Askania-Nova L.Heis 1970

[Ivan Shalamov]

The world-renowned Professor Bernhard Grzimek, director of the Frankfurt Zoo and editor of the Modern Encyclopedia of Zoology, talks enthusiastically to Baron Edward von Falz-Fein, after the Professor’s visit to Askania-Nova in 1963. The Baron is one of the last male descendants of the family who created Russia’s biggest zoo out of the barren steppe. He is now living in the Principality of Liechtenstein as an accomplished businessman, well-known in the world of international sports’ organisations and in the tourist trade of his country, to which he has contributed much.

Askania-Nova covers over a million acres in the Ukraine; the largest open-air zoo in the world. In an adventurous attempt to develop the steppe around the Black Sea, Catherine the Great invited settlers to this vast empty area. Among the first was Johann Fein. In great hardship, he endured the terrible cold of his first Russian winter. Little by little his family prospered. Johann Pfalz joined them, married Fein’s only daughter, and took the name Falz-Fein.

Friedrich Falz-Fein added more territory and brought animals from as far afield as Africa. Tsar Nicholas II himself visited Askania-Nova, and raised the whole family to the nobility. Zoologists came from all over the world requesting specimens: wild horses, antelope, zebra, buffaloes, eagles, birds of all kinds.

At the Revolution, the family left Russia but the Soviet government continued the traditions of Askania-Nova. Mrs Heiss has collected a lot of unique information from original documents, and this fascinating story of a family struggle crowned ultimately with success has sixty superb illustrations — most never published before — which portray the founders of this remarkable zoo and illustrate early life in the steppe and the animals which live there so peacefully now.

Professor Grzimek writes, ‘We other zoologists all go to Askania-Nova like Muslims to Mecca.’

Jacket by DONALD BRUN

[Ivan Shalamov]

The world-renowned Professor Bernhard Grzimek, director of the Frankfurt Zoo and editor of the Modern Encyclopedia of Zoology, talks enthusiastically to Baron Edward von Falz-Fein, after the Professor’s visit to Askania-Nova in 1963

[Ivan Shalamov]

Great honours were bestowed on Friedrich Falz-Fein who was raised into the nobility. Tsar Nicholas II visits Askania-Nova in 1914. Friedrich Falz-Fein stands next to him.