January 31, 2011 Website "Wildlife.by" Auction for a bison will be held online for the first time in Belarus!

The largest in Belarus tour operator "TsentrKurort" plans holding of the first specialized Internet auction for the real lovers of hunting bison. A unique specimen - a male which is not for the free hunting is put up for the electronic trading! According to preliminary estimates, this is the animal for the gold medal, valued at 170-190 points according to the international system of CIC.

In order to become the owner of this unique trophy, you need to go to our site WWW.HUNTERCLUB.BY and register in accordance with the Rules of the auction.

The auction will last for 28 days. The date of the auction is from February 1 to February 28, 2011.

As a bonus, we give the winner of the auction:

• free permission to import weapons; ;
• taxidermy trophy;
• an export permit for the trophy.

Do not miss the opportunity to supplement your collection with the unique trophy! Details are on our site WWW.HUNTERCLUB.BY!

ABOUT TROPHY

Bison is the heaviest and largest land mammal on the European continent and the last representative of wild bulls. Its length is up to 330 cm, its height at the shoulders is up to two meters and weight is up to one ton. Bison live in small herds in size from three to twenty animals, consisting mainly of females and young calves. Female is a leader in the bison herd. Males prefer to live alone and join the herd only during the rut for coupling.

ON HUNTING BISON

Hunting for bison will be held with "walking" in the daytime. The end of January, February and March are the best time to hunt bison as it has the best quality wool in this period. Bison is very strong at the wound and therefore recommended calibers of weapons to hunt it are from 8.68 to 9.3 mm. It is also better to have a night optical sights as hunting begins at dark and can last into the twilight.

TROPHY ASSESSMENT

Bison trophies are valued according to the CIC system and consist of a skull with horns:
1. Gold Medal, starting with 170 points CIC;
2. Silver Medal, starting with 150 points CIC;
3. Bronze Medal, starting with 130 points CIC.

The company "TsentrKurort"
220048, Belarus, Minsk, Myasnikov str., 39, tel.: (017) 328-59-31, (044) 744-82-45.

E-mail: info@hunterclub.by

January 01, 2011 Website "TsentrKurort" Auction

Dear fans of hunting!

We invite you to become participants in an online auction on bison (the reserved gene pool group)! This specimen is particularly the gold medal (score on the international system CIC at 170-190 points). Dates of the auction are from 02/01/2011 to 02/28/2011.

Reference

The Belarusian population of bison consists of bison of the main gene pool group and bison of the reserved gene pool group. Bison of the main gene pool group are the types of animals listed in a Red Data Book of Belarus, and hunting them is forbidden. Hunting bison from the reserved gene pool group is permitted in cases stipulated by legislation of the Republic of Belarus:

• Presidential Decree on December 8, 2005 No 580 "On some measures to improve the efficiency of hunting and fishing activities, and to perfect the governmental management";
• Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 27 October 2007 No 1408 "On some issues of conservation and management of bison"..

The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" has a conclusion to allow the hunting of bison from the reserved gene pool group, put up for auction.

As a bonus, we give the winner of the auction:

• free permission to import weapons;
• taxidermy tropy;
• an export permit for the trophy.

To simplify the registration process, we recommend that you read the documents on how to conduct online auction:

• Rules of the Internet auction site;
• The agreement between the parties to the online auction;
• Rules for providing users with information to participate in the online auction..
• Participate in an auction
• ...Entrance to the auction...

January 25, 2011 Website "The Kamenets Regional Executive Committee" Information to discuss the report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for construction of the road "The bypass around the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" at the section Peschatka-Svisloch"

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTIVITY

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

creation of the road "The bypass around the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" at the section Peschatka-Svisloch"

Customers of proposed activity

a) on construction of new sections, and reconstruction and repair of existing sections of national highways as parts of the entire object are as represented by the national unitary road enterprises:

- "Brestavtodor" (224030 Brest city, Vorovskogo str., 19 fax 20-30-06, E-mail: bad@dor.mtk.by)

- "Grodnoavtodor"(230023 Grodno city, Zamkezay str., 9 fax 72-26-84, E-mail: grad@mtk.by)

b) on reconstruction and repair of existing sections of local roads as parts of the entire object:

- the communal unitary enterprise for design, maintenance, repair and construction of local roads "Brestobldorstroy" (224023 Brest city, Moskovskaya str., 273/2 fax 40-98-44, E-mail: bods@dor.mtk.by);

- the communal design-repair-construction unitary enterprise "Grodnoobldorstroy" (230026 Grodno city, Pobeda str., 15a, fax 51-30-50, E-mail: grods@dor.mtk.by);

PURPOSES OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY

Creating a highway "The bypass around the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" at the section Peschatka-Svisloch"

RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY

Creating a highway "The bypass around the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is performed in accordance with Presidential Decree of May 11, 20 No 244 in order to improve the environmental situation, to create an engineering and tourism infrastructure along the perimeter of the National Park with providing comfortable passage and road accesses to the planned roadside tourism services and to improve local road networks in the surrounding area with providing landscaped entrances to settlements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY

The route of the road bypassing the territory of National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" lies in the territory of Kamenets and Pruzhany districts.

