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The Community Development Support Program in the Russian Federation. Round 4

Project Complex

Sanctuary Russia Recreation Complex– a model area of ecotourism development to promote sustainable development in the buffer area of the Biosphere Reserve Smolenskoye Poozyorye National Park

Grant amount  $44 978  Grantee contribution $40 595    Total cost  $85 573

Thematic projects included in the Project Complex:

• Modernization of  power and heat saving systems in Przhevalskoye Municipality
• Sanctuary Russia Recreation Complex– a model area of ecotourism development and beneficial cooperation
  

Municipality Profile: Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast. The prevailing economic activity in this locality is agriculture that specializes in cattle-breeding and potato and flax growing. It is also known for its unique “Demidovskoye Gardening” (cucumber growing tradition). There is also a well-developed timber industry and production of construction materials. This municipal raion includes two urban and 15 rural municipalities with a total population of 17, 600, of whom 8,600 live in the raion capital, the city of Demidov. Industrial production is represented by agricultural and forest processing and light industry facilities. In this city, there is an agricultural college, a vocational school, two middle schools, an art school, a residence school, and other cultural and educational institutions. The Smolenskoye Poozyorye National Park that occupies an area of 146,237 hectares is located in this raion.

Community problems addressed by the Project Complex:

• Absence of a gas pipeline and the use for heating of costly electricity, oil fuel and coal that pollute the environment.
• A drain of able-bodied community members from small villages and settlements because of unemployment and a low standard of living.
• Distortion of the traditional historical and cultural landscape because of  uncontrolled land development and appearance of modern dachas and private houses, weediness of traditional agricultural land, and biodiversity reduction; and disappearance of traditional handicrafts.
• Uneven distribution of tourist flows and growth of “wild” uncontrolled tourism that harms natural communities in the central part of Smolenskoye Priozyorye National Park.
• Lack of an interaction mechanism among the national park’s management, municipal government and the community of identifying tourism development priorities and distributing  and reinvesting revenue.
• Lack of experience and professional knowledge among community members that prevent them for becoming engaged in the sector of tourism activities and natural resources management.

Synergetic effect of the Project Complex:

The Project Complex was targeted toward implementing the Environmental and Rural Tourism Concept (developed by the Ecotourism Association and the staff of Smolenskoye Priozyorye National Park) at the national park. The Concept was considered and approved in March-April 2008 by the Research and Technical Council of the park and consented with Przhevalskoye Municipal Government and the administrations of Demidovsky Raion and Smolensk Oblast. The Concept included founding a unique tourism complex Sanctuary Russia in the central part of the national park – in the spa urban-type settlement Przhevalskoye (population – 3,500) that became a brand of Smolensk Oblast and the national park. The Concept also involved the introduction of  energy-efficient techniques and building a techno park in the future that demonstrate the latest achievements of energy saving and environmentally sound construction technologies.

The Project Complex also included such activities as modernizing the existing energy-efficiency system and introducing new energy-saving techniques; developing a recreation tourist site -  Sanctuary Russia  Complex; and involving new partners and investors in developing tourism in the buffer zone of the biosphere reserve.

The projects of the Project Complex helped alter the structures of tourist flows by increasing the share of “organized” tourists; raise funds; create new jobs; create conditions for small business development and public participation; advance ecotourism in Smolenskoye Priozyorye National Park; and increase public support of the park.

Project Complex contact:
Alexander Kochergin, director of Smolenskoye Priozyorye National Park

Contact information:
19 Gurevicha St, Przhevalskoye Settlement, Demidovsky Raion Smolenks Obalst, 216270
tel. 8 (48147)-46204, fax 8 (48147)-46636, e-mail dgo@sci.smolensk.ru

Organizations, members of the Project Consortium:

Title	Category	Profile
Przhevalskoye Municipal Administration, Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast	government	Municipal governance.
Smolenskoye Priozyorye National Park	government	Development and organization of ecotourism and environmental training and mass public education

Duration (months)

10

Start date

01/09/ 2008

End date

30/06/2009

Project

Modernization of power and heat saving systems in Przhevalskoye Municipality

Organization:
Prezhvalskoye Municipal Administration

Type of organization: government

Start date September 1, 2008

End date June 30, 2009

Project summary:

This project carried out the following activities in the Community Center (200 sq. m) and out-patient clinic:  installing boilers working on wood waste; preparing a boiler room; modernizing the water supply system; and replacing windows. At the sawmill of the national park, a chipping machine and a bunker for storing wood chips were installed.

Location:
Przhevalskoye Settlement (population – 3,500), Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast

Contact information:
23 Sovetskaya St., Przhevalskoye Settlement, Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast   
Tel./fax 8(48147)- 46538, e-mail dgo@sci.smolensk.ru

Project coordinator:
Ivan Gogolinsky, head of the Municipal Administration

Project objectives:

Reducing high power consumption in the heat supply system in the buildings of the Community Center and the outpatient clinic and, consequently, saving funds; introducing modern wood processing techniques  (chipping machines and the use of saw chips) in the biosphere reserve; creation of conditions for the region’s transition in the near future to the use of new technologies in the sphere of energy supply and energy-saving; reduction of hazardous emissions from burning high-ash coal; and improving the environment in the central part of the biosphere reserve.

Final results:

• Introduction of energy-efficiency techniques;

а) modernization of equipment in the boiler plant and the heating system of the local outpatient clinic;

• Cutting the cost of heating for the outpatient clinic. The use of wood waste in the boiler plant as fuel allows to reduce power consumption by 30% and expenses for fuel by nearly 300,000 rubles a year.

Total project cost $50 392

Own contribution  $25 402

Received amount  $24 990

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Project

Sanctuary Russia Recreation Complex– a model area of ecotourism development and beneficial cooperation

Organization:
Smolenskoye Poozyorye National Park

Type of organization:  government

Start date September 1, 2008

End date June 30, 2009

Project summary:

This project improved the central part of the tourist complex Sanctuary Russia located in Prezhvalskoye Settlement in Smolenskoye Poozyorye National Park. The development of the tourist complex is included in the Smolenskoye Poozyorye National Park Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and has been approved by the local and regional governments.

Location:
Prezhvalskoye Settlement, Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast

Contact information:
19 Gurevicha St, Przhevalskoye Settlement, Demidovsky Raion, Smolensk Oblast, 216270
tel. 8(48147)-46204, fax 8(48147)-46636, e-mail dgo@sci.smolensk.ru

Project coordinator:
Alexander Kochergin

Project objectives:

Addressing the issue of the socio-economic development of the community, creation of new jobs, supporting small businesses, and strengthening interaction among the national park, raion administration, the community and businesses through the creation of a unique tourist attraction - Sanctuary Russia Recreation Complex.

Final results:

• Improvement of the central part of the tourism complex that includes a stage, grandstands, canopies for caters and retailers, a site for mass festivities, and a parking lot for 30 cars;
• Elaboration of the financial and legal forms of investor and community participation in developing tourism at the Sanctuary Russia Recreation Complex.

Total project cost $35 182

Own contribution  $15 194

Received amount  $19 988

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