GEO
HISTORY OF THE PROTECTED AREAS The abundant flora and fauna of this region has attracted the attention of botanists and nature lovers from as early as the 19th century. The Polish amateur naturalist Ludwik Mlokosiewicz greatly contributed to the popularisation of Lagodekhi. A former officer of the highest rank, Mlokosiewicz was banished to Lagodekhi by the Czar of Russia and initially worked as a forest warden. In 1875, Mlokosiewicz began to suspect that the Black Grouse living in Lagodekhi differ from European Black Grouse. In order to check his hypothesis, he sent some specimens to leading biologists of the time, who confirmed the distinctness of the Caucasian species and verified Mlokosiewisz’s exciting discovery. During the same year, the Caucasian Black Grouse was recognized as a separate species and named Tetrao mlokosiewiczi, in honour of its discoverer
gist Sosnovsky. Lagodekhi Gorge was declared a preserve in 1912 - Wood-cutting, hunting and pasturing were forbidden on its territory. The second birth of the reserve took place in Soviet times, in 1929. In 1935 the government enlarged it and included the basins of the rivers Salesavis Khevi and Bneli Kheoba. In 1945, alpine and sub alpine pastures were added to the reserve. This event was of particular importance, as the Protected Area henceforth covered a wide range of climatic zones and landscapes existing in Lagodekhi region. Lagodekhi was famous for populations of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and East Caucasian Tur (Capra cylindricornis), the number of which increased year by year. Very rarely, when Soviet high officials or foreign guests arrived at Lagodekhi, the government allowed hunting. Forest guards from the older generation remember the last such occasion, when the last Iranian Shah visited, the hunter-sportsman Reza-Pekhlevi. The Prince, who was an excellent shot, demanded to frighten the turs away, as he considered it unworthy to shoot at turs which were standing still. During this hunting trip the Shah’s brother killed two excellent turs. Even today, the ruins of the building where this guest had spent the night before his hunting excursion, are referred to by locals as the “Prince’s accommodation.” After the downfall of the Soviet Union, the state of the Lagodekhi Reserve became dire, due to the hard political situation in Georgia. During a few years, the population of turs fell from 3,500 to 300 individuals. The Red Deer population, which had once numbered about 1,500, was also hunted to less than 10% of its peak population. Only 100 of the 500 Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) survived. Populations of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) were also severely reduced. The situation has stabilized since those days, but incidents of poaching on the territory of the Reserve are still frequent. In 2003, two Protected Areas were created in Lagodekhi: Lagodekhi Strict Nature Reserve (22,266 ha) and Lagodekhi Managed Reserve (1,992 ha). The eastern border of Lagodekhi Protected Areas runs along the Azerbaijani-Georgian frontier, and its northern border is identical with the ridge that divides Georgia and Dagestan (Russian Federation) in this area.
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To Georgia
In 1903, the Russian Czar’s government leased Lagodekhi Gorge to the Duke Demidov, a well-known landowner, for hunting. The Russian Duke established strict rules for the territory - only his family members and guests had the right to hunt here. In addition to hunting on the lands, he banned wood-cutting, pasturing and haying by the local population. Stories exist of alleged violators being killed on some occasions. The prohibitions, which were introduced in 1903, turned the hunting reserve into a true wildlife refuge and contributed to the propagation of animals and birds, as well as the preservation of the forest in its original state. Eight years later, scientists presented the report “Lagodekhi Gorge as a Monument of Nature and the Necessity of its Protection” to the Caucasian Department of the Russian Geographic Society. The next year, Lagodekhi Gorge was declared a preserve where woodcutting, hunting and pasturing were forbidden. The next stage of evolution took place in 1935, when the Soviet government added the rivers basins of Salesavis Khevi and Bneli Kheoba to the preserve. In 1945, alpine and sub alpine pastures were also added, which increased its significance as the protected area now included a wide range of climatic zones and landscapes to it topography. Lagodekhi was famous for populations of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and East Caucasian Tur (Capra cylindricornis), which increased in number each year. On very rare occasions, the government would allow high Soviet officials or foreign guests to hunt in the park. Older forest rangers recall the last time this was permitted was when the Shah of Iran, Reza-Pekhlevi visited. The Shah, a renown sportsman and excellent shot, demanded to frighten the turs away, as he considered it unworthy to shoot at game which stood still. Today, the ruins of where the Shah stayed are referred to by locals as the “Prince’s accommodation.”