The landscape reserve "Golubov Sad" was established around an ancient park ensemble in the Vitebsk region

Seven state institutions have been established and are operating in our region for the development of ecotourism. One of them is "Golubov Sad" in the Gluboksky district.

“This is a wonderful place, which was developed and inherited from a thrifty owner, Konstantin Golub, who lived in our region in the 1920s,” says Yuri Knita, director of the state institution "Golubov Sad". “Hence the name. Even then, the private entrepreneur (he collected raw materials and rags from the local population to exchange them for galoshes and fabrics in Riga) understood how attractive the place near Lake Dolgoye was. On three flat areas, arranged in a cascade, there was once a lord's estate. This territory is surrounded on three sides by Lake Dolgoye, the Dolzhanka River, and a swamp, forming a kind of peninsula. Konstantin Golub proved to be a worthy successor to the previous owner; he preserved the huge garden and planted many other plants.”

"Golubov Sad" currently occupies 1.5 hectares. Oaks aged 200-300 years, rough-leaved elms, Manchurian lindens, and many fruit trees, including hawthorn, apple trees, and pear trees, grow here. There are as many as 16 species of "red-listed" plants alone!

In spring, the garden is fragrant. Apple and pear trees are blooming, primroses, lily of the valley, and wood anemones are opening in the glades. The "panicle" looks remarkable — Beneken's fescue, common snake's-head. And in all this splendor, birds listed in the Red Book feel at home — the kingfisher and the common merganser.

And the lake has its own rare inhabitants: two species of crayfish (Limnocalannus), Pallas's amphipod, smelt (also called stinka, as this fish spawns at three to four degrees Celsius and smells of fresh cucumber).

— Our garden attracts unpretentious ecotourists, — believes Yuri Bernardovich. — Of all the amenities, there are tents for rent and inflatable boats. However, there are fire pits, a barbecue grill, an equipped parking lot, and wonderful beaches with bridges for vacationers. Motorboats are not allowed on Lake Dolgoye, which is considered the deepest in the republic and is part of the republican hydrological reserve "Lake Dolgoye". However, fishing is allowed, just not by barbaric methods. Residents of Polotsk, Novopolotsk, and Minsk gladly come to relax here during their vacation or spend their weekends.

Yuri Knita dreams of finding investors and, with their help, implementing a project under the working title "Floating Dacha".

— The fact is that Lake Dolgoye has an outlet to the Western Dvina through numerous rivers and lakes that are interconnected, — he shared. — And this is 90 kilometers of waterways. Thus, on a floating dacha (with a roof over your head), you can take multi-day trips.

There is an idea and support from the Glubokskoye District Executive Committee (a field meeting was recently held at the state institution “Golub’s Garden”), which means there will be a result.

Elena Bashun, "Vitbichi"