Belovezhskaya Pushcha, your ancient sorrow is clear to me …

Article by Tatyana ANTONOVA-MELYANOVICH, Published in «Trud-7» (Work-7) Newspaper,
August 09–16, 2001

Instead of a foreword

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the best known reserves not only in Europe, but perhaps, all over the world. In the Belarusian and Polish languages the word «pushcha» is associated with a primeval wood that developed in natural conditions and remained the primary character. As for the name «Belovezhskaya», its etymology is insufficiently investigated, though there are some interesting interpretations. One of them is based on the presence of an ancient tower of a fortress that existed in this district. This construction (erected in the times of Prince Vladimir Volynski) stands in the vicinity of the forest since the XIIIth century. If to look from afar it is really looking as the tower. And «Vezha» means «tower» in the Belarusian language. It is true that this construction consists of red bricks. Scientists suppose that the word «belyi» meant «inviolable», «not conquered», «not subjugated» in the ancient times … This tower is famous in history because of the immense courage and bravery of warriors that defended this part of land from the enemies. And it was not conquered, not destroyed, not defiled. It became an original symbol of the love for freedom that people of this land had. So, such an origin of the name «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» is seen as quite logical as well.

In 1992, the State National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» was inscribed into the List of World Heritage of Mankind (alongside with lake Baikal, the Amazon rainforests, the Victoria waterfall, the Far East geyser valley and many other unique places) by decision of the UNESCO. In 1993, the park was granted the status of Biosphere Reserve. At last, in 1997, it has been awarded the European Diploma for the success of nature protection and came under the trusteeship of this influential international organization for the next five years.

What are such honours and glory for? Today Belovezhskaya Pushcha is the largest remnant of the primeval lowland forest which covered the whole territory of Europe in pre-historical times (13 thousand years ago). It was gradually cut down and only Belovezhskaya Pushcha remained with a rather primary character. On average the forests of Belovezhskaya Pushcha are more than 100 years old, and on separate sites 250–300 years old. More than 1000 giant trees are registered here.

In restoring the annihilated forests, the Europeans hope to take the primary biological material from the Belovezhskaya Pushcha which in the future will allow them to have not authentic ancient flora and fauna, but anyway, forests similar to the original.

Realizing the importance of Belovezhskaya Pushcha for mankind, the World Bank of Reconstruction and Development has granted one million dollars for the preservation of the biological diversity of the Belarusian part of Pushcha in 1992.

Throughout history the borders of the Pushcha changed. The management methods and its owners also (it was cyclically under absolute protection, then intensively exploited, depending on the hobbies and predilections of those who owned it), but through the centuries it was an overall protected forest.

1.

As it seemed to us, the administration of the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» is afraid of journalists. Anyway, park heads did not express any enthusiasm on our visit. Our desire to talk with Evgeny Smoktunovich General Forest Warden and a forester by descendants (the local inhabitants respond to him very well), ended without any results. With downcast eyes, Evgeny Anatolievich explained with restraint that he cannot give interviews without the approval of the general director. Other experts also sent us to him. But the ordinary people talked willingly about the painful problems concerning the future of the Pushcha.

«Oh children, that is a corner of paradise», an old but still playful grandfather spoke to us, with a voice like a song, pronouncing in the Polesye dialect, which joined Russian, Byelorussian, Ukrainian and Polish words. He groaned and peculiarly made the sign of the cross over his face with his knotty fingers. He had an old (perhaps pre-war) bicycle, or as it is called here a «rover». He came from across the Pushcha and stopped for a rest. «If people would know, what these workers are doing here … They are felling and felling and have no regrets. Look there, only stumps are left. Pushcha is dying and suffering from disease. It is impossible to find mushrooms, while in the past they were so many, like water in the sea … All the area is defiled. Waters have left this land after their drainage.

To questions like, who is he, where he lives, and what is he doing, the worried about the Pushcha grandfather, obviously, having had a previous bad experience, decided not to answer on his privacy. He was scared, took his vehicle and went away, continuing to swear those worthless managers of this land.

As we found out, people here are afraid of the general director of the national park. They say he is drastic. He does not bear any objections. He is firm as steel in carrying out the directives of his governing body. And the supervisor of the Pushcha, as it is known, is the serious state body — the Property Management Department of the President. Nickolai Bambiza has taken over the post of general director in Pushcha only three months ago. He came here from the Pripyatski Reserve. People say that those at the «top» were very pleased with the results of his work. They appreciate him as a good economic planner, able to earn money. But the Belarusian «greens» wrote much about how the oaks, spruces and ashes growing for hundreds of years within the river valley of the Pripyatski National Reserve, have turned into parquet due to this man.

