Oleshky Sands

Oleshky Sands also called Oleshky Desert is a huge expanse of sand situated inland from the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea. The sands, located near the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, have existed for many centuries, but the desert appeared relatively recently. This sand area used to be covered with plants and vegetation that prevented the sands from spreading. But in the 19th century, with the good intention of turning the region into a wildlife reserve, a sheep breeder brought about a million sheep to these lands. Soon the animals had eaten all the grass exposing the sand underneath. Because of wind erosion, the unrestrained sands began to take over new territories and the desert quickly spread.

As any desert, the Oleshky Sands have their own oases, dried up, wet, and mineral lakes, and 5 m high sand dunes covered with grass and bushes. Sandstorms are known to occur in these regions. In order to prevent the whole Black Sea region from turning into one big desert, in the 20th century, artificial forests were planted around the sands. Today, spreading over a territory of 100,000 hectares, these forests are one of the largest artificial forests in the world.