Novostriltsivka. The Stud Farm. Keeping Up Records and a High Standard

The stud farms of Ukraine were set up under the tsars; many have a two-hundred-year history, and some have passed the 250 mark. The Striletskyi stud farm in the Luhansk region was founded in 1798. Farming needed hardy draught horses, the army — riding horses, and prestige and amusement — trotters.

In 1888, during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, under the administration of adjutant general Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov and the management of the farm by Guards Colonel Ribas, thirty buildings of various purposes were put up in Novostriltsivka, among them nine stables and a veterinary infirmary.

The Striletskyi stud farm. The infirmary for horses

A stable is a temple for a horse. In Novostriltsivka the dwellings for horses can be compared to palaces. Every block of these mansions for animals is a work of architecture. The stable for breeding stallions is the calling card of the Striletskyi farm. The walls are 1.5 metres thick, and on the northern side, to protect against the winds and frosts, they are thicker than on the southern. The buildings are fitted with ventilation and heating systems. According to the old-timers' tales, the stone from which the stable walls are laid was hauled from a quarry 70 km from the village, near Millerovo station. The material was brought on peasant carts, and on the way the carter had to hew the stone by hand to a certain size.

The buildings are made of red, yellow, brown and white brick. The shaped windows are framed with a pattern in stone, and the buildings themselves with a filigree cornice.

Looking at the decorative finish of these equine residences, one recalls the folk proverbs: "Where a horse is, there is no evil spirit", "A mouse born in a stable thinks itself a horse".

On these equine palazzi, memorial plaques have survived recording the purpose of the buildings and the years of their construction.

As far back as the 19th century the stud farm was famous for breeding the elite Strilets breed. During the First World War, the Revolution and the Civil War the stables were laid waste, and the breeders had to start everything from scratch. In the years of the Second World War the entire stock of horses was given to the front. In the post-war years the breeding work was revived, and Ukrainian racehorses of the legendary breeds repeatedly confirmed their title as champions and winners of international shows and competitions. To the credit of the Striletskyi stud farm's charges are derbies won and prizes for selective breeding.

At present the stud farm is going through great hardships without state support; there is no money for the reconstruction of the stables, the riding arena, the infirmary. In some buildings the roof is damaged, the ceilings have rotted, the beams have fallen. The workers of the enterprise try to survive, keeping the age-old traditions of horse breeding and the technique of selecting record-breakers. They have to produce fodder by their own efforts, for a horse does not ride on credit and warms itself with food.

To keep the enterprise afloat, the horse breeders fatten pigs, goats, mules and donkeys. On the stud farm's website there are advertisements for the sale of animal wool and hides, agricultural produce, bees and beekeeping products. Buyers are offered horses for racing, for the steeplechase (a race over obstacles), and horses for breaking in. Despite the worsening of their financial state and their material and technical base, the falling number of horses and the trouble in selling them, the breeders do not lose hope. The veterinarians, grooms and animal technicians provide their favourites with all they need and are ready to go on working at breeding the thoroughbred saddle horse.

The address of the Striletskyi stud farm: the village of Novostriltsivka, Milove district, Luhansk region.

Coordinates: 49°19'23"N 39°55'2"E