The general direction of the bypass road was made in accordance with the Protocol of the meeting for selection of the route of the bypass road on March 10, 2010, with participation of chairmen (deputies) of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, Kamenets and Pruzhany district executive committees, heads (deputies) of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", the Department "Belavtodor", the national unitary enterprise "Brestavtodor" the enterprise "Brestobldorstroy", and the State Enterprise "Belgiprodor":

in Pruzhany district – villages Klepachi, Peski – the bypass exiting to the existing highway Cothra-Radetsk, the bypass of Radetsk; village Kletnoe exiting to the existing road Dolgoe-Borky avoiding the populated area of Suhopol and exiting to the existing road Suhopol-Rovbitsk-Bely Lesok with bypass of the village Rovbitsk; the bypass of the settlement Shereshevo toward settlements Okolnik, Mylnisk and Dolgoe exiting to villages Brody and Vizhnoe and exiting to the highway P-102 Vysoloe-Kamenets-Kobrin;

in Kamenetz district – the bypass of the town Kamenets towards the village Novitskovichi; Novitskovichi-Dmitrovichi in a new direction; Dmitrovichi-Dashevichi on the existing road and further Dashevichi-Teresiny-Yanushi-Osinniki; Osinniki and further according to the option proposed by the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" – to the villahe Volkostavets.

Given the importance of the tourist route, access to the road border crossing "Peschatka" in the direction of settlement Omelenets and further to Podbure, Bushmichi, Dolbizno, Hlevische – Peschatka, with the maximum bypass of settlements, is provided.

The route of the bypass road takes into account the need to preserve and maintain the specially protected areas of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" as much as possible, as well as the existing road network within the Kamenets and Pruzhany districts, and the prospects for development of social, engineering, transport and tourism infrastructure and roadside services.

DATE OF REALIZATION OF PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Start of construction -2010 year

Completion of construction - 2011 year

DATE OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

January and February 2011

IMPACT ASSESSMENT DEVELOPER

State Enterprise "Belgiprodor", 220012 Minsk city, Surganova str., 28, Fax 292-94-13 E-mail: office@bgd.mtk.by

WHERE I CAN SEE THE REPORT

Developer is as represented by the State Enterprise "Belgiprodor" www.belgiprodor.by, road department's chief Ivan Yaroshevich, Minsk city, tel. 8-017-259-88-15

The Kamenets District Executive Committee - kamenec.brest-region.by

Head of the Kamenets District Inspection of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Vladimir Ryadkov, tel.8-01631-23941

The Pruzhany District Executive Committee - pruzhany.brest-region.by

Head of the Pruzhany District Inspection of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Boleslaw Andrushko, tel.8-01632-73301

Customer is as represented by the national unitary enterprise "Brestavtodor", Brest city, Vorovskogo str., 19, Head of Technical Department Irina Melnikova, tel. 8-0162-200298

January 25, 2011 Website "Belarus Birds' Life" The last book by Vladimir Datskevich "My Life in Belovezhskaya Pushcha" to appear

On 22 November 2010, Vladimir Datskevich a 83-yaer famous ornithologist, a scientist who devoted decades to study the nature of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and an honorary member of Belarus Birds' Life NGO, is gone. Two months passed and we're talking about him again. The last book by Vladimir Datskevich "My Life in Belovezhskaya Pushcha" has appeared.

It begins with the words:

"I was born in Pushcha and today, at the end of my life, I must say - The state, the Bolsheviks destroyed my HOMELAND. And now they try to sell the last things that were left of it. My right for homeland seized and crushed, devastated, and slandered. I want to say it out loud to be heard, as it is the cry of my soul."

This book is summarizing the experience and what was seen by Datskevich. It reflects the current state of Belovezhskaya Pushcha as a place for the kingdom of crazy of those who killed the formerly mighty Forest, not as usually the most ancient and protected forest.

This book definitely needs to be red. You will not find the truth about Belovezhskaya Pushcha anywhere else because nobody could tell about it.

Here are some quotes from the book concerning Belovezhskaya Pushcha:

"Sanitary cuttings are a fraud because timber harvesting and tractor skidding are used shamelessly."

"I don't see any environmentalist or expert of the nature protection direction here."

"Both Santa Claus and its whole building complex on the spot, where the last bison died, well blended with the collapse of the Forest. Why should I see it? I'm never going to visit it."

"The State Nature Protection Establishment "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" - do not believe it! I can tell you without looking at the sign – this is permissiveness documentary decorated."

We hope Belovezhskaya Pushcha will peacefully breathe soon, as director Bambiza left his post, and will begin the new life.

You can order this book by phones:
(029) 656 66 70
(017) 294 50 76

January 24, 2011 Website "Prima Rubej" Brest region focuses on transport infrastructure and service

This was announced by the Brest Regional Executive Committee's Chairman Konstantin Sumar at a meeting with representatives of regional media.

The governor has paid special attention to development of the transport infrastructure near Belovezhskaya Pushcha. "We, when offered the route of the road around Belovezhskaya Pushcha, tried to make this road going side by side with human settlements that to restore them and to locate the road not far from museums and attractions which can be later under restoration. There will be about 14 points of the tourist infrastructure with gas stations, bars, cafes, bed and breakfast. At this moment, the process of land acquisition and design is in progress. In the coming future, almost everything will depend on interests of investors," the Brest Newspaper quotes the speech by Konstantin Sumar.

According to the governor, when they began to build this road, the price of houses in remote villages of the Kamenets district which were previously unoccupied has increased from $ 2 thousand to $ 10 thousand. Konstantin Sumar convinced that the road will give impetus to the development of villages in the Kamenetz district and will play a role in the development of service infrastructure.

Brest governor, as has been reported by PrimaRubeji, considers a great resource for finding investments in the region for development of road construction, road service and tourism - "This case is promising, and I think that the funds which we will invest within 2 years will pay off. I'm not talking about the excellent conditions for foreign tourists. This road will be of international significance. It will connect Poland with the Baltic States through the Brest region.

