The Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus is an ancient woodland site, the last primeval forest in Europe. It has its special place in the history of the country, and, is deeply rooted in the Belarusian folklore. It represents in people's minds the wild, unspoiled place where the national spirit, in its purest form, can still be found. They sing about it both on the public TV and at drunken private parties. There, in the wilderness, a pact to dissolve the Soviet Union was signed, which, in consequence, has given the former Soviet republic its independence and sovereignty today. The 'dacha' where the meeting was held has since become an official residence of the Belarusian president Lukaszenko. Unfortunately, neither the national pride nor the official status of the place could protect the forest from its devastating abuse by the state for economic profit. Excessive logging, unregulated wildlife hunting, and unsupervised tourism expansion have all contributed to the rapid decline of the forest.