Shodnensky ladle (Shodnenskaya bowl) - a monument of nature and history

A long time ago, merchants passed along the trade route. As the night approached, they began to think about the night's lodging. And at the top of the hill the travelers saw the temple. In order not to sleep under the open sky, they asked for shelter. However, the ministers refused. Merchants had to continue their journey. But at night in order to profit from them, dashing people attacked. They were not going to spare anybody. Only one traveler managed to survive. And at that moment he wished in the hearts of the temple, where they did not let him and his companions, fall into the ground together with all who are inside. The curse was heard, the temple went into the earth's interior, and in its place the Shodnensky ladle was formed.

And how did this monument of nature actually appear?

This is just one of the versions of the appearance of a unique natural monument. Someone argues that such an ideal round shape could only come about because of an unearthly origin. Others are sure that the Shodnensky ladle is the place where the meteorite fell or the crater of a long-fallen asleep volcano. Scientists' minds explain everything differently. Once the river of Skhodnya was quite full and flowed exactly where the upper border of the ladle is located. But as time went on, the riverbed became deeper, retreating to the south. And in the end, Skhodnya was at the bottom of the pit. That is, in fact, this monument of nature, the Shodnensky ladle, was washed by the river, which gave him the name.

So what is this place? It would seem that the capital of Russia is a huge metropolis, completely built up by skyscrapers, enveloped in exhaust gases and long forgotten about the wild nature. It turns out that there is also a place where you can see a world that has not been spoiled by man. You can, within the city, get into the countryside or even into the forest.

Description of the park

This natural-historical park is located in the South Tushino district of the SZAO Moscow. We can say that this is a huge pit with a depth of 40 m. But there are disagreements about its area. Some say that it is 75 hectares, while others say 107 hectares. Despite the fact that the Shodnensky ladle is within the city, the nature is magnificent, and there is a feeling that civilization is very, very far away. Here grow birch, ash, poplar, oak, mountain ash, elm, maple, aspen.

Preserved exclusively wild wild sedge-bug-swamp, where you can meet horsetail, three-leaved watch, multicolour cotton grass. The animal world is represented by such species as the Bluethroat, Nightingale, Reindeer, Common Oatmeal, Reed Warbler. For a long time, representatives of the Red Book of Moscow also met here: a viviparous lizard, a hare-hare, an ordinary newt, a weasel, an ordinary one, a sharp-pointed frog, a snipe, a meadow horse, a reed. However, unfortunately, at the moment some species are destroyed. One of the reasons scientists-ecologists consider the large spread of stray dogs.

Historical heritage

The Shodnenskoye ladle is not only a unique natural object, but also of great importance for historians. Not for nothing in the legend of its origin mention the merchants. The thing is that through this place there used to be a trade route leading from Moscow to the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. During the archaeological excavations, the remains of an ancient settlement dating back to the beginning of the Iron Age - the Djakovo hillfort. And next to it was discovered a burial mound, though later - XI-XIII centuries. Bones of fossil animals were also mined. But, perhaps, the most important finding in this place is the skull of the primitive man, more precisely, the upper part of it. The thing is that until then scientists could not come to a common opinion about the time of appearance of people in the territory of the modern suburbs. And the remains of a transitional person (from the Neanderthal to the modern) proved that the migration took place about 15 thousand years ago. But that's not all. On the skull were traces of an incomprehensible origin, most reminiscent of the interlacing of threads in the tissue. And this is a testimony that even in those distant times weaving could exist, although earlier evidence for this fact was not found.

By the way, the find itself was completely random. The oldest remains were found by workers during the construction of the derivatization channel.

"Bad place"

Now this place is a specially protected zone. And in 2004 it changed its official name. Now it is Shodnenskaya bowl. Residents of Tushino love to walk in the park. You can often see young mothers with strollers, courageously making their way through the thickets. However, many still try to avoid this place, they think that the Shodnensky ladle is an anomalous zone. And they are ready to give proof. The main argument is the very existence of wildlife in the center of a long-built and inhabited area, while construction organizations "fight" for a piece of land. But in the Soviet years, before the recognition of the "chalice" as a protected natural monument, there were allocated plots for building, they tried to create a reservoir, they cultivated vegetable gardens and even conducted hang gliding trainings. However, as we see, the Shodnenskaya bowl remained unchanged. Therefore, rumors are about the "bad" of this place.

Partly because of this, and partly because the nature here is really beautiful, lovers of adventure gladly descend to the bottom. The shores of the Skhodnya were chosen by fishermen.

How to get into the "cup"?

It's quite easy to go down. Next to the intersection of Okruzhnaya Street, Svetlogorsk and Factory Passages, there is a very convenient, already trampled path, which will lead directly to the Shodna River. However, for those who are not built for easy ways, there is another option. You can choose any slope and try to wade through it, overcoming obstacles. Sometimes even come across the barely noticeable paths laid by the same adventurers.

And what about the future?

Not so long ago, there were talks that the Shodnensky bucket, whose photo is really amazing in beauty, is planned to be refined. There should be shops, convenient paths, barbecue areas. Whether this is done or not is unknown. However, residents of the Tushino microdistrict prefer to see the park as it is now. After all, otherwise it will lose its charm and mystery of wild, untouched nature against the backdrop of a residential array.