January 21, 2011 "Vecherniy Brest" (The Evening Brest) newspaper Shooting doublet?

The employee of the National Landscape Sanctuary "Vygonoshchanskoye" Nikolai Vorobei, with severe gunshot wound got in December last year, remains in the National Scientific-Practical Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics.

"Fortunately, he was better," director of the Sanctuary Sergei Gabets has told us by phone. We called up with him last week. Sergey Gabets just was in Minsk to visit Nikolai. "He finally has normal temperature after being hot for a very long period. I can not say that it is quite normal, but at least, not so fever. Now Nikolai is recovering after another surgery. "

The tragedy happened on December 22 around 17.30 in the Sanctuary, near the village of Vygonoschi. Three staff members of the Sanctuary returning after the execution of planned works heard a shot and decided to see what happens. They met a man with a gun in his hand who went from the side of a feeding ground for animals. When he was called out, he turned and shot Nikolai, only one of three employees whom he could clearly see from the road as Nikolai was standing about 10 meters away from the armed man.

The witnesses tell so about what happened. The gunman has his own version. He argues that he was attacked and he shot in self-defense. True, it is unclear why the man, who came to check the availability of forage on the ground, kept a private gun in hands, and even uncovered and loaded. Be that as it may, Nikolai got shot through both knees, his joints, nerves and tendons were damaged, and he lost the left thumb from shooting. He was immediately taken to the Ivacevichy hospital where doctors removed the 12-gauge bullet from the patella – bullets like this are usually used for hunting for big animals like elk or wild boar. After 5 days, the victim was transported to Minsk, and already the capital doctors discovered the small metal shot fraction in his second knee, which also was drawn out. "It appears he was shot from two trunks," Sergei Gabets sadly said. "One was loaded with a bullet, another shot. But it will be known exactly only after the ballistic examination."

As it turned out, the man who shot at Nikolai is well-known for the nature reserve staff. This is a resident of the village of Telehany, a gamekeeper of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". Last year, 10,000 hectares of hunting grounds of the Wildlife Sanctuary "Vygonoshchanskoye" were leased to the National Park, and since then the atmosphere in these area is far from peaceful: the tenant has established its orders which are not satisfied with any employees of the Sanctuary, nor the local population. It is not excluded that the fatal shot should be considered in the context of the protracted conflict. , however, this issue is also the case for the investigation. The gamekeeper was arrested the same day but later released on bail. The Preliminary Investigation Office of the Department of Internal Affairs at the Executive Committee is now engaged in the inquest of all the circumstances of this incident. They are still refused from making any comments on this case.

23-year-old Nikolai Vorobei graduated from the biological faculty of the Belarusian State Anniversary last year, sub-department of ecology and the methods of teaching biology, and was sent to work in the Sanctuary. Colleagues say of him as a remarkable man, a lover of nature, and hope that he will return to "Vygonoshchanskoye". From our side, we also called him to the hospital to wish a speedy recovery. "I red an article in the "Vecherka" newspaper," Nikolai said. "Thank you for your objectivity."

Veronica Dorofeeva

January 21, 2011 "Vecherniy Brest" (The Evening Brest ) newspaper The power is changing in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Information is seen through a mist in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The "fog" is as dense as through it one can not even get a simple "yes" or "no" to a topic question discussing on websites from the beginning of this week. Namely, is General Director of the National Park Nikolai Bambiza leave his post or not, and if he leaves, then where is his new job?

On Tuesday, January 18, Bambiza already said goodbye to the team and his new place of work is associated with BelAgroPromBank, and his deputy director on ideology Alexander Sharinda was appointed Acting Director. However, on 19 January, this news is not confirmed in the personnel department of National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". "Today Nikolai Bambiza is our General Director and we can tell you about nothing about tomorrow," it was answered from there.

The Presidential Office of Affairs which leads the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" would not clarify the situation either. There were generally expressed bewilderment in the Office at the question ("I do not understand why it interests you), and then there were advised to address ... to the Park. ("Call the Director. He'll tell all.")

Nicholas Bambiza started heading the NP "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in 2001 and since first days he got reputation of the person completely closed to the press, at least, for non-state media. From this time scandal after scandal began to flare up around Belovezhskaya Pushcha. These are layoffs of unwanted employees, the invasion of bark beetles which followed by large-scale deforestation, conflicts of local people with visiting workers from other areas whom the new administration of the National Park took over the vacated jobs, illegal hunting in the forest, etc... It's just part of "the litter from the closed hut" which became known to the public.

The most offensive is that, as a result of this management line, the international image of Belovezhskaya Pushcha suffered – an earlier granted European Diploma was suspended. The National Park gained this prestigious award in 1997 for achievements in wildlife conservation, but 10 years later the Park failed to provide convincing arguments to the Council of Europe that continues to deserve this Diploma. Since then, the situation still remains in limbo.

However, during this time, the National Park has become much more attractive to tourists: their number is growing year by year, primarily due to the estate of Santa Claus which was built on the former bison nursery's site. A new Museum of Nature was built by the widely celebrated 600th anniversary of the establishment of the strictly protected status in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Those who visited the Museum would agree that expositions are remarkable there, although the former museum, a small and cozy, is also of a pity. So, in any case, Nikolai Bambiza left his mark in the history of the Forest. It is maybe not so great (that is just 10 years for the Forest, too little), but, without doubt, is significant.

As the BelaPAN learned from the personnel department of the National Park on 20 January, Manager of the President's Department of Affairs Nikolai Korbut signed an order of dismissal of Mr. Bambiza from his director's post on 13 January, "in connection with the transfer to another employer - BelAgroPromBank.

