Formation and development of nature reserves business in the Poltava region in the first third of the twentieth century

The article exposes the role of the Poltava province country council (zemstvo), agricultural society, the Natural History Museum in the development of nature reserves in the Poltava province. Special attention is given to the nature reserves activities of S. O. Illitchevsky, to his struggle for Poltava wildlife preservation areas in difficult 30ies of the twentieth century which are characterized by amplifying of the pressure of economic organizations when the classical concept of wilderness protection is increasingly lost to a large extent and the official authorities orient the reserves for the solution of applied tasks.