In Bryansk, they are saving Peter the Great's oak.

Environmentalists in Bryansk are concerned about the condition of the 500-year-old Petrovsky oak tree. This giant tree has become a landmark due to urban legends associated with the name of the first Russian emperor. What damages have ecologists discovered - Svetlana Kuzmina found out. The verdict of the specialists from "Roslesozashchita" is that the tree can and should be preserved. This is the first stage of the inspection of the "Petrovsky" oak tree. The second, more thorough inspection will be carried out in the spring. But it is already clear that the centuries-old tree has practically completely rotted inside, and some of the roots have long dried up. "The oak is in a not very satisfactory condition, there are fire damages and hollows. The hollows are very large. The tree is in a complex state. It is visible that there are living branches, and the oak can be preserved. And in the future, it can sprout," - continues Victor Klyuev, the head of the forest protection department and state forest pathologic monitoring. An ancient legend is associated with the "Petrovsky" oak. It is said that the emperor himself, passing through these places, rested in its shade. These events took place on the eve of the Battle of Poltava. "In Bryansk, Peter stayed for no more than two days. He urgently traveled from Smolensk towards Novgorod-Seversk, where military actions with the Swedes were unfolding. Therefore, he had absolutely no time to linger and admire the beauties. According to the legend, during his stay at the monastery, Peter approached this oak, rested under it. According to another version, he himself planted some small oak tree," - tells Vladimir Alexeev, the deputy director of the Bryansk Local Lore Museum. Today, the "Petrovsky" oak is a real landmark. Local historians lead excursions to it. Newlyweds take photos against the backdrop of the giant, leave ribbons on its branches. Tourists, pilgrims, and guests visiting the Sven Monastery also visit it. Parishioners have started to clean up this place on their own. "In 2024, our initiative group thinned out everything here, removed the dry wood, cleared the top layer. Because the oak was practically covered. We took out all the garbage. We attached a plaque so that people could have some understanding," - explains Vitaly Chudakov, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sven Assumption Monastery parishioners. Activists are also fighting against the tradition of hanging wedding ribbons on the tree. What some see as fun actually harms the ancient oak.

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