Jan. 20 is the last working day of Bambiza as director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". On 21 January, the former deputy director of the ideology of Alexander Sharinda will be Acting Director.

Elena TRIBULEVA

January 20, 2011 Website "NAVINY.BY" Nikolai Bambiza was removed from the Director's post of the "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"

As the BelaPAN learned from the personnel department of the National Park, Nilolai Bambiza was removed from the post of Director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha".

On 13 January, Manager of the President's Department of Affairs Nikolai Korbut signed an order of dismissal of Mr. Bambiza from his director's post "in connection with the transfer to another employer - BelAgroPromBank.

Jan. 20 is the last working day of Bambiza as director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". On 21 January, the former deputy director of the ideology of Alexander Sharinda will be Acting Director.

Bambiza was appointed director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in 2001. Previously, he led the Pripyat State Landscape-Hydrological Reserve.

January 19. 2011 Website "Ecoinfo.by" The State Nature Protection Establishment (SNPE) "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" together with Belarusian Research Center (BRC) "Ecology" notify of commencement of the process of public discussions concerning the report about estimates of the environmental impact of the planned economic activity from the project "Construction of the dairy cattle farm for 500 animals with a module on milk processing in the SNPE "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"

The SNPE "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" together with Belarusian Research Center "Ecology" notify of commencement of the process of public discussions concerning the report about estimates of the environmental impact of the planned economic activity from the project "Construction of the dairy cattle farm for 500 animals with a module on milk processing in the SNPE "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha".

The future activities are planned north of the village of Dobrovolya, Svisloch District in Grodno region.

Public discussions are hold during the period from January 15, 2011 to February 15, 2011.

The report about the EIA can be found in the BRC "Ecology" (220095 G.Yakubov Str., 76, room 1 Tel. (8-017) 247-91-17) or online at www.ecoinfo.by and in the Svisloch District Executive Committee, address: 231960, Grodno region, Svisloch town, Marx sq., 4, tel. 3-41-16. Comments and suggestions on the EIA report can be sent to the mailing address of the BRC "Ecology" or e-mail promeco@tut.by until the completion of public hearings.

Receiving calls from the public about necessity of the meeting to discuss the EIA report is conducted in the Svisloch District Executive Committee, address: 231960, Grodno region, Svisloch town, Marx sq., 4, tel. 3-41-95, within 10 working days from the date of publication of this notice. In the case of applications from the public about the need for a meeting to discuss the EIA report, it will be announced of the date and venue later.

If an intention to conduct the public environmental impact assessment, the statement of its holding notice should be sent to the SNPE "The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha within 10 (ten) working days from the date of publication of this.

DOWNLOAD REPORT, in Russian

January 18, 2011 Website "Radio Liberty" Collective of "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is waiting for new leader

On January 17, Belarusian media reported that General Director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Nikolai Bambiza can be dismissed. Officially, this information is not confirmed, but not disproved.

The representative of the National Park who is not wished to advertise his name refused to confirm the dismissal of the Director:

"That's if the order to dismiss the director will be issued, then we can talk about it as an event. But Nikolai Bambiza is still director. Normally I do not trust the gossip and rumors. If I have a document, then I can talk and comment. Now it is forbidden to comment without the document."

Ecologist, Ph.D. Heorhi Kazulka, who lives in the village of Kamenyuki in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, said that now Nikolai Bambiza changes his job place to another one:

"According to my information, the question of resignation of Nikolai Bambiza is resolved and transfer of him to another post in the Pripyat area is now in progress".

Ecologist from Minsk Valery Dranchuk said that the question about changing the head of Belovezhskaya Pushcha was raised quite a long time ago.

"New demands of the time are now. When working in the Park, it should be open to international structures. So, the question is actually topical. The team is now living in anticipation of a new director."

By Heorhi Kazulka, outcomes of Nikolai Bambiza have two sides. On the one hand, tourism was developed. But on the other hand, during the Bambiza's leadership, intensive logging began in Forest. Hunting was also allowed in the National Park.

"Director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" understood in the way that the Park is something like a city park, something mixed between a city park and wildlife. That's why he held such a policy."

Ecologist notes that the whole group with the interests has acted in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

"They pursued only their own interests. Much was breaking down virtually across the knee. Environmental management was awful. Lots of inquiries of the economic sense were conducted. The case with European Diploma is particularly egregious."

During the directorship of Nikolai Bambiza the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" lost European Diploma in 2008. The National Park got it in 1997 because of previous successes in preserving the pristine nature of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha relict forest.

January 18, 2011 Website "TUT.BY" New director is looked for the National park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha"

Messages about resignation of Nikolai Bambiza as director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" were true - yesterday, the former director generak said goodbye to the team. Deputy director for ideology Alexander Sharinda was appointed Acting Director.

Rumor has it that there are problems regarding the appointment of new director of the protected area because none of the offered wants to take such the responsible position. According to employees of the National Park, the new director will be in a very difficult situation because "it is almost impossible to provide the same strong economic performance – the Pushcha's Forest is very exhausted. To date, the main problem of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is in the fact that the state treats it not as a unique world heritage of mankind, with all the ensuing consequences, but as a regular entity.

Nikolai Bambiza served as Director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" from 2001. According to our information, the new place of work of Nikolai Bambiza associated with BelAgroPromBank.

Tourism and Recreation

January 18, 2011 Website "OPEN.BY" The office of director general of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" still does not confirm information about the withdrawal of Nikolai Bambiza

The office of Director General of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" still not confirm information about the withdrawal of Nikolai Bambiza as it was asked from "BelaPAN". Let's recall that on January 17, information about removal of Mr. Bambiza from post of general manager of "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was spread by some media.

