Askania-Nova biospheric reserve in Ukraine.

So here we have the Ukrainian hryvna, nominal - 2. The year of issue of this coin is 1998, mint: National Bank of Ukraine, Kiev. Total circulation – 100,000. The coin is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founding of Askania-Nova.

The nature reserve was established in 1898 by Friedrich-Jacob Eduardovych Falz-Fein in 1863 – 1920 around the German colony of Askania-Nova.

In March 1919, Askania-Nova was confiscated from the Falz-Fein family by the Red Army as part of the state nationalization programme. The last owner refused to evacuate to Germany. She was Sofia-Louise Bohdanivna (Gottlieb) Knauff, the mother of Friedrich Falz-Fein. Her refusal resulted in her summary execution by two Red Army guardsmen who shot her for failing to surrender her estate in Khorly (today a port in Kherson Oblast).

On April 1, 1919, Askania-Nova was declared a People's Sanctuary Park by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR. While on February 8, 1921, it was reorganized into a State Steppe Reserve of the Ukrainian SSR. The main purposes of the reserve was to preserve and study the environment of the virgin steppe as well as possibly to acclimatize and study a larger number of animal and plant types.

From 1932 to 1956, the reserve was transformed into the All-Union scientific-research institute for the hybridization and acclimatization of animals of M. Ivanov. It consisted of 12 departments, nine laboratories, conducting experimental farming, and four breeding centres for agricultural animals. During both World War I and World War II, the reserve was devastated.

In 1983, Askania-Nova was reorganized into a biosphere reserve and the following year it was designated as the Soviet member of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO. After the fall of the Soviet Union, in 1993, Ukraine confirmed the status of the biosphere reserve Askania-Nova. In 2008, Askania was named one of Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine.