Asafov Islands are the most charming place in the Ivanovo region. To search for beauty and new sensations, do not leave for thousands of kilometers. These places are located, covered in many legends passed down from generation to generation, in the center of Russia, just five hours drive from Moscow, and have their own amazing history.
Yuryevets: history of education
The city of Yuryevets, one of the 115 most ancient cities of Russia, was founded in 1225 in the very bend of the Volga, on its right bank. That is how in ancient times they built cities: on steep river banks, a convenient place for viewing.
It was believed that this place got its name in honor of the Christian patron George the Victorious - a symbol of military prowess in ancient Russia. Museums of the city tell a lot of interesting things; their working hours are from 10 to 18 hours, on Sunday - until 17. Closed on Monday.
The legend of the Asaf robber
Here lived Ermak Timofeevich - the conqueror of Siberia, as well as film directors Row and Tarkovsky. This place, located at the intersection of the Great Pillar Road in the north and the Volga River, was not accidentally chosen by Prince Yuri II Vsevolodovich, grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky: on the shore there were low, up to a hundred meters, mountains. They were cool enough, which was considered a significant advantage in the event of an attack by an external enemy. But a calm and quiet life was periodically broken: the Tatars robbed the city, the Poles burned it. And then a gang of robbers settled in the caves, the leader of which was Asaf. They hid in the sandy hills, covered with centuries-old trees. This place was very creepy, surrounded by dense forests and swamps. The robbers were engaged in the robbery of merchants, attacked wealthy monasteries; most of the looted were shared with the poor, for which he was held in high esteem. Local authorities, who were tired of the daring tricks of the bandits, decided to liquidate the gang, calling for the execution of a whole regiment of soldiers. The abode of the robbers was surrounded, the caves were searched, but the leader Asaf was not there. He left these territories with his friends and never returned here. The place where his parking was located was called the Asaf Mountains, later they turned into the Asaf Islands. There is a version that the treasures left by Asaf's gang are buried here.
Asafov Islands, Yuryevets: history of flooding
The Asafov Mountains turned into the islands of the 50s of the last century during the construction of the Gorky reservoir, at the time of raising the water level in the Volga by three meters. At the bottom of the Gorky Sea were churches, monasteries, villages, the Annunciation Church built in 1700, and the Asaf Mountains, quite high, turned into the top five of the Asaf Islands, located three kilometers from Yuryevets. The largest - Asafov - and three smaller ones are located in the east, and the forested island of Obryvisty is in the south. Their total area is 65.4 hectares.
In memory of the churches dismantled and flooded on May 6, 2000, a cross was erected on the shallows in the middle of the Volga River by the monks of the Nikolo-Shartomsky Monastery, and Krivoezersky Monastery, which was flooded among several others, was captured in Levitan's paintings “Quiet Convent” and “Evening Ringing”.
The uniqueness of the Asaf Islands
Asafov Islands (photo below) - a place created by nature, truly amazing and unique in its beauty, with sand dunes and micro-lakes, overgrown with undersized pines and birches.
Each tree is unlike the other and has a bizarre unique shape created by strong off-season winds. In this place with the white sand of the islands, a feeling of peace and silence is created. Gray herons, hiding in the reeds of island lakes, wild ducks and fish peacefully swaying on the water, the abundance of which can be envied by the most fishing places. Along with the natural inhabitants of the fauna, streams of fishermen, hunters, tourists and just vacationers poured onto the islands with many sandy beaches. And indeed, sand dunes with a length of 4 kilometers and a width of about 200 meters (3 meters in the narrowest spot) are very reminiscent of the Riga seaside. On small beaches, covered on all sides by a pine forest, several dozens of people can relax; large islands accommodate from one hundred to two hundred people.
Asaf Islands Flora
Asafov Islands are closely studied by Russian geographers and biologists. When studying the flora of this area, about two hundred vascular plants were found, including many rare species, indicating a high floristic diversity. White derain and bearberry are included in the Red Book of the Ivanovo region. The number of rare plants such as May lily of the valley, needle swamp, leersia rice, common juniper, odoriferous, sharply reduced due to trampling of islands by their guests.
Rest in the Ivanovo region has a spontaneous character that is not controlled by anyone, which leads to severe weediness of sites, felling and damage to trees, numerous bonfires. In addition to the human factor, these territories are also subject to natural influence: strong winds and erosion of the coastline. Currently, the Asaf Islands are a specially protected area of the Yuryevets district.