The last third of the VIII century, the great Empress Catherine II rules. The empire is flourishing, the aristocracy is immersed in luxury. And in the distant expanses of the Volga region, the flames of the peasant war flare up. The fugitive Cossack Yemelyan Pugachev declares himself heir to the throne, the surviving Peter III. A great campaign against the capital of the empire begins. The people, tired of the revelry of the nobility, willingly support the self-named king.
A little about Pugachev
Since 1773, the peasant war under the leadership of the self-proclaimed Peter III is gaining momentum. Large areas of the Volga steppes are controlled by the rebels. Troops loyal to the empress are locked behind the walls of a few fortresses. Blocked Orenburg. The capture of Kazan is on the agenda. The army is moving along the Moscow highway. The last h alt, before the decisive battle for the Kazan fortress, Pugachev breaks on the slope of the "Maple Mountain" near the oak grove. Under the crowns of the great handsome rebel, with his associates, he approves the latest battle plans. Legends say that Emelyan Ivanovich personallyused a tall oak tree as a lookout to get a better view of the road ahead.
Initially, the offensive developed successfully. Kazan was on fire and was practically taken by the rebels, but there were not enough forces. Approached regular imperial troops completely defeated the peasant army. Pugachev was forced to flee.
Where to look for treasures
Heavy carts and looted treasures made it difficult to move quickly. The rebels were forced to dispose of their trophies. The legend says that a large treasure was buried under the very oak tree where the ataman was resting. Since then, people have called this tree Pugachev's oak. True or not, only Providence knows. But the place began to attract many tourists. The wonderful national park "Mariy Chorda" with a monument of wildlife - a centuries-old oak tree has been added to the sights of the Republic of Mari El.
Famous oak
There is a giant in four girths for many centuries. His times pass slowly. He has seen a lot in his years. In 2013, it was officially recognized that Pugachev's oak began to grow in 1600, and during the uprising it was almost 2 centuries old. During this time, the giant managed to grow up a lot and become wider. Today, the height of the tree is 26 meters, and the diameter is 159 cm. If you count in a circle, this is almost 8 meters. Since 1969, the tree has been officially given the status of a natural monument.
Whether the legend of the ataman is right or not is not so important. The main thing is that this tree breathes itselfhistory.
Life after sawing off
The old people still remember that in fact another tree was called Pugachev's oak. The giant stood not far from this place. They say that the size of that giant was even larger. However, what are his years, our oak is still growing and growing. His predecessor could not survive the tragedy of the Great Patriotic War. Maybe severe frosts, or maybe just old age, but he began to dry and wither away. In the 50s, the giant practically dried up. The decision was made to cut down the tree. A whole team worked on the oak. I had to make circular incisions so that he staggered. Eyewitnesses say the fall was like thunder. It took a lot of cars to take out all the blocks made from this trunk. The saw cut of the old tree was kept for a long time in the Leskhoz museum. Teachers loved to take their pupils there, to acquaint them with the history of the region. The dashing 90s, like a new leprosy, destroyed this memory as well.
As a witness to the inviolability of the foundations of the country stands the heir to history - the new oak of Pugachev, and modern tourists like to sit under its crown.
Legends
New times give birth to modern legends of Pugachev's oak. Experienced tourists like to tell one of them in the evenings by the fire.
Walks around the neighborhood White tourist, frightens gaping travelers. And it was like that. Two friends loved to scare passers-by. They will put on a white sheet and jump out to a meeting at dusk. You will not immediately understand what is in front of you. It happened that the huntsman went to check the treasured oak tree. Hazel brothers to meet him. Frightened, the serviceman fired his gun. The joker took a long timerun away. When I stopped to rest, I saw that there was no friend nearby. Returned to the scene. And there is only a bloody sheet. The body of the second joker was not found. So there was a legend that a ghost walks in the evenings and scares people. Everyone wonders where he can find a huntsman.
Legends are legends, and hazel forests with oak copses attract numerous tourists. The air and energy are special here.
Modern competitors
The giant has serious competitors - next to the village of Zapolnye Pertnury, a giant is gaining its power. His name is Akpars oak. In terms of circumference, it lags behind a little. At least a seven-meter tape measure is not enough. He will be even taller.
Russia is the birthplace of many giants.
- A tree grows in Astrakhan that celebrated its 448th anniversary.
- Veshensky oak, which is preparing to celebrate its four-century anniversary, has become famous in the Rostov region. His circumference is not inferior to our hero.
- In Dubovka, Volgograd region, there is a tree that is not far behind its fellow heroes. Given that it survived two wounds in the Great Patriotic War, it takes its breath away.
- The famous oak of Suvorov stands in the Crimea. Four trunks have grown together into one monolith - more than 9 meters at the base. Under it, the great Commander A. Suvorov received the Sultan's envoy. It was in 1777.
- Even in Moscow there lives a tree that remembers two centuries of history. Born almost immediately after the First Patriotic War with Napoleon, the oak still pleases with its appearance today. Eventhe harsh ecology of Tverskaya Street leaves almost no marks on it.
This is a small part of the famous trees. It is worth fighting for them to stand for more than one century.
Tourist trails
Let's get back to our hero.
In the Republic of Mari El, on the border with Tatarstan, there is a wonderful national park "Mari Chodra". Many rivers and lakes have been attracting tourists for many years. Favorite vacation spots:
- Yalchik. The road network and recreation facilities are well developed.
- Kichier - the famous sanatorium on the lake.
- Mushan-Yer, the sacred grove of the locals.
- Deaf Lake, one of the cleanest in Russia. Closed to tourists since 2011.
- "Maple Mountain", in addition to the famous oak, is known for the Green Key and a number of other natural attractions.
The historic oak can be reached by buses from Kazan, Yoshkar-Ola, Cheboksary. Stop - Ilet. You can use the train running between Kazan and Yoshkar-Ola. Pugachev's oak will tell you how to get to Mari El. Its popularity will not let you get lost.
The Russian land is rich in famous places. Each patch is saturated with history and historical events. The main thing is to remember that we have been here for many centuries. Keep your memory in every stone, in every tree, in every stream. Do not destroy, but create. Carefully protect nature. Her gratitude is not long in coming. She will respond with clean water, freshair, the shade of centuries-old trees. The famous oak is a living reminder of this.
