor Soloviev, a forester from the Skopinsky district of the Ryazan region, proved by deeds that the impossible is possible by growing a forest on stones.

Now, probably, few people will remember that the Skopinsky district was once a mining region: these places were part of the Moscow region coal basin. Then, in our country, they switched from coal to more profitable oil and gas, the need for coal dropped significantly, the local miners were unemployed, the mines were closed … In memory of those times, only mountains of waste land remained - gray, barren, more like ash or crushed stone …

These lifeless hills would have soared in different parts of the area, if the local forester-enthusiast had not come up with a seemingly reckless idea: to plant these waste heaps with greenery. Of course, no one believed that this idea could become a reality - Solovyov had to listen to long admonitions that, they say, nature cannot be deceived and trees cannot be made to grow where there are no conditions for their development. For many years the mountains of slag stood absolutely "bald" - so what force will suddenly make them turn green? These arguments were quite logical, but Viktor Vasilyevich listened to them and continued to do his job. And he believed that sooner or later life will appear on the waste heaps … And this is exactly what happened!

Trees rustle over the mountains of slag today. When asked how this was achieved, Viktor Soloviev replies with a smile: “The main thing is to treat nature with love. Then she responds in kind. And if you come with a callous heart, never expect a result …”It would seem that the secret is simple. And nevertheless, although many tried to adopt the experience of the Skopinsky forester, is it possible to learn a reverent attitude towards every tree, to every bush?..

The forest became not just Solovyov's vocation. Here, without blushing, it is appropriate to use the bombastic definition of "life's work." And there is no exaggeration in this. His whole life is connected with the service of nature. You can say he was born and raised in the forest. His father was a forester, and for little Victor this profession seemed to be taken for granted. It’s a pity that my father had to part with what he loved early: the war made its own adjustments. But even that childhood inoculation of love for nature was enough for Victor to decide on the choice of specialty without hesitation in the future. The parental example became the main one, directed in the right direction. Although Viktor Solovyov last saw his father when he was only 4 years old …

- I remember a little how dad went to the front, although I was very little then. I remember seeing off how my father was sitting at the table in a white tunic - the foresters had such a ceremonial uniform, - recalls Viktor Vasilyevich. - And then I remember how the notification came - it etched into my memory especially clearly. And now that yellow leaf is in front of my eyes. The father was killed in August 42nd, and the notification of his death came only in September. He fought near Smolensk, there was just a meat grinder …

Viktor Solovyov had to get used to independence early on: when he was 12 years old, his mother was gone. We can say that the forest became the closest being for him then. Here he found protection and care … And later he repaid a hundredfold for the warmth that surrounded him by nature.

Defying the laws of nature

When you talk to the Skopinsky forester, you get the feeling that for Viktor Solovyov the forest is truly alive. He speaks of him as a friend, as a loved one. In his "forest lands" he knows almost every tree. About what concerns the forest, Soloviev can talk for a long time and without stopping. “It only seems that in order to grow a tree, you just need to create favorable conditions. In fact, this is not enough. Sometimes it seems that everything is fine - the soil, the weather, and the care - but the tree does not grow … It's just that nothing can be done without God's help,”Viktor Vasilyevich is sure.

Probably, it is the trees that feed the restless forester with energy - nimble, impetuous, and at his 75 years old he cannot sit still for a minute. In a hurry, he talks about the problems he faces in his parliamentary work (Viktor Solovyov is not the first time elected as a deputy of the regional Duma), immediately treats him with honey from his own apiary, shows numerous newspaper clippings on forest development issues … And all very quickly, how as if afraid of something not to be in time. He does not know how to give himself a break, he is used to constantly working - the forester always has enough things to do. How many kilometers he walked along forest roads is beyond counting. He still travels considerable distances, going to check new landings. Sometimes someone will give you a lift, sometimes he walks tens of kilometers to visit his many pets.

