Kudykina Gora, Safari park in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia
Kudykina Gora is a combined safari park, theme park, and zoo in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, where visitors walk through wide pastures and fenced sections. The grounds include playgrounds, walking paths, and several buildings styled after historical Russian wooden architecture, scattered among the animal enclosures.
Kudykina Gora opened in 2009 as a park of natural wonders on 500 hectares by the Don River near the village of Kamenka, 11 km from Zadonsk. It is owned by the Lipetsk agroholding OAO APO Avrora. In 2017 the Moscow architectural bureau Megabudka developed an updated concept for the park.
The name comes from an old Russian legend about a sacred mountain passed down orally in the region. Today this connection appears through wooden figures and structures that recall fairy tales, placed at different spots around the grounds.
Reaching the park involves taking a train to Yelets, continuing by bus to Zadonsk, and completing the journey by taxi. The paths are mostly level and suitable for strollers, though some animal enclosures sit further from the main routes.
A large dragon-shaped sculpture with three heads stands beside an artificial lake and regularly moves its heads and wings. During certain performances the figure shoots flames from its mouths, drawing children from the surrounding area.
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