National park "Samarskaya Luka" is a unique natural complex, which is situated
on the territory of Samara region. It`s inhabited by rare animals and contains
several types of plants that do not exist anywhere else on earth and have
been growing on this territory before the glacier period. Nowadays those
who are responsible for taking care of and preserving this unique place
are destroying it for their own personal needs. Illegal hunting and fishing
has been going on here for decades covered by the park rangers and park
administration who actually live off this trade. Park ranger use helicopters
for hunting, and 17 dams are built on the territory of the park for industrial
fishing.
Since 1997 a group of activists ecologists has been struggling for
taking measures to stop the hunting and fishing in the area. After ineffectual
appeals to the local and area authorities to punish the poachers ecologists
decided to act on their own. Several of them were threatened and assaulted
by the local gangs controlled by the park authorities. Three ecologists
got arrested at an attempt to blow up one of the dams.
This summer radical environmental movement "Rainbow Keepers" and cultural
center "Duplo" opened the protest camp on the territory of the park in
order to take some action in fighting with poachers and to draw public
attention to the problem. On July 10 we destroyed water-preserving
mechanism on one of the dams. We also held some protests by the court building
during the hearing of the case of ecologists who were arrested. We were
harassed by the local Fascists` group, and visited by the KGB member, who
got completely fooled by us (sucker!!). In the afternoon he was dragged
7km to the dam and back just for nothing. Poor guy looked pretty tired
by the end of the journey.
We are planning on some more active protests and on destroying as much
dams in the area as possible. Our camp is going to be open till the end
of the summer. We welcome all the people who would like to participate
in our action or give us some help in any possible way. We will be glad
for any help and any new people!
How you can find us or get a hold of us:
Telephone numbers
in Russia: (8462)79-33-78
– Number of the camp in “Samarskaya Luka”
(8462)35-32-62
– Information center in Samara. (if you are
on your way, you can spend the night there)
(8462)30-13-61
– If you could not get a hold of anyone by the previous numbers, use this
one!
E-mail: duplork@mail.ru faber@ssu.samara.ru
Address for additional connection:
Russia, 443004 Samara, ul. Kaliningradskaya, 26-11,
tel. (8462)30-13-61
- cultural center "Duplo"