Perhaps only such an enthusiast could have thought of taking up the landscaping of waste heaps. “At first I just scattered the seeds over the mountains - I thought they would catch on by the roots and take root. But it was not so - they were very quickly blown away by the wind, washed away by the rain. And no trace of my attempt remained,”recalls Viktor Vasilyevich. But the forester did not calm down, began to use a different technique, tried to strengthen the seedlings. And, surprisingly to everyone, contrary to the opinions of skeptics, young trees took root and, clinging to the depleted, meager land, began to grow … Grow where, it seemed, there was no nutrition and no opportunity to develop. “Look, what a beauty,” Viktor Vasilyevich lovingly shows his waste heaps, easily and nimbly climbing the steep slopes of the slag mountain. “Now people even come here to pick mushrooms,” the forester shares with pride. It is true that mushrooms are growing on the waste heaps, refuting all the laws of nature. And, as they say, in the fall, the locals come down from these mountains with good prey. But the aesthetic side and the additional "mushroom place" do not exhaust the advantages that afforestation provided - this is the name of the result of Viktor Solovyov's work in a professional language. With the appearance of vegetation on the previously bare mountains in the vicinity, the formation of ravines stopped, soil erosion was stopped, and the fields were protected from dust and winds.

Countless wards

Today Viktor Solovyov is known not only in his native district, he is well known throughout the region. The results of his work caused a stir not only among colleagues. And two years ago, Viktor Soloviev was awarded the title of "Honorary Worker of Forestry of the Ryazan Region". His experience, in fact, is one of a kind in the whole country, and the success of the Skopinsky forester has earned recognition at the highest level. He was awarded the title of Honored Forester of the Russian Federation. When the President of the Russian Federation awarded Solovyov last year, many said: "The award has found a hero." However, the keen forester himself did not at all think about heroism. I was just doing what I loved, without which I can't imagine my life …

By the way, Viktor Vasilyevich had the most vivid impressions of the reception at the head of state. Although he recalls this meeting with a fair amount of self-irony. “I was afraid to do something wrong, so I constantly kept my eye on the president. I'll see how much Medvedev drank from the glass, and so did I.- And, continuing to make fun of himself, he talks about the hustle and bustle before leaving for a high reception: - And how they gathered me there! A woman was selected from the regional government to help me choose a suit - I had to look decent at such a responsible event. We tried out several options, in the end one was approved. Then they picked up a tie, then combed their hair … A whole epic! Previously, they did not gather the bride to the groom like me,”laughs Viktor Soloviev.

In his forest domain, he was not used to dressing up. The main thing is that it is convenient to move around any terrain, to wade through impassable thickets. True, he also has a forest ceremonial suit - a tunic on which the medals deserved in the "green field" jingle. After all, not only "waste heaps of glory" makes up the entire list of Viktor Solovyov's merits. Certainly the greening of the slag mountains attracted the most attention to the personality of the keen forester, and the resonance created by the media fueled this interest even more. Meanwhile, Viktor Soloviev has earned recognition for his other deeds. For example, he managed to create a whole natural monument - a site under his jurisdiction ten years ago was registered as a natural monument of regional significance "Chapyzh Tract". Many plants listed in the Red Book have been preserved here. And now Soloviev is obsessed with a new dream: to create an arboretum near the tract, where a variety of plants will grow. Viktor Vasilyevich has already begun to implement his idea - on the territory of the future arboretum, the forester and his young assistants from local schools have already planted lindens, ash trees, mountain ash, there are also representatives of exotic flora - Manchurian walnut, Canadian maple. And although the trees are still quite small, when the forester talks about the future park, it seems that he already sees how powerful branches of his pets are rustling here.

Viktor Solovyov is often called a "freak". In the eyes of others, his actions are sometimes difficult to explain from a rational point of view. Maybe … But in the results of his work there is always a very definite logic: by his example, he teaches to be careful with nature. After all, for him the forest is not just a part of life, but rather a part of himself.