The nature reserve was established in 1898 by
Friedrich-Jacob Eduardovych Falz-Fein (1863–1920) around the German colony of Askania-Nova, which only in 1890 became an organized settlement,
Khutir. 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 (1835–1919), 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 were 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. Askania-Nova became a scientific-steppe station, a zoo-technical station with breeding farms, a
phyto-technical station, and included various other scientific institutions. Notably, the zoo and botanical garden were greatly expanded. Part of the reserve included portions of steppe reserve, an acclimatization zoo, and an
arboretum. 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 (including the botanical garden, steppe reserve steppe, and zoo), nine laboratories, conducting experimental farming, and four breeding centres for agricultural animals. The institute became the centre of scientific-researching works in the field of breed creation and the major hub for breeding farms. 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 Wonders of Ukraine. In March 2022, following
Russian occupation of the region, administration of Askania-Nova was taken over by Russia, which reclassified the steppes to hunting grounds. Shortly thereafter, photographs showing Russian soldiers alongside hunted deer carcasses from the park were posted on social media. Russian troops further caused damage to the park by driving heavy equipment through protected steppe areas, digging trenches, and causing three fires, burning almost 1,400 hectares. Askania-Nova's Ukrainian administration continues to operate
in absentia, with international donations contributing towards assisting former employees forced to leave the institution. In August 2024, the governor of Kherson Oblast,
Oleksandr Prokudin, said that the reserve had ceased to "exist" due to looting by Russian forces, the transfer of its wildlife to Crimea and Russia, and flooding caused by the
destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. However, the claims were denied by the reserve's director, Viktor Shapoval, who said that the reserve had suffered damage while confirming that animals were taken by Russia, adding that many other wildlife had die from neglect and that the large parts of its steppes had burned down. == The biosphere reserve ==