Naro-Fominsk, Russia

If you go from Moscow on the Kiev highway it will be soon possible to notice a dramatic change in the serene autumn afternoon: a landscape of an industrial megacity already through ten-other kilometers picturesque pictures - will replace the hills covered by turning yellow woods, the small rivers, fine rivulets - all from what the eye of the townspeople weans, will please with the silent beauty, giving pleasure and a pacification. This is Naro-Fominsky territory.

Naro-Fominsk area - one of the largest and most dynamically developing areas of capital region with the developed industry and an agriculture. Despite of developed industrial and agrarian sectors of economy, the area, is considered one of most ecologically pure (clean) zones of Moscow suburbs.

Naro-Fominsk area is located to a southwest from Moscow, stretched (dragged out) from forest belts (zones) of capital up to borders of the Kaluga area.

Cities: Naro-Fominsk, Vereya, Aprelevka, Selyatino.

Transport network: two trunk-railways, three automobile highways; insufficiently developed network of local roads.

The industry: light silk, the enterprises on processing local agricultural raw material, etc.

Level of industrial potential: insignificant.

Agriculture: Vereya - the organizational-economic center of agricultural area.

The industrial, transport and agricultural enterprises, causing the greatest damage to an environment: factory of phonograph records of Aprelevka, electro-isolation factory of Ateptsevo, silk combine of Naro-Fominsk.

Emissions of polluting substances in an atmosphere - 9017,5 tons, or 1,65% of the overall emissions of area (1993).

Ground resources: are slightly polluted, basically because of excessive dozes of mineral and organic fertilizers and dumps of the crude drains of the agricultural cattle-breeding enterprises.

Large forests occupy about 40% of territory, positively influence water security and regulation all water outflows. In any direction from Naro-Fominsk it is possible to meet remarkable pine forests and groves where all rings, sings, air is full of salutary aroma. The fur-tree, a pine, a birch are typical for these woods with an impurity of firm deciduous breeds: an oak, a maple, an elm, etc.

The woods and fields of Naro-Fominsk area are rich with fauna. Here often there is a fox, a hare, a badger, a marten, an elk and other representatives of the alive world. From a game bird the blackcock, a wood-grouse, a partridge are most widespread.

Water resources: the area is cut up by a dense network of the rivers which concern to pool of Oka - the largest inflow of Volga. Largest of them: Protva, Isma, Nara, proceeding in Naro-Fomisk; the rivers Desna and Pakhra proceed in area of Aprelevka and are inflows of Moscow-river. The rivers proceed on picturesque woods, fields and meadows. In their water smooth surface as in a mirror the branchy willows almost entirely covering coastal heights are reflected. Twisting coast of Protva and dense neighboring woods long since were famous for hunting. On hunting to vicinities of Protva often there came Russian tsars - Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, Peter the Great. Plank beds are in riverheads known ponds of Naro-Fominsk. Waters them accepts Nara river, connecting ponds with Oka. The ponds of Naro-Fomisnk long since are trade. Located from area the file of boggy woods and riding bogs feeds set of the fine streamlets running in Nara river and Desna river for the north. Water of artesian deposits is used for the water-economic purposes.

Fauna: there is a hare-white hair, the fox, a hazel grouse, an elk, a roe, a wild boar, fiber, woodcock, less often - a blackcock, a wood-grouse, occasionally - the wolf.

Especially protected natural territories: about ten, the largest are located in Kamensk a forest area, on coast of Protva river, in vicinities of ponds of Naro-Fominsk.

Rare kinds of birds, plants, sources of the rivers are protected.

Ecological situation in area: stable, a condition of an environment satisfactory.

As a result of development of country and individual construction anthropogenous loading (woods are cut down, natural landscapes are destroyed, water consumption increases, the surface of reservoirs becomes soiled) increases.

Climate of Naro-Fominsk area is moderately continental. The cold period is replaced warm, in the first of April when frosts weaken. Summer moderately warm. Many solar and hot days. The maximal temperature reaches(achieves) 35-37 øC in the summer. In second half of summer the quantity (amount) of cloudy days increases, is frequent rains, frequent with thunder-storms. The autumn usually happens cloudy, but there are years with return of the warm and dry periods ("Indian Summer"). The winter moderately cold, is established it in second half of December and lasts about four months.