This report represents the results of a survey carried out as part of the Royal Geographical Society's 1998 Ralph Brown Expedition. The duration of the survey was 19 days, from 30 June to 18 July. The route taken was about 800 km long, and passed through Shatsk, Liuboml, Stara Vyzhivka, Ratne, Kamin-Kashyrskyi, and Kovel' districts of Volyns'ka Oblast.
(1) Karst Shatsk lakes on relatively high chalk base (photos 4.7, 4.8, 4.11, 4.14, 4.17, 4.18).
(2) Meliorated wetlands surrounding Shatsk lakes near Pidmanove, Pulmo, Ostrivia, Pishcha and Shatsk (photos 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.14, 4.17).
(3) Eolic-zandr {no idea what does it means} sites on the west and east costs of Lake Svitiaz with pine forests (photos 4.5, 4.12, 4.13, 4.18).
(4) Rostan' hills ridge of glacial origin on high chalk base to the north of Lake Pulemetske.
(5) Slightly divided eolic and glacial area with forest and meadows near Krasnyi Bir village to the north-east of Shatsk lakes.
(6) Meliorated alluvial-zandr {?} area with wet meadows near Khrypsk village to the north of Shatsk lakes (photo 4.6).
(7) Eolic-terraced areas in the valley of the West Bug river near Koshary, Vilshanka, Hrabove, Adamchuky to the south-west of Shatsk lakes (photos 4.00, 4.0, 4.2, 4.3).
(8) Eolic-tectonic sandy area of Kostiushko hill with pine forest (photos 4.00, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.10).
(9) Meliorated alluvial-zandr plane with wetlands near Smoliary Svitiazski and Stolynski Smoliary on relatively low chalk base (photo 4.6).
(10) Meliorated flood-lands of upper Pripyat near Polozheve village on relatively low chalk base (photo 4.21).
(11) Slightly divided zandr plane with forest on relatively high chalk base near Zgorany village (photos 4.22, 4.23, 4.24).
(12) Lake Velyke Zhoranske, a lake of karst origin (photos 4.22, 4.23).
(13) The Holovno ridge of small hills of glacial origin on upraised chalk base (photos 4.28, 4.29, 4.30, 4.32).
(14) The Liubokhyne group of lakes (photos 4.36, 4.37).
(15) Forest on glacial-zandr and eolic hills near Smoliary village (the north-east part of the Holovno ridge) (photos 4.29, 4.30).
(16) Meliorated wetlands on eolic-alluvial area in the valley of the Pripyat near Yarevyshche village (photos 3.9, 3.10).
(17) Meliorated wetlands on lake-zandr area near Zabolottia (photos 3.11, 3.12, 3.14, 3.15).
(18) Lake Turske (photo 3.14).
(19) Lake Sviate, a lake of karst origin (photo 3.15).
(20) Glacial hill ridge near Yosypova Hill on upraised chalk base (photos 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19).
(21) Terraced eolic-alluvial areas near Zdomyshel village (the north part of the Pripyat valley) (photo 3.21).
(22) Meliorated marshes and meadows on flood-lands of the Pripyat near Zdomyshel village.
(23) Slightly divided zandr plane on relatively low chalk base near Luchychi, Postupel, Vydrychi (photos 4.23, 4.24, 4.25).
(24) Slightly divided eolic-zandr and zandr plane on relatively low chalk base near Buzaky, Rakiv Lis, Kamin-Kashyrskyi (photos 3.32, 3.33).
(25) Meliorated wide wetlands on flood-lands of the Tsyr river on relatively low chalk base between Vyderta and Vorokomle (photo 5.0).
(26) Meadows on eolic-zandr and lake-zandr areas (photo 5.3) and meliorated wetlands on alluvial zandr areas with sand and clay deposits between Vyderta and Hrudky (photo 5.1).
(27) Pine forests on eolic-alluvial areas on east part of the Turia valley between Osovtsi and Mostyshche (photo 5.4).
(28) Undisturbed flood-lands of the Turia valley on relatively low chalk base between Mostyshche and Dobre.