The office of director general of Belovezhskaya Pushcha refuted this information during two days. "Today, Nikolai Bambiza is General Director. He is now in the park," it was said on January 18 at the office.

The Park's office also refuted information distributed by the newspaper "Tourism and Recreation" that Bambiza leaving the director's post said goodbye to the team on January 17, and deputy director for ideology Alexander Sharinda was appointed Acting Director.

Bambiza was appointed director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in 2001. Previously, he led the Pripyatsliy State Landscape-Hydrological Reserve.

BelaPAN

January 17, 2011 Website "TUT.BY" The office of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" have not confirmed the dismissal of Nikolai Bambiza

The office of Director General of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" has not confirmed information about the dismissal of Nikolai Bambiza as it was asked from "BelaPAN".

Some media reported today that Director General of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Nikolai Bambiza was sacked.

The office denied this information as saying "Today Nikolai Bambiza is General Director of Belovezhskaya Pushcha".

Bambiza was appointed director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in 2001.

Anastasia Yanusheuskaya

January 17, 2011 Website "The United Democratic Forces" Nikolai Bambiza to be sacked?

According to information of the "Nasha Niva" Bewspaper, director general of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" Nikolai Bambiza was dismissed.

Rise in official's career began in 1989, when 35-year-old Bambiza was elected director of the Pripyatskiy State Landscape-Hydrological Reserve. The leader was remembered that he actively developed hunting tourism and lobbied for shooting animals in the Reserve. Soon the Office of Presidential Affairs took the area under its guardianship, and in October 1996, the Reserve was reorganized into a national park. A year later, a wood processing plant was built on the border of the Park.

In 2000 Bambiza decided to run for parliament and suddenly ... failed in the elections.

As "compensation" in 2001, President Lukashenko appointed him director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". During his leadership it was allowed shooting of bison in the reserve and has been intensively cut down forest.

The tyranny of Bambiza is legendary. That is the impression formed from one of Russian tourists after conversations with the locals:

"For example, Nikolai Bambiza issued a decree according to which local residents cannot sell their private houses without his personal permission. Hikes for mushrooms and berries were also strictly regulated: Bambiza divided the forest into squares and secured them for their settlements. That is you can pick gifts of nature in places where you ordered and no step to the left and right - do not even think about it!"

People also talked about how Bambiza treats to his surname.

"When a local resident wrote in any declaration of "From such person to director of the National Park Bambize" (it is the noun's grammatical declension in Russian language) [Bambiza, in Belarusian, means expletive to a tall, big man and is used in a negative sense], he just rips the document without reading further - say, my surname can not be declined."

Clan Bambiza is one of the most powerful "family contracts" in the Belarusian authorities. The brother, Stepan Bambiza, is director of the Pripyatskiy National Park. Another cousin went higher. Ivan Bambiza was president of the Belneftekhim (the oil-refining concern) (1997 to 2004) and Deputy Prime Minister (2004 to 2010).

The reporter of "Nasha Niva" was reported from the office of the Director of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" that "director has not yet been replaced by" and was advised "to call for information later."

Nasha Niva

January 17, 2011 Website "Belsat TV" Director of "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" can be fired

Such information is passed from employees of the National Park.

That's information from the office of Nikolai Bambiza "We heard about the resignation but the formal decision is to be waited".

Nikolai Bambiza is famous during his leadership as he allowed shooting of bison and actively began to harvest timber. It is also well known about his desire for total control over the locals. They were allowed to pick mushrooms and berries only in certain places, and the director of the National Park divided the forest area into sections and attached them to specific localities.

According to environmentalist Olga Ostapovich, leadership by Bambiza inflicted the greatest damage to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. "Director of the Park officially developed hunting tourism but there are cases of illegal shooting of animals for tourists for a fee, and one can hunt even in the indoor season. In addition, there are evidences that elite and ancient trees come from the forest to export. The head of the National Park could not have known about it," said Olga Ostapovich.

She stressed that the collected evidences of violations under the leadership of Bambiza are not treated seriously in the Ministry of Nature Protection. "There are cases when ecologists were forbidden by Nikolai Bambiza's order to stay in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Valery Dranchuk was not allowed to stay in the Park, as he studied the problem of water regime of the forest," the ecologist added.

January 15, 2011 Website "Radio-Minsk" The Estate of Father Frost will be open for guests until the Carnival

Belarusian Railways has decided to extend the travel tour in Belovezhskaya Pushcha until spring. Let me remind you that the through car on this route runs from the end of December. It leaves at 22 hours 48 minutes at night from the station of "Minsk-Passenger" and arrives in Brest this morning. Guests of the Estate can visit the Museum of gifts, to see the highest spruce tree in Europe and to test hot pancakes.

January 13, 2011 "Respublika" (The Republic) newspaper, No 6 Bison of the winter forest

They are a successfully growing population and a living tourism "object" in Nalibokskaya Pushcha's Forest.

Exclamations of delight break out involuntarily, even in adults, at the sight of two dozen bison freely walking in the forest which are separated (rather arbitrarily) by the rope with the red flags, stretched between the trees. And what will be here when the meadow will have children? It is a tour designed in Nalibokskaya Pushcha for young tourists on the initiative of enterprise "Belgosohota" of the Ministry of Forestry during the holiday season. The program includes "the familiarity" with bison in their wild habitat and a trip to Wood Goblin who settled in the children's sanatorium.

