Аннотация:The vegetation of the Valdai National Park was studied with particular attention to the meadowsof the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. These ancient meadows have formed due to centuries ofagrarian use of the forest lands in the region.According to the methodology of the EDDG group, permanent sample plots of the grasslandcommunities of the аssociation Anthoxantho-Agrostietum (alliance Cynosurion cristati, orderArrhenatheretalia) were established in 2017. The species composition monitoring was carriedout in these plots annually.It was revealed that each year, the communities are characterized by high values of the totalcover and the height of the herb layer (respectively, 75-100% and 80-120 cm). Due to the absence of haymaking and grazing, all plots are characterized by a thick litter layer. The number ofspecies in the plots varies from 75 to 22. A tendency for decreasing species diversity was observed over the years. The group of constant species for every year on the plot is relatively small(from 8 to 30%). The maximum values are reached by a group of episodically occurring speciesthat appear or disappear in different years or single species, found only in one of the four yearsof observation.This high species turnover maintains a high level of biological diversity of post-forest meadows inthe region. In addition, on all plots, expansion of trees and shrubs, as well as invasive species, isvery rare, which indicates that owing to long-term anthropogenic evolution, meadows of theNational Park retain their own succession status. They are conservative with respect to the introduction of new species (including alien ones) and can withstand forest overgrowth after the endof land use (haymaking and grazing). Thus, it is necessary to note the high importance of meadows for conserving natural biodiversity and cultural heritage in the Novgorod region.