(29) Boggy undisturbed alluvial areas on reltively low chalk base in valley of the Turia from Buzaky to Dobre, Khoteshiv and Kotush (photos 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14).
(30) Undisturbed flood-lands of the Pripyat valley near Shchedrohir (photos 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18).
(31) Meliorated terraced plane to the north of the Pripyat near Shchedrohir (photos 5.19, 5.23).
(32) Flood-lands on low chalk base in the valley of Turia to the north of Datyn (photos 3.27, 3.28, 3.29, 3.30).
(33) Karst springs in the Turia valley in Datyn withing uprised chalk base.
(34) Glacial hill ridge (Kreemenets Hill) on high chalk base near Datyn village (photo 5.28).
(35) Karst lake Synove on uprised chalk base.
(36) Lake Serakhovytske.
(37) Butsyn glacial hill ridge.
(38) Lake Pishchane near Butsyn village.
(39) Flood-lands in unmeliorated narrow part of the Turia valley on uprised chalk base between Datyn and Stavyshche (photos 5.25, 5.26, 5.27).
(40) Flood-lands in the Turia vlley near Pidsynivka, Myltsi, Solovyi, Volia, Hishyn (photos 5.29, 5.30, 5.31).
(41) Eolic-alluvial area in the middle Turia valley near Volia and Hishyn (photo 5.30).
Most of the landscape has been changed by human activity, making it very important to assess the degree of such changes and future trends. The most drastic change to landscapes of Volhynian Polissya was the wide-scale drainage of wetlands and straightening of small rivers. The area of marshland has decreased rapidly in the second half of the twentieth century, and many natural ecosystems have been replaced by agricultural landscapes and human settlements. Since the start of the 1990s, however, some of these trends have actually been reversed, and many areas are starting to revert to their natural condition.
Some quite visible changes took place in the state of Shatsk lakes in 1983-1998 after foundation of the Shatsk National Park. High purity of lake's water means low level of organic substances. Earlier fries of some economically important fish species had been put in regularly to rear and this had helped to keep fish quantity sufficient for fishery business. When strict nature protection had been introduced such practice had come to a halt which resulted in decrease of fishes resources. Local fishermen complain about this and it would be honest for the state to recompense their losses.
Foundation of the Shatsk National Park was like a big advertisment for this lake district and attracted a lot of additional visitors but the system of cleaning remained the same (that means insufficient). Threfore, the area of the National Park is very polluted. The same is true for most of Volhynian lakes accessible for cars: Lake Sviate of the Tursk group of lakes (photo 3.15), Lake Velyke Zhoranske, Lake Domashnie in Krymne village (photo 4.37), Lake Synove, several lakes with the same name Pishchane (photo 4.36). Only scarcity of the roads with hard cover make the situation milder for some remote corners.
Foundation of the Shatsk National Park induced to establish Shatsk administrative district of Volyns'ka Oblast. This caused unnecessary duplication of state offices and doubled expenditure to keep them functional leaving almost no money for proper maintenance of the National Park.
Chornobyl disaster also caused considerable negative effect on nature and economy of northern part of the Volyns'ka Oblast. Detailed information on this topic is available from the Ukrainian government.
Generally, landscapes of the region sustain considerable pollution by waste matter of domestic origin. The main rubbish items are empty plastic bottles and food packets. Public dumps require better management (photo 3.22).
Shatsk National Park doesn't embraces the whole diversity of the regional landscapes, first of all those of glacial origin which is very common in the Volyn (photos 4.28, 4.32, 3.16). Aeolian and alluvial formations are another very distinctive and widespread in Volyn landscape types (photos 4.1, 4.4, 4.10).
Such landscapes are situated in the nearest vicinities of the Shatsk National Park (sometimes within the same forest). If they are included into SNP it would make the National Park more representative as for Volyn landscapes.
Within present boundaries of the SNP only landscape types 1-3 (see above) occur. So, it's only a small part of 41 types we have noted in the region.