In Nalibokskaya Pushcha bison live since 1994, when 15 individuals - 10 females and 5 males – were delivered brought there. Since that time the population had increased to 90 animals.

"Now the animals scattered across the forest as about 40 individuals are living in this part. By the way, they are all mixed with Caucasian blood: when, after the destruction of the free Bialowieza bison, the population was restored, the females did not find a suitable male and it had to take a Caucasian ones," as the leading engineer of "Belgosohota" Vasilly Sharkun says, while we are waiting for a group of young eco-tourists from the Grodno region.

It is almost impossible to meet the bison in the forest in summer, since the animal can smell a person from afar. In winter, the deficit of forage, by contrast, drives them closer to people. Bison eats 10 to 15 kilograms of food per day. In winter, offshoots, blueberry and cranberry bushes, grass remnants, and upper parts of pine and aspen bark are consumed. Of course, the forest giants are also artistically fed. We watched a driven tractor-trailer loaded with hay and the animals rushed to get food.

"A clear hierarchy order is observed during the feeding - the older initially eat first, then the youth. A "high-handed" bison calf could be raised by adult relatives' horns and be thrown off. By the way, matriarch is in the bison herd and the most experienced female is a leader of the group," Vasiliy Sharkun explains.

While we talked, schoolchildren hurrying along the forest road and throwing on the run with snowballs into each other appeared from behind the trees. Children are not specially led to the place that to start the tale earlier - a promenade across the snow-covered wood is an adventure for young city dwellers.

For a start young tourists are offered up to an observation deck, from where bison and spotted deer in enclosures are clearly visible.

While children with flushed cheeks are all eyes looking at the animals, Vasilly Sharkun tells us about the forest and its inhabitants:

"At first glance, the animals are slow and clumsy but in case of danger they can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, and get one bound to overcome obstacles up to five feet ..."

"Mom, Mom, look!" the narrator's voice is deadened the ringing cry of a child who saw the "free" herd nearby. It is needless to say that the emotions of kids, due to close contact with animals, is just going wild.

"Last season, more than four thousand people came to Nalibokskaya Pushcha to look at bison in it. This year, there were so many visitors already until the New Year. Many calls come from those who wish to come not as a group but independently. It is possible," the deputy director of the "Belgosohota" Alexander Levko said.

Saying goodbye to bison, the children go to the sanatorium "Nalibokskaya Pushcha" located eight kilometers from the town of Volozhin. Wood Goblin, a fantastic character with a green beard, a sort of "answer" to Santa Claus from Belovezhskaya Pushcha and to Zyuzya Poosersky (the owner of the Postavy district), welcomes guests.

We arrived at the resort at a time when the kids screamed with joy, fighting with Baba-Yaga (a fairy character – an old woman with a broom) - she did not want to release children from their "homestead" before to hear their performance of Christmas songs. Someone at this time rolled out a quad and fired at a shooting range for skeet. After outdoor activities, the children went to watch a performance in the assembly hall, then in a tent to eat pancakes with honey.

"People from different parts of Belarus come to us and many like it here more than other New Year's travel itineraries. These 70,000 hectares of beautiful forests are located in the center of Belarus, so it is convenient to get here", the director of the sanatorium Dmitry Radivilko says. "In the future we plan to celebrate this and other holidays and to organize an environmental pathway. We will promote the brand of Nalibokskaya Pushcha."

P.S. The program of the New Year's excursion to Nalibokskaya Pushcha is valid until January 19.

Irina FILIPKOVA

January 12, 2011 "Zarya" (The Dawn) newspaper Paths for animals to clear in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

The National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" in winter particularly care about ungulate animals, as the general director of the National Park Nikolai Bambiza told.

According to him, root crops, sugar beet pulp, corn and high-quality hay are harvested and supplied in advance for ungulates. The National Park has its own farmlands and the amount of harvested forage is calculated in accordance with the number of the number of ungulates. In winter forage is delivered for forest dwellers to nearly two hundred feeders.

A thaw and rain brought extra chores for the National Park's staff in these January days. And although at present the snow depth in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not large, thin crust of ice over snow creates some problems to prevent ungulates from easy getting the natural forage. Ice crust increases injuries, as animals, like humans, slip, fall and are maimed, as a result becoming easy prey for predators. In order to alleviate such conditions and the animals' access to feeders, additional track are made in the forest. They are covered with the hay to be made less slippery.

About 400 bison, 150 elks, 800 deer and nearly 2 thousand wild boars and red deer are currently in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Source: www.belta.by

January 09, 2011 Website "Capital Television (STV)" Video: Tourists from Russia, Poland, USA and Canada come to the estate of Father Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Valentina and her grandson Grisha were among those who still believe in fairy tale. The way from Russian city of Tomsk was hard and long but impressions of the visit of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the woman says, will last a lifetime.

Valentina Lyubavina, tourist (Russia):
You know it's a miracle. We now looked at zoo enclosures and a museum. We traveled around a lot. We were abroad many times but we did not see like it.

The National Park was ready to serve so many tourists. The number of buses and staff was specially increased for the 'hot' winter season. All was done to ensure to get for guests not only interesting but also comfortable.

Natalya Kovalchuk, controller of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha":
We have extended the time until all the people visiting Belovezhskaya Pushcha will get into the Park's area.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha never leaves guests indifferent. Here are attractions, national cuisine and a fire, as the correspondent of the TV company "Capital TV" informs.

To Jennifer from Canada met with Belarusian Father Frost and that's a real discovery. It is because all on the other side of the ocean are convinced that he lives at the North Pole.