On coming to the Pushcha, Nickolai Bambiza immediately announced that he is going to work with a team of adherents and therefore, those who disagree with the «politics of the party and government» can look for a job in another place. But it is very difficult to find another place to work in the Kamenyuki village …

Today the staff of the national park consists of different kind of experts: scientists, economists, construction workers, forest wardens, huntsmen, hunters, cattle breeders, farmers and employees working at the timber processing plant. The economic activity is really huge. But, strangely enough, the research department here is rather small — 22 employees and among them there are no professors. However, 20 years ago, approximately 60 famous and known scientists fruitfully studied the Pushcha. But what can we do now; new times bring new manners.

The majority of the employees are local inhabitants. Their ancestors lived on this land since ever. Those people whom destiny brought here from distant lands also love the Pushcha and feel linked with it. It is surprising that casual people too, coming to the Pushcha on business trips and seeing its greatness, start to feel they bring their own contribution at the preservation of this natural pearl.

2.

A fortunate occasion helped us visit one of the remote farms in the depth of the Pushcha. Here Marycya Zhak lives. She is 90 years old (by a lucky chance this family has not shared the destiny of other «kulaks» deported to Siberia, though they also suffered much). Her grand daughter, the stately local beauty Natalya Tsarevich, who brought us there, told us how people formerly lived in these places of the deep forest.

«This farm gave me all my force and love for this land. I lived here at my grandmother's house for a long time, but I was born in Germany. Parents brought me to my grandmother Marycya as a cry-baby, when I was seven months old. Later, life forced us to go all over the world. But nowhere was so well like here. I always wanted to come home. The smell of freshly mowed hay, the hum of bees at the bee hives in the garden, the taste of honey, these glades and the boundless forest where it seems that each tree is familiar, all of them astonish me. During childhood my overflowing feeling of love for all this magnificence, made me turn the music on quite often and dance in an almost ritual way under the stars. Grandmother and grandfather laughed, maybe they did not understand me … It happened many times that I met bison in the forest. Once I was picking up berries, then suddenly I raised my head and saw a huge bull attentively looking at me from the depth of the forest with brilliant black eyes. I froze on the spot. I did not breathe or move … There have never been cases when animals caused me harm. Since we live here, we treat very carefully all wild life. This tradition was passed on from generation to generation. I would say that a certain private moral code functioned. Everyone held it sacred. The local people never cut a tree unless there is an extreme need. They did not touch berry-bushes, even if this would be some barrier for bringing economic advantages. The best was to bypass them because you see, life must live. People, who harmed the Pushcha, were sent out of here. It was an unwritten rule.

Now even the written rules are not laws in the Pushcha. Let's mention, for example, this year's felling of the living trees authorized by the managers of the park! Permissiveness, as the local inhabitants suppose, corrupt people which do not have strong moral principles. Some people without a twinge of conscience secretly hunt badger (for the purpose of collecting badger fat which is used as a treatment for tuberculosis). Lynxes, capercailzies, black grouse, hazel-grouse become more and more rare. The inhabitants of the villages surrounding the Pushcha sell rare plants listed in the Red Book under the counter. Certainly, they are thinking: «Why is the state poaching, moreover on a large scale, and we are not allowed to do it on a small scale?»

As the Philosophy Doctor of biology Vyacheslav Semakov supposes (he was an employee of the national park for a long time) the situation is alarming here. The extremely intensive economic activity and the huge industrial forest cuttings aggravate this situation in the Pushcha. In the opinion of this man, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha was never a reserve in the true sense of the word, although it formally had a reserve status from 1944 to 1957. After 1957 it was turned into a protected game ground, with serious negative consequences for the Pushcha. In 1991, it changed status and became a State National Park. Recently it was nominated State Nature Protection Organization (SNPO). By the way, there is an article in the statutory document of this SNPO which states that if the enterprise goes bankrupt, it will be liquidated according to the relevant order. But they forget this is an international reserve!

«If by the word »reserve«, it is meant: nothing is touched here!» Vyacheslav Semakov says, «Hunting has absolutely different purposes — to extract. And people extract without restraints. And now all acts are the same, though there is the zoning system and the wilderness protection zone where any human economic activity is forbidden. But it is just a relatively reserved zone because, at one time, woods have been cut down there too. And what does taking of only one huge pine out the forest imply… As the tractor drags the log to the road side for the purpose of getting it on a timber lorry, the whole soil layer, formed here within centuries, is torn off. Dry trees, as it is known, are home for owls, squirrels, martens, and the hole-nesting birds. In this case, they lose their habitats. A zone, which is shown to tourists, is all covered with stumps. It is necessary sometimes to give explanations to the tourists arriving in the Pushcha by using our saying »the Englishmen cut in due time«. What kind of English style cuttings are we talking about, when the newest sawmill from Germany is functioning in the Pushcha?»

3.

