Tellermanovsky Forest, forest in Russia
Tellermanovsky Forest is a protected woodland in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, spread across river valleys with deeply cut ravines and steep banks. The tree cover is mostly oak, mixed with ash, maple, and linden, giving the forest a dense and layered canopy.
In the early 1700s, Tsar Peter the Great ordered this forest to be set aside as a timber reserve for shipbuilding, which earned it the name shipyard forest. Formal protection came later, with part of the northern section brought under government oversight in 1918 to prevent further clearing.
The name of the forest comes from old Turkic words roughly meaning endless forest, a fitting description for a place that still feels boundless when you walk through it. The old oaks, some with trunks too wide to wrap your arms around, give the forest a sense of weight and age that is hard to find elsewhere.
Many paths through the forest are unmarked, so bringing a map or going with someone who knows the area is a good idea. The terrain can be rough in places, with steep banks and uneven ground, so sturdy footwear makes a real difference.
One oak tree in the forest, known as the patriarch oak, is over 350 years old and has a trunk so wide that several people standing side by side could not wrap their arms around it. This tree was already fully grown when Peter the Great gave his orders for the forest.
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