Jennifer Obamen, traveler (Canada):
I like it here very much. I like to meet with Santa Claus in person and believe in the fairy tale. And this place is really fabulous. It is the way I had imagined.

Svetlana Bedok, head of the tourism department of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha":
A lot of groups are coming to us since the early morning. A lot of tourists from different countries - Belarus, Poland, Russia, America and Canada come here, from all corners of the globe.

Past 2010 got truly a record for the National Park. Over 300,000 people visited the Park. It is more than the population of the city of Brest. And after a bypass highway around Belovezhskaya Pushcha will be complete, according to preliminary calculations of experts, about half a million tourists will annually attend the Park.

(You can see the video clip by downloading the file from here, in Russian)

December 09, 2011 Website ""Belteleradiocompany" Video: Drama played out during a hunt in the Ivatsevichi district

Local hunters called this incident the first in the history of the Belarusian forestry. Shooting occurred among workers of the two protected areas in Telehany. A gamekeeper of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" shot at a researcher of the Vygonoshchanskoye Wild Sanctuary. The researcher of 23 years old, just recently being placed here on a job after graduation, is now with a hole in his legs in a hospital in Minsk.

Alain Leshkevich left at the scene.

The story of how a gamekeeper from a small village shot the fellow became well known outside the province. Opinions on this case are various. The fact is that the police opened a criminal case for intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm.

(Alexander Hook, chief of the Ivatsevichi police station)
According to the accounts of participants of the tragedy, they were that evening in the forest of the Vygonoshchanskoye Wild Sanctuary. When they heard a shot, they first hidden to lie in wait for a poacher, and then raised his voice, hoping to stop the hunter.

A bullet, to go into them, was not only unexpected but nearly fatal for researcher Nikolai Vorobei.

(Petr Ivanov, gamekeeper of the State Nature Protection Establishment "Vygonoshchanskoye" says "Not to confuse us with the animal, my brother shouted "Forest guard!" A shot sounded at this point. It turns out he saw, heard but shot to hide the traces.")

The marksman turned out the gamekeeper of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha". He called the police and got the wounded to a local hospital. Doctors struggled for the life of the patient for several days, first, in the town of Ivatsevichy, then in the capital.

Now the victim is at the National Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics in Minsk. The patient was already done two operations. However, according to doctors, this surgery is yet not over. Nikolai has been shot through the knees and also lost half a finger on one hand. Doctors are very hopeful that the patient will be on his feet. Nikolai was transferred to the Center of Traumatology in Minsk.

(Sergei Gorbachev, doctor of the National Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics "The wound is serious. We are not talking about the full recovery. Of course, we will try to ensure that he can walk.")

It is still unknown whether the ranger of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was poaching that evening but investigators found a killed wild boar in the forest. The victim also believes that the shot was not random.

(Nikolai Vorobei, the researcher of the State Nature Protection Establishment "Vygonoshchanskoye", says "They saw that this is a person and they could just get mixed up with someone else, so they shot deliberately.")

Now investigators are checking all the versions of this strange crime. The Brest Regional Prosecutor's Office in involved in this case.

(You can see the video clip by downloading the file from here, in Russian)

January 06, 2011 Website "NTV" Video: Bison will be given passports

Today there were not quite ordinary events in Belarus, specifically in the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Employees of the National Park with the same name hunted for its protected inhabitants - bison, in order to give them documents.

This year special passports should be made for all bison, of which are more than 800. According to the new Belarusian governmental program, each document will give an identification number of the animal, information about his ancestry and the place of habitation.

The NTV reporter George Grivenny found what is the goal of it.

A bison herd is looking with suspicion at a man grunting. They do not understand the words "I'm starting photohunting for you," so the scientist is trying to say in this way that he is a bison friend. But bison did not believe him.

While Alexei, research officer at the Reserve, tries to come into contact with bison, Yulia, a junior research fellow of the Institute of Genetics, has more than 60 of these "bison" in the refrigerator, however, in the "disassembled" state. The idea to give bison the passport was born in this laboratory, among flasks, test tubes and strange scientific apparatus.

Marina Mikhailova, head of the Laboratory of Animal's Genetics at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, says "A bison passport looks like this: there is a record about where bison is from - from Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the number of the bison, and where, at least roughly, he dwells."

The reporter "That is without a photo after all?"

Marina Mikhailova "Did you want a full face and profile?"

The information about six major genes of the owner, it's because bison have the life owing the genetics, will also be in the passport. At some point, there were only 12 representatives of the family Cavicorn! So, they bred in a very limited choice of the life partner. As a result, all modern bison occur related to one another. The task of scientists is to determine which bison is more valuable regarding to "mother genetics", that is able to produce the healthiest offspring. So, the collecting of data for the passport office in the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" begins.

Alexei Bunevich, senior researcher at the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" says "You took a shot, waited within 10 minutes and bison falls. You come, take the test, introduce an antidote, and he gets up, you wait another 10 to 15 minutes - and it went."

Then the DNA samples are analyzed in the lab, saying a set of "spell" weird and strange to the uninitiated - inbreeding, nucleotides and alleles.

Julia Medvedev, the youngest researcher at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, says "If we do find an individual with some interesting mutations, all this will result in the future in recommendations by zoologist-breeders who work directly with these animals."

And the bison did not have to get a passport from the "wide leg" as it holds it in its ear. As regards to the national number 5950, all is clear as this number concerns the bison in the zoo enclosures which "duty" is to attract tourists and it obtained the document through "the workplace". As those living to bison freely in the forest, there are more troubles to make them passports.