Certainly, Pushcha has seen many events. The rainy days are coming here again after the national park changed its subordination from the Council of Ministers to the Property Management Department of the President. Life under the roof of the Council of Ministers was generally not bad. The financing for science and nature protection has been allocated. The populations of bison, as well as of other threatened species have been restored in the Pushcha. The administrative territory was established. The tourism business started to develop, and an appropriate infrastructure for this kind of activity began to be created. As payment for this it was necessary to supply high quality timber, let's say for the purpose of building of summer residences for the heads of the Ministry Council … But it was very limited compared with the new approaches. In the mid «90's Vasiliy Zhukov was nominated director of the park. Earlier he headed a collective farm. His task was to focus on fellings as a priority of the forestry, to develop large-scale economic activity on the lands of the Pushcha in order to obtain a good income for the state treasury. Vasiliy Zhukov, an absolutely incompetent man in respect to nature protection, wild life science, and forestry, being full of enthusiasm inherent to old communist party guards, starts transforming the Belovezhskaya Pushcha into a large collective farm. Roads were built, electrification and telephone lines connected forest cordons were set, and a horse-breeding farm was created. There was also an attempt to breed geese… Huntsmen are still spiting as they tell how they have to walk in bogs to pick up eggs of wild ducks for the purpose of incubating them in the farm's nursery.

The old sawmill was obviously not good enough for those who were going to take a decent tribute from the Pushcha. The countless forest riches excited the hot imagination of the newly brought to light businessmen, which except for money, hold nothing sacred. And they decided to sell the national riches of Belarus cheap. The well-known former Manager of the Property Management Department of the President Ivan Titenkov, has got a «super-sawmill» from Germany, which processes only raw wood. For this purpose it took a credit of two million dollars. But law prohibits cuttings of the living trees in the Pushcha so the situation turned worse. It was necessary to pay for the credit while the sawmill stood idle. They tried to deliver timber from remote regions. It proved to be very unprofitable. Now the trucks loaded with timber come from a territory situated close to the Chernobyl affected zone. Experts know how dangerous this is: when burning the sawdust, radioactive pollution is spread over the territory of the Pushcha. The «super-sawmill», by the way, functions illegally for over two years because a state commission did not sign documents (the dry wood processing produces a lot of sawdust, and while there are no dust vacuum-cleaners for this sawmill, the danger of catching on fire is created and the hygiene and sanitary standards are broken). It is not surprising that now, a night shift is added to work at the sawmill, like it was done at the timber processing plant in Pripyatski reserve. Actually, nobody sees this ugliness. People are silent because they have to feed their families, though they know that work in such conditions is dangerous: resin causes the fast appearance of cancer diseases. By the way, using these new machines it is possible to cut about 250 cubic meters of timber per shift. This is why the new general director tries so hard to squeeze all the benefits out of this expensive unit. You see, the credit has to be paid but there is no money. All manufacturing plants produce but cover only small percentages of the credit payment — the ruble equivalent of 100 thousand DM. The general director has ordered his foresters to fell the living old pine and spruce trees too. The honourable foresters have raised the alarm for the trees. But nevertheless, they had to further take part at the cuttings of living trees as the mass infection of the spruce bark beetle appeared. As for the bark beetle, there are more aspects of the problem… It has been scientifically proved that drainage works carried out in the «60's and »70's in the Polesye region have had negative consequences for the Pushcha. Water left the surface ground layers, while the roots of the spruce, as we know, are located superficially. The trees started to dry and the bark beetle appeared. For the purpose of fighting it off there are, by the way, biological methods as well. But nobody says a word about these methods. You see the sawmill has to work to cover its own outlay, and to obtain income.

Presently, the clear cutting of the forest that was obviously a plan with expected success is suspended. The commission working at the end of July in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha and headed by the known scientist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Victor Parfenov, has revealed the numerous rough infringements of the rules and the technological discipline, as well as infringements of the nature protection legislation and its application. It is difficult to foresee the coming events. But in any case, those who are not indifferent about the situation in their country will continue to protect the Pushcha.

Heorhi Kazulka, the deputy director on science knows very well the current situation. In his opinion, it became obvious during last decades that the economic activity, intensively developed on the Protected Game Ground, and the activity of the scientific centre with the status of nature protection institute created here disputes. They could not coexist. The economic activity won priority, and the result, as people say, is obvious.

«To save the Pushcha for the next generation, it would be reasonable and urgently needed to further harmonize both kinds of activities — the scientific and the economic», the scientist supposes. «They should work connected, but science must be half a step in front».

The famous ornithologist Vladimir Dackevich who all life devoted the Pushcha has another opinion. He considers that stopping all sorts of economic activities and putting the park in the hands of ecology and science is the only way to save the Pushcha as the model forest of Europe. It is necessary to follow the same direction of the Polish scientists, who achieved rather appreciable results in the Polish part of the Pushcha. Giving the appropriate status to this forest, which would block the coming of people with axes here, is also very important.

… I leave the Pushcha, but I know I will come back here, because I want to take rest here once again; to breathe the stunning resinous air of this unusual woods; to meet grandmother Marysya, her grand daughter Natalya, the director of the watch-tower from Kamenetz town Galina Tarasevich, and many other people of this land which are able to love and to create, instead of pulling down and destroying.