Pine. Chelyabinsk region

European red pine (Pinus sylvestris) – a tree from the pine family – is a widely distributed species in Eurasia and one of the most valuable coniferous species in our country. Pine forms pure stands but can also grow alongside other coniferous or deciduous species. Mature pines reach a height of 25–40 meters, and the trunk can exceed one meter in diameter, classifying pine as a tree of the first magnitude.

Chelyabinsk is likely the only metropolis in Russia that has a full-fledged pine forest in its center. Writer and local historian Vyacheslav Lyutov calls the pine forest the Chelyabinsk urban archetype, implying that it is the main treasure of Chelyabinsk. It is believed that the Chelyabinsk forest emerged 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. The primary relic of this forest massif is the granite platform on which it stands, estimated to be 280 million years old.

It was near this pine forest that the location for the construction of the Chelyabinsk fortress was once chosen. On a map from 1735, compiled about a year before the official founding date of the city, the site of the future Chelyabinsk fortress is marked as Selyabsky Pine Forest.