12 Dec 2021
Ekaterina Sinelchtchikova
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An experience dating back almost 100 years has created a unique place for photography in southern Russia.
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There are many amazing places created by nature in Russia, but this enchanting place is not one of them. The cypress grove of the Sukko Valley in southern Russia is man-made (but no less impressive). See for yourself :
In fact, the bald cypress or Louisiana cypress (taxodium distichum) never grew here and would never have appeared without a Soviet experience. According to one version, cypress seedlings were brought from North America to the Soviet Union in the 1930s, in the hope of developing the crop here.
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They were planted 14 kilometers from Anapa, in the Soukko valley surrounded by hills, not far from the village of the same name.
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Far from their homeland, the seedlings managed to take root and became the heroes of countless TV shows and photo shoots. They even adorned the pages of the magazine National Geographic.
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Over time, the terrain changed and 32 cypress trees found their way into the water. Good for them: in their homeland, they grow in marshy and flooded conditions.
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The grove has always attracted tourists, especially in the fall, when the tree foliage turns bright red. But the hot climate of Anapa and the tourist effervescence are detrimental to them.
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Periodically the pond becomes shallow, tourists enter the grove along the dry bottom and climb the roots for photo ops (cypress trees have roots that grow horizontally and rise very slightly above the ground) . To preserve these unique trees, last year the Kuban region’s Ministry of Natural Resources ordered the site to be fenced with temporary structures, and the cypress trees were watered weekly with special firefighting equipment.
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When the water from the lake rises, the Soukko valley becomes a local theme park, with rentals of boats, catamarans, canoes and more, and an African spectacle in the “African village”. Knights, paintball and laser tournaments are also organized there.
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Swimming in the lake is prohibited, the water is muddy and not very clean. But some are not embarrassed by the bans. “Despite a lot of no-swim signs, people still swim. The boats come out directly under the cypresses all the time and will be in all your photos », explains Natalia, who was there this year.
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“We are often asked: what time of day is it worth coming to Cypress Lake to see the trees in all their splendor? The best time is at dawn, they say in the Soukko Valley eco-park. There are not many people, peace and quiet reign on the lake, the sun has just woken up and is not yet burning. A soft light streams over the cypress trees and a light mist hangs over the water… ”.
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In this other article, discover in pictures these Russian lakes with different colors, works of Mother Nature.
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