BELOVEZHSKAYA PUSHCHA IS BECOMING A RESERVE FOR RICH PEOPLE
The article by Sergei Klimenko,
The Environmental Public Initiative «Pro Wild Nature», Brest city,
Specially for the «Belovezhskaya Pushcha — XXI Century» website
November 20, 2003
Over a rather long period of time it is not the fortress of Brest, but «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» National Park is the main tourist attraction in our region. In the past hundreds of thousands of people annually visited the Pushcha. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union the number of visitors decreased considerably. But like before, the Belovezhskaya Pushcha still attracted people due to its unusual and fascinating beauty. This is a place with 600 year old oaks, 300 year old pines, and with herds of bisons living wild. For a long period ordinary tourists could only visit the Nature Museum and see the forest's animals from enclosures. In the last decade there were offered the opportunity for visitors to drive their cars across Belovezhskaya Pushcha under assistance of a guide. For this purpose special routes were opened. Tourists could even obtain permission to enter a «sacred area» — the territory of Viskuly, the governmental residence, where access had previously been restricted. In short, the National Park successfully developed tourism and started to promote ecological education which actually is one of its basic objectives.
Some restrictions in the field of tourism were imposed in the National Park since 2001. Primarily visiting tours to Viskuly were stopped, even though this place had been advertised all over the world for almost 10 years. Then in the summer of 2001, in the middle of the tourist season, entering Belovezhskaya Pushcha by car was forbidden. People who wished to see the reserve were compelled to limit their tour to visiting the Nature Museum and the animals in the enclosures. Then, in autumn, after the flow of tourists had decreased, permission for trips to the forest were granted again. However, these trips were only possible using a transport service of the National Park, which, actually, quite often lacked petrol. In winter minibuses were allowed to follow routes within the National Park, whereas private cars, just as before, were still not allowed within the forest. Any logic in such decisions was absent. The information of workers of the nature museum was indistinct. Many visitors were disappointed and indignant at that time. We later found out from newspapers that cutting the living forest in the protected area had started in that period …
After the New Year's eve of 2002 tourists encountered another surprise. «Astronomical» prices were asked from visitors. While the cost of a trip to Belovezhskaya Pushcha was 3,000 Rubles (or about 3 $) in 2001, at the beginning of January 2002 the price had increased more than 3 times to 10,000 Rubles per person! Organizing a trip for a family with five members for example cost 50,000 Rubles. At that time this sum was equal to half a salary or two weeks« work for a 3 hour tour! Taking into account the level of salaries at that time only rich people were able to afford paying such prices for a trip.
Over the last two years the costs of basic tourism services in the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» remained nearly the same. This was a reasonable development. Inflation and raise of salaries over the last years have increased possibilities of people to pay for visits to the National Park. If the accessibility had not improved over those years the administration of the National Park would have created the impression that it just attempted discourage ordinary tourists to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
But another problem appeared. In earlier years,
Last year major repairs at hotels located in Kamenyuki, in which the administrative centre of the National Park is situated, were made. News was spread that the costs of accommodation in these repaired hotels ranged from 25 to 45 $, which was a great surprise to tourists. In the hotel in the village of Viskuly, situated near the governmental residence, the price ranges from 50 to 80 $ for a single room. Motels charge 120 $ per night. Prices for foreigners vary within the following limits: 50 to 80 Euros in hotels in Kamenyuki village, 60 to 120 Euros in the hotel near Viskuly and 220 to 250 Euros in motels (see price-list in the table below).
Let us analyze the situation.
Firstly, the level of prices in these hotels does not correspond to the level of services offered at all. Look for yourself. In a large West European city accommodation in an ordinary room for 2 persons in a
Secondly, our salaries have not increased like the hotel prices did. Our monthly income is approximately 100 $, which is just the same as before. In the winter months we must pay about 60 to 80 $ for the apartment and other home services. Moreover food, clothes and children make up the costs of our daily expenses. To us the discrepancy between the prices of hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and our possibilities is a simple fact…
Thirdly, before, in Kamenyuki village, there was a hotel which belonged to the Park property. Prices there were even lower than in hotels which were just situated on the territory of the National Park. But today temporary employees, who were especially invited by the administration of the Park to execute various tasks, are living there. By the way, unemployment in the village has reached an unprecedented level. Anyway, it simply means that tourists cannot accommodate this hotel. There is only one possibility to stay here, which is to stay overnight in the other hotel, which is more expensive.