In terms of physical geography there are 8 landscape districts within Volyn Polissia. In the course of the Expedition we investigated two of them: Upper Pripyat district, and Liuboml-Kovel district. Landscape types we noted are distributed between these districts as follows. Upper Pripyat district: landscape types 1-10 and 16-32; Liuboml-Kovel district (northern part): landscape types 11-15 and 33-41.
We have studied sufficient number of objects to trace a boundary between the two landscape districts. The boundary was determined previously on the base of literature data and map information. Field investigations in August 1998 confirmed its reliability.
There are six main agents responsible for genesis of different landscape types in Volyn Polissia. In accordance with this the landscape types (LT) of the investigated territory could be attributed to six group: 1) alluvial (river) LT; 2) substagnant water (bog) LT; 3) glacial (drumlin) LT; 4) fluvial-glacial or zandr {that is what 'zandr' means!}LT; 5) karst (underground, lake, stream) LT; 6) aeolian (wind) LT. In fact, real landscapes usually are of mixed origin. For Polissia very typical are: aeolian-alluvial sand hills; aeolian-zandr sand hills; drumlin-zandr planes; drumlin-alluvial planes (glacial areas intersected by erosion); zandr-alluvial planes (water-glacial areas intersected by erosion); boggy areas on alluvial planes; boggy areas where karst streams come to the surface.
The most vulnerable components of Volyn lanscapes proved to be biota (plants and animals) and waters (as the most dynamic). Those are the most damaged elements of Volyn landscapes also. Consequently, alluvial, substagnant and karst LT are changed the most deeply.
The above-mentioned reverse tendencies in development of the regional landscapes target first of all also these landscape types.
Bicycles as a transport proved very helpful for visual observations of ethnographic features of Volyn towns and villages. Inhabitants are mostly Ukrainians, 4% - are Russians, 1% - all other ethnic groups.
We took photographs of typical houses, some village crafts, patterns of floral design, many religious buildings.
There are three main types of dwellings in Volyn villages: a) traditional log house comprising two (photos 4.17, 3.5), or (more recent) three rooms (photos 4.9, 4.15, 5.9, 5.20); b) modern brick house with 3-4 rooms (photo 5.23); c) brick house with mansard roof comprising 5-6 rooms (wealthy owners). In towns wealthy owners have built two-three-floors brick houses.
In Krymne village (Stara Vyzhivka district) we noted very characteristic for Polissia design of kitchen gardens: surface of soil is divided into narrow strips artificially made higher to keep them dry (photos 3.00, 3.1).
Another traditional job is making of butter in a narrow wood tub - zbiyanka. One shown in photo 5.21 was made in the early 1950s (Shchedrohir village).
Very typical for Polissia is a special style to pile up choped firewood in a form resemble to haystack (photos 3.31, 5.24).
Flower decoration of Polissia house yard compiles: a) traditional for Ukrainians hollyhocks (photos 4.15, 5.20); b) marigolds, nasturtia, phloxes, dahlias, and roses introduced to Ukrainian villages more than a hundred years ago (photo 3.6); c) modern imported cultivars (photo 3.6).
Sacral architecture in towns and villages of the north-west Volyn comprises Orthodox churches and cemetery chapels mainly. Churches are: a) aldest (built before 18th century) wood churches elongated in a groung plan with one nave (photo 4.16) or buildings with one nave also but cross-like in a ground plan with two- or four-sloped roof and separately built bell tower (photo 4.25); b) wood churches with one (photos 3.13, 3.36) or three (photo 5.2) domes and one nave, elongated in a ground plan, a bell tower is separate (photos 3.13, 5.2) or incorporated (photos 3.3, 3.20, 3.26, 3.36), built 18th century onwards; c) modern wood (photo 5.22) or brick (photo 3.4) churches, elongated in a ground plan, with one nave and one dome, or churches cross-like in a ground plan with three naves and five domes, bell tower is incorporated in most cases (photo 3.34, 4.33). Cemetery chapels usually are small and resemble to one of above mentioned types of one nave church. Roman Catholic churches (local name 'kostel') are scarce iv villages and slightly more frequent in towns; built in 19th (photo 4.20) or in the first half of 20th century. Architectural style is mostly classical (photo 4.20). There are some evangelical religious buildings (photo 5.8) without tower or with pointed tower above the altar part (photo 5.8).
