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The Minsk Zoo was established in 1984 by nature
amateurs, which were employees of the Minsk Automobile Plant. Its
founder and the first manager was Fedor Revsin, an engineer and a
designer of the Minsk Automobile Plant, also the chairman of the Nature
Amateurs Club of the plant. The first foster-children of the new Zoo
were wild animals, which had found themselves in miserable condition (an
injured white stork, swans, polluted with black oil in an industrial
precipitation pond, young roes, small foxes and others).
Owing to the support, rendered by the management of the plant
and to enthusiasm of its employees, small Zoo with enclosures for
animals was built in floodplain of the Svisloch river, at the bank of a
picturesque oxbow lake (former river-bed), not far from the plant. Even
at that time, our animal collection counted in about 50 species,
including those of non-local fauna, presented by other Zoos (Grodno,
Moscow, Leningrad, Mena etc.).
The Zoo first opened to visitors, who were mostly Minsk
inhabitants, on August 9, 1984. This day is considered to be the day of
the Minsk Zoo foundation. Then it had a name of a Zoological Garden by
the Minsk Automobile Plant. Before the year of 1989, entrance to the Zoo
used to be free. The Minsk Automobile Plant had provided financing of
the Zoo.
In 1987 the director of the Zoo, F.Revsin had agreed on a
development project of the zoological garden on the area of 17 hectares.
His major development concept was the development of water- and
shorebird enclosures, as well as enclosures for animals of moderate
latitudes.
In 1988 Minsk Automobile plant began construction. However,
complicated economical situation in the country interfered with the
realization of the Zoo development project. The plant had to give up the
construction, and it was frozen. Just 50% of the fence to surround for
17 hectares was managed. Animals had to be kept in the enclosures and
rooms which had been built during 1984-1988. In such a state the
zoological garden had existed for years of Perestroika and economical
reforms. Only owing to enthusiasm of its employees, the Zoo survived,
lived, accepted visitors, extended its collection and bred animals.
In 1994 the zoological garden acquired at last the status of
the Minsk Municipal Zoo, as well as municipal subsidy for feeding
animals. However, its development and capital construction were kept by
municipal authorities due to various ecological factors: such as, the
zoo was quite near to the industrial area of the plant, Chizhovka lake,
its location in floodplain of the Svisloch river.
Finally, in 1999, as licenses and permissions were obtained,
capital construction of the 1st line in frames of the Zoo development
commenced.
In years of 1999-2001 the objects of the 1st line were
completed: the veterinary center (area occupied of 400m2), 15 new
enclosures for animals, kitchen and feeding room for animals (250 m2),
toilet for visitors (100 m2), parking area for 50 cars, main entrance.
Also the perimeter boundary (fence) was finished.
Source:
Official site of
Minsk Zoo (2010)
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