Les na Vorskle, nature reserve in Belgorod Oblast, Russia

Les na Vorskle is a 1,038-hectare section of the Belogorje Nature Reserve on the high right bank of the Vorskla River near Borisovka. It is an old-growth upland oak forest, the only surviving ancient oak stand in the Central Black Earth region, with about 160 hectares of oaks over 300 years old. The terrain rises from 137 m in the Vorskla valley to 217 m on the watershed plateau, cut by forest ravines called yars, including the long, deep Vervyeykov Yar.

The reserve was established in 1924 as one of the first systematic conservation efforts in the Belgorod region. Its creation reflected growing awareness about protecting Russian natural environments during that period.

For decades the forest served as the summer field-practice base for biology and soil-science students of Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg State University, with branches of its laboratories and departments on site. Entomologists S. I. Malyshev and A. S. Danilevsky and geobotanist V. N. Sukachyov worked here. The forest's ravines carry local names such as Vervaykov Yar, Volchiy Yar and Udodov Yar.

Visiting requires special permission because the reserve enforces strict regulations to protect its natural resources. Contact the reserve administration beforehand to arrange your visit and complete necessary paperwork.

The forest holds about 160 hectares of oaks over 300 years old, the last old-growth oak stand preserved in the Central Black Earth region. Its ravines carry local names such as Volchiy Yar (Wolf Ravine) and Udodov Yar (Hoopoe Ravine), and badger and fox burrows with soil mounds are visible along their slopes.