Fourthly, it is obvious that in our part of the Pushcha there are few private guest houses which are suitable for accommodation of tourists compared to, for example, the Polish part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Very good accommodation is nearly absent here. This possibly is an explanation of the high prices in hotels of the National Park as there is a lack of competition. If there would be private owners of guest houses like in Poland who would go to the expensive hotels of the Park? Only those who really got used to living high life would keep going there.
And fifthly, I called the park administration several times to ask whether it was possible to book a room at a hotel. The answer was always the same: it makes sense to reserve a room for the weekend, but the hotels are almost empty during the week. Only in summer the situation changes for the better for the exploitation of the hotels. Thus, the flow of tourists is poor in general in regard to accommodation available in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Tourists are not in a hurry to get there like some people from the administration seem to believe.
It is clear that money has to be earned. But there should be some common sense in obtaining income. You see, the National Parks of our country are state bodies and these have not been created only for the «New Russians» and «Belarusians» to bring them a good time and supply income to the state (and not just the state…).
The main goal and idea of a National Park was and remains that people get the opportunity to see wild nature and to learn about ecology. National Parks are meant to provide ecological education. The purpose is that as after visiting the Park people become more civilized and more kind in relation to nature and, in the end, to the human society. Entertainment and other aspects are of certain importance besides these main goals. But some people in Belovezhskaya Pushcha probably forgot this simple idea in their hurry to make money. And what is the result we face now? According to information from the administration of the National Park many groups of pupils got accommodation in these hotels some years ago, but now these kind of tours for children are absent. At the same time there are no students, scientists, teachers, pensioners or other kinds of citizens coming to our forest. Today basically businessmen and CEO's are the only ones who take a rest here now.
Apparently the administration of the Park decided to turn ecological education into «ecological business». Currently an exaggerated policy is obviously put in practice by the managers of this wonderful natural site. The Belovezhskaya Pushcha has become a reserve for rich people. It has turned into a National Park for the elite, in stead of the nation.
Price-list of services of the State Organization for Nature Protection «National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha» (September 2003)
| Accommodation | Prices for citizens of | |
| Republic of Belarus & the CIS
(Rubles) |
Distant foreign countries
(Dollars) | |
| Motels | ||
| "Mooring-2" 2 floors (4 beds; situated at the lake side) | 250 000 | 220 |
| Count Tyshkevich House (Zharkovshchina, 12 beds) | 250 000* | 250* |
| Hotel "Viskuly" | ||
| Luxury apartment: 2 beds and 2 rooms - / - (1 person) - / - (2 persons) |
153 000* 163 000* |
120* |
| Single room: 1 bed and 1 room Double room: 2 beds and 1 room |
102 000* 112 000* |
60* |
| Tourist complex "Kamenyuki", hotels #1 and 3 | ||
| Luxury apartment: 2 bets and 2 rooms - / - (1 person) - / - (2 persons) |
80 000* 90 000* |
80* |
| Double room: 2 beds and 1 room - / - (1 person) - / - (2 persons) |
50 000* 60 000* |
50* |
| Additional services | ||
| Sauna "Viskuly" (2 hours for 5 persons) | 75 000 | |
| Billiard (1 hour) | 5 000 | |
| Sauna at the lake | 200 000 | |
| Sauna "Kamenyuki" (2 hours for 5 persons) | 65 000 | |
| Children's room service (1 hour) | 500 | |
| Car parking (3 hours) | 1 100 | |
| Museum service | Adults | Children |
| Entrance ticket to museum of nature and zoo for 1 person | 3 000 | 1 500 |
| Excursion to the forest (2 hours) | 10 000 | 2 000 |
| Horse riding (1 hour) | 10 000 | |
| Sports complex "Bison" | ||
| Tennis-court (1 person per 1 hour) | 2 000 | |
| Sports kit renting: Balls, tennis-racket (1 hour) |
1 500 | |
| Badminton kit - (1 hour) | 2 000 | |
| Entrance ticket for adults | 1 000 | |
| Entrance ticket for children | 500 | |
| Bike rental (1 hour) | 3 000 | |
Note: * Breakfast is included in the price of the room. Accommodation of children up to the age of 7 years is free of charge but a bed for children is not provided.
Note of translators: the exchange rate of Belarusian Rubles to US Dollars is 2,100 Rubles to 1 $ (autumn 2002).