Very characteristic are memory crosses established to commemorate relatives buried faraway. Memory crosses are made of stone, not high, usually situated near a church in a group (photo 4.16), or solitary (photo 3.3). Sometimes they are made of wood and in such case are high and solitary (photo 3.13, 3.20). Memory cross might be installed in a house yard. Inscription on stone cross near house in Ostrivia village (Shatsk district) is very typical: 'Khrestu Tvoyomu poklonimos', Vladyko. Na pamiat' rodyny. 1956' ('We worship Your Cross, Lord. In memoriam of the family. 1956').
Very noticeable are blessing crosses (local name - 'figura') at junctions out of villages (photos 3.9, 3.21) and almost in every village (photos 3.2, 5.10). Such crosses have their own symbolic attributes: small ladders, hammers, pincers (photo 3.21). Usually they are decorated with colour strips, paper or metal flowers (garlands), or embroidered towels (more rare) (photo 3.2). Blessing crosses mostly are new, installed or restored in the 1990s, after Ukraine became independent.
The author has noted a unique piece of pre-Christian tradition - a sign (talisman, Ukrainian 'oberih') designated to protect wheat field (at the road near Krymne village) (photo 3.8).
Potential natural possibilities in Volhyn are essential. It is not noted in the title which organisms are meant but in many respects they are accepted for a wide range of living organisms.
The main feature of the nature in the north-west of Volhynian Polissia is a dense network of waters. It entirely corresponds with the climate and orography of the area: abundant precipitation all over the year, relatively not hot (evaporation is not high), plain relief with minimum slopes where is the main watershed between basins of the Baltic and Black seas.
Very important feature of the nature here is the position of the region. The area is adjacent to similar landscapes in Poland and Belarus which are also wet and forested. At the boundary with Poland there is a water border - Zakhidnyi Bug river, and there is no any natural border between Ukraine and Belarus.
The clarification of the term 'dense network of waters' is as follows. There are hundreds big and small lakes, rivers, meliorative canals, ditches, undrained swamps throughout Volhyn. Some canals and lakes of Zakhidnyi Bug and Prypiat are directly joined to each other, forming spontaneous connections. All waters together with those which are not connected directly can be regarded as a net.
Another essential feature is that despite human activity on wetlands and rather high density of population the landscapes are rich in their diversity and dimensions. Both different and similar landscapes border spatually and they all are at the same time places for living, feeding and migration. All above mentioned are promoting factors for extending of migration ways for the living organisms.
In fact there are no any obstacles for the migration either by air, or by water, or by land on this area as even on simple roads there are bridges over the rivers and canals available for animals as well. Of course, it's even easier for floristic invasions.
Thus the probability of abundant migration ways between the Baltic and Black seas is very high in Volhyn. It is natural for common unprotected volhynian landscapes and obvious particularly in preserved areas.
From the landscape expert point of view any place can be treated as a potential site of interest, on one hand, as a unique and on another, as a typical one. Or it might be as a combination of those two, for example, a central part, a core is unique in landscape respect while surrounding part, periphery is rather usual, common. The more typical are landscape features, the more representative and valuable is the area as a preserved object.
From this viewpoint some protected areas should be extended, especially those where nature waters are under protection together with plants, animals and other living organisms with whole environment as in Shatskyi National Nature Park. In chapter 3 of the report the idea of extending the park has been discussed. It was proposed to include into it adjacent morenny hills and areas over flood plains
Landscapes in Volhyn Polissia are very diverse and picturesque, rich with nature monuments of different value. All this is a good basis for ecotourism potential to be initiated in the region. The expedition on bicycles I took part in has confirmed this.
To realize ecotourism potential in Volhyn Polissia all possible sorts of routes for trips on vehicles, bicycles, canoes/boats, by foot should be arranged. Despite the problems a unique rich nature is a sufficient background for a well-developed network of ecotourism in the area.
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Translation: Yu.Ya. Tykhonenko
V.P. Hayova |