Zavidovo
Encyclopedia
Zavidovo is a village (selo) in Konakovsky District
of Tver Oblast
, Russia
. It is used as an official residence place for the President of Russia, and was also used by the Soviet
leaders. The residence is situated in the Zavidovo nature reserve. According to UNESCO, Zavidovo is one of the most environmentally safe places on the planet. The nature reserve is situated 150 kilometres away from Moscow in both Moscow
and Tver Oblasts, on the banks of the Shosha River
(a tributary
of the Volga
) and Lama River
, and on the shore of the Ivankovo Reservoir.
The nature reserve occupies 1,250 km². It is rich in various species of fauna. There are 41 species of mammals, including weasel, ermine, brown bear, lynx and fox there. Ninety villages with a total of 20,000 residents are situated within the reserve.
The first military-hunting societies emerged in Zavidovo after the Civil War. They were set up by Red Army commissars and commanders. In 1931, the nature reserve was given the official status of a military-hunting ground.
On August 1, 1951, the military-hunting ground was broken up.
In the early 1960s, a decision was made to reestablish a hunting ground in Zavidovo. The nature reserve was visited by Josip Broz Tito
, Fidel Castro
, Erich Honecker
, and János Kádár
when they visited the Soviet Union.
In 1971, a state research-experimental reserve was formed on the basis of the Zavidovo hunting ground of the USSR Defence Ministry.
On August 18, 1996, following a decree
of Russian President Boris Yeltsin
, the Zavidovo state complex was given the status of a presidential residence.
The Rus residence includes a hotel, a hunting base, basins, saunas, a boating station, and economic facilities.
Konakovsky District
Konakovsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 36 in Tver Oblast, Russia....
of Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is used as an official residence place for the President of Russia, and was also used by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
leaders. The residence is situated in the Zavidovo nature reserve. According to UNESCO, Zavidovo is one of the most environmentally safe places on the planet. The nature reserve is situated 150 kilometres away from Moscow in both Moscow
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
and Tver Oblasts, on the banks of the Shosha River
Shosha River
Shosha River is a river in Tver and partially Moscow Oblasts in Russia, a right tributary of the Volga River. The length of the Shosha River is 163 kilometres. The area of its basin is 3,080 km². The river flows into the Ivankovo Reservoir. The Shosha freezes up in November – early...
(a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Volga
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
) and Lama River
Lama River
Lama River is a river in the Moscow and Tver Oblasts in Russia, a tributary of the Shosha River. The length of the river is 139 km. The area of its basin is 2330 km². The Lama River freezes up in November and stays under the ice until late March - early April. Historically, the river was...
, and on the shore of the Ivankovo Reservoir.
The nature reserve occupies 1,250 km². It is rich in various species of fauna. There are 41 species of mammals, including weasel, ermine, brown bear, lynx and fox there. Ninety villages with a total of 20,000 residents are situated within the reserve.
The first military-hunting societies emerged in Zavidovo after the Civil War. They were set up by Red Army commissars and commanders. In 1931, the nature reserve was given the official status of a military-hunting ground.
On August 1, 1951, the military-hunting ground was broken up.
In the early 1960s, a decision was made to reestablish a hunting ground in Zavidovo. The nature reserve was visited by Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
, Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
, and János Kádár
János Kádár
János Kádár was a Hungarian communist leader and the General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, presiding over the country from 1956 until his forced retirement in 1988. His thirty-two year term as General Secretary makes Kádár the longest ruler of the People's Republic of Hungary...
when they visited the Soviet Union.
In 1971, a state research-experimental reserve was formed on the basis of the Zavidovo hunting ground of the USSR Defence Ministry.
On August 18, 1996, following a decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
of Russian President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, the Zavidovo state complex was given the status of a presidential residence.
The Rus residence includes a hotel, a hunting base, basins, saunas, a boating station, and economic facilities.