There are not so many places where there are black forests. They attract tourists because of their mysterious origin. One is in Ukraine, and the other is in Germany. Schwarzwald has long been mentioned in fairy tales and legends. Its length is eleven thousand kilometers; more than half of the territory is occupied by small mountains.
Sometimes mangrove forests, characteristic of the tropics and subtropics, are also called black. Mangroves make up such a forest, which need a lot of moisture, so their roots are in the water. Such forests are found in southeastern Asia. The trees are so close together that sunlight hardly penetrates. Therefore, from the outside it seems that the forest is very dark, gloomy.
But, oddly enough, the southernmost forest in Ukraine raises even more questions than the famous Black Forest. Which - we will understand below.
General information
Ukrainian Black Forest is located in the Alexandria district and Znamensky district. The areas are in the Kirovograd region. It is an oak massif with very tall trees. They reach such a height due to the fertile southern soil.
The area of โโthe forest reaches three and a half hectares. In the forest there is Black Lake and the sphagnum swamp, which is the southernmost in this country.
Why is the "black forest"?
Where the black forests are located is understandable, but it is not clear why they were so called. But the thing is this. In European black forests, only oaks grow, and very tall. And in spring, emerging leaves cover the sky so tightly that not a single ray passes through them.
What hides the forest
Not far from the Ukrainian Black Lake and swamps in the Black Forest there is a state cottage. In addition, it is worth noting valuable plant species. These include elegant knit, Parvian sedge, low relic spindle tree.
In addition to valuable breeds, there are many more plants that are interesting in themselves. This, for example, petiole oak, ordinary ash, common hornbeam, maple maple, field maple, small-leaved linden. Tatar maple, hazel, warty spindle tree, European spindle tree, and pride grow in the undergrowth.
Who lives in the forest
In Berestovoye Lake (Black Lake), only red earth carp is found. But in the forest itself, things are better. Here you can find roe deer, Oriole, hares, wild boars, foxes.
Black Forest Swamp
It is notable for the fact that it grows plants that need a colder climate. Interestingly, a wooden bridge was laid from the edge to the middle of the swamp. It has no purpose, and the locals call it "a bridge to nowhere."
Both the lake and the swamp arose due to the fact that in the postglacial and glacial periods, ice melted and water collected in these places. Together with the swamp, the lake occupies sixteen hectares.
In 1975, the swamp acquired the status of a hydrological natural monument. Its conservation area reaches two hectares. Geographically, it refers to the forestry Bogdanovsky.
In the swamp you can see floating islands (rafts), which consist of reed, sphagnum, teleteris, willow. Ash willow, fluffy birch, and sticky alder grow on the banks of the swamp. Among the herbs, the most common are ordinary reeds and marsh teliperis. In the southern part of the swamp, bloated sedge, slender cotton grass, sundew, and muscarin are actively growing.
Mysterious lake
Where are the black forests - we found out, but what kind of secrets do they hide? Quite an intriguing place, residents consider Black Lake. It is really black. There is a belief that when you look into the water for a long time, you can see your essence.
A lot of rituals were performed on the lake: the spirits of the lake were brought gifts, performed ablutions, applied the lakeโs water to the forehead (thus, they joined its energy). The last ritual must be performed by all travelers. When they come to the shore of the lake, it does not have full strength. And to strengthen it you need to bring gifts to the reservoir.
They are considered fruits, drink, coins. As soon as the gift is betrayed to the lake, the sensation comes that the energy rises from the bottom. This means that the lake has accepted the gift and its energy has become strong. This water can be washed, but dried out - only naturally. Having dried, they draw lake water with their right hand and wash their forehead. It is also impossible to wipe. This is done so that the strength of the lake remains inside the person.
The depth of this lake is still unknown. That's because this pond has a double bottom. The first is visible from the shore, it is not deeper than five meters and is a layer of branches mixed with silt. From the side, the bottom seems reliable until you stand on it. Under pressure, the branches fail, and under them - the water space. If you try, you can find a second bottom that is not inferior in fragility to the first. Further, there is again a body of water, and what is hidden in it is unknown.
Historical information
Not always the Black Forest was in the Kirovograd region. Previously, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the forest was located on the borders of the Wild Field and Slavic lands. Not far from this forest there was a road along which the Tatars raided.
In the eighteenth century, the forest became part of the Zaporizhzhya Sich. Still later belonged to New Serbia.
Ancient settlement
The black forest in Ukraine is also famous for its ancient settlement. It is located near the forest. Scientists believe that the ancient settlement arose in the third century BC. The hillfort is formed by three ramparts and moats; it has two hundred and sixty-five mounds. A fortress was built there, which had three lines of defense ramparts. During these events, the forest did not exist yet.
It turns out that the place where the black forests are located is almost always shrouded in secrets and has a rich history.