Nevertheless, if some member of some mythical "Bison Ministry" would still decide to issue a passport in person to the owner in its hands, he would have had to work hard. The fact is these animals, as a rule, tend to avoid close contact with people. It's like a cartoon about Prostokvashino: first, you'll run behind it a week to get the data, and then a month to give a passport. But Alexei Bunevich, many years watching bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, is sure that passports can be distributing in the forest.

But the most important is, as Belarusian bison experts say, that the state program is accepted and money for the equipment are assigned. 2011 should be a year of bison general census.

(You can see the video clip on this page, in Russian)

December 06, 2011 Website "News of Belarus" The Russian Santa Claus almost missed the train

Russian Father Frost who came to visit his Belarusian counterpart on December 28 from Great Ustyug did not stay in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Mostly he spent about 40 minutes in the fabulous residence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The explanation is simple - Father Frost was late for the evening train Brest - Moscow. Therefore, the tour across the Pushcha's estate was somewhat crumpled, although the host country got ready for it thoroughly. Singing and dancing groups greeted the distinguished guest at each glade and even it had an exhibition of folk craftsmen. But Father Frost Great Ustyug could hardly appreciate it if even he had free time, so as dusk already Pushcha.

Russia's chief Santa Claus visited Belovezhskaya Pushcha for the first time. Our Father Frost was a guest in the residence in Great Ustyug twice and each time he touted the counterpart to be his guest, promising the extraordinary natural beauty and warm hospitality. This year the invitation was finally accepted. "The Father Frost's estate in Great Ustyug exists around for 12 years and about 300 million Russian rubles are annually allocated from the State budget for the development of this complex," Belarusian "Grandpa" told to our "The Evening Brest" newspaper reporter. "We, of course, can only dream about this but our program for the guests is clearly better, not to mention the forest. Indeed, there are no mighty pine and spruce trees in Great Ustyug, such as in Belovezhskaya Pushcha! It is true as the guest was just fascinated by the winter woods and when he together with kids traditionally sang and danced in a ring around the main tree, he now and then lifted up his head to see its top.

Despite an acute shortage of time, Father Frost managed to exchange gifts. Journalists did not see what the Russian guest gave the host of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha's estate but a return gift is known for sure - this id an album "Earth Force. Belovezhskaya Pushcha" and a children's drawing on such the important visit.

At the same other important guests – the National Park took the 300000th visitor since the beginning of the year time - were honored in the Reserve. The whole group, not on one person, was happy to get lucky ticket - children from the village of Strigova, Kobrin district, had a trip here. A personal computer as a gift was presented to them. Everyone has to understand that's for the whole school-garden. Certainly it will come in handy.

Russian Grandfather Frost had the train in the last minute. It is said he promised to come again to walk in Pushcha slowly and more fully communicate with his Belarusian counterpart. Or, maybe, he will come not once more. Well, is it possible to see all the Pushcha beauties in one day?

January 05, 2011 Website "National Television (ONT)" Video: Younger brother appeared at Santa Claus from Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Another one, but the first residence of fantastic character opened in th town of Volkovysk, Grodno region. The estate is working just two weeks but over a thousand guests visited it.

Today is a big celebration for the 12-year-old Dasha. Because of medical indications, the girl is studying all year at home, and a meeting with friends and a visit to Santa Claus came this day. It doesn't matter that she didn't manage to go to Belovezhskaya Pushcha to the chief administrator of the New Year festival - this year the brother of Belovezhskaya Pushcha's Father Frost settled in Volkovysk.

....

(You can see the video clip by downloading the file from here, in Russian)
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(The text of the news is put in the short-cut form. The BP-21 Century editor's note. The full text can be written from the original website in Russian).

January 03, 2011 Website "BelTA" Santa Claus from Belovezhskaya Pushcha every day takes up to 5 thousand visitors

The really hot time has come to the estate of Belarusian Grandfather Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Every day, the favorite fairytale character meets up to 5 thousand visitors as the BelTA News Agency was informed in the administration of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha".

During school holidays, 60 and on some days up to 100 groups visit the estate of Santa Claus in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. They are Basically Belarusian and Russian students. Many tourists independently travel these days, they also come into the forest with the intention to visit Santa Claus.

It is worth noting that the last year of 2010 was truly a record for the national park on the number of tourists made for the entire post-Soviet period - 327 thousand (234 thousand people in 2009), of which the estate of Santa Claus visited by the 100.7 thousand people (95.7 thousand in 2009).

Due to the significant increase in the number of tourists wanting to get to Santa Claus, the schedule of buses that ply from the tourist center of the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" to the estate of Santa Claus was changed for the period of school holidays. Now buses depart every hour, whereas normally it's every two hours.

Such attention to Santa Claus from Belovezhskaya Pushcha, of course, is no coincidence. The fascinating ancient forest surrounded by snow, the fabulous estate at its very heart and bison freely walking near the home of Santa Claus give a lot of impressions, not only for children but also for adults.

The estate of Belarusian Father Frost (Santa Claus) has taken its first visitors in December of 2003 and it covers an area of 15 hectares. Santa Claus lives at the high palisades. The entrance to his mansion guarded by two knights - Oak-Dubovich and Elm-Vyazovich. Anyone who passes them is immersed in the wonderful world of fairy tales: carved houses of Father Frost and Snow Maiden, a windmill, a magic well, "Skarbnitsa" of Santa Claus where are collected letters and drawings by children, and many other fabulous attributes do not leave tourists to get indifferent. However, certainly, a 42-meter tree, which has over 100 years and is the highest natural Christmas spruce tree in Europe, is the main attraction of the estate.

Olga Kobyak