Inhabited island on Lake Baikal. What is the name of the largest island in Lake Baikal? So, the most famous islands of Baikal

What does the word Baikal mean?

Baikal is a Turkic word from Bai-Kul, which means a rich lake (similarly, Issyk-Kul is a warm lake, Kara-Kul is a black lake). Some authors believe that this word comes from the Mongolian Baigal (rich fire) or Baigal Dalai - a large lake (sea). But these hypotheses are scientifically insufficiently substantiated and have not received wide recognition.

The peoples living in the Baikal region probably each called the lake in their own way - the Evenki called it Lamu, i.e. sea, and the Buryats of Baigal-Nuur - Lake Baikal. But these are rather translations into their own language of an already existing name. The name Dalai-Nur is also found in the literature, also allegedly referring to Baikal. But there are lakes with this name - Dalai-Hyp in northern Mongolia and Dalai-Nor in China, and, in fact, it can refer to any large lake. Researcher D. Stakhaev (1895) believes that this name could come from the Chinese Bei-Hai (or Pe-Hai) - the northern sea. In our opinion, this assumption is also insufficiently substantiated, since it may be distorted from Biy-Khem (Big Water) - this is how the Tuvans call the Yenisei and its upper reaches. In general, this issue has not yet been resolved and is waiting for its researchers. E. G. Laksman (1769), I. G. Georgi (1775) - one of the first naturalists who tried to find out the meaning of the word Baikal - as well as A.L. Schlozer (1769) gave only one interpretation of it - rich waters (Turkic).

When was Baikal called Baikal?

There is no reliable information about this yet. Probably, the name appeared from the time of the settlement in its vicinity of the Turkic-speaking tribes. The peoples inhabiting the territories adjacent to Baikal led a nomadic way of life and either did not have a written language and did not leave written sources, or their rock runic inscriptions remain unread. The mention in the notes of the Russian ambassador to China, Nikita Yakovlevich (Iakinf) Bichurin, that the name Baikal is found in one of the prehistoric Chinese chronicles of the 2nd century BC, presumably, is not the earliest. It was found in a note by the Chinese minister of the Sui-Gao Fan dynasty about the Turks living in the Baikal region at that time: “From the time of Xuan-Yuan Hun-Yun caused a lot of disturbance to our borders. Now they have become our “vassals” all the way to the North Sea.” Under the northern sea (Bei-Hai), as some historians believe, Chinese sources mean Baikal. But after all, the territory of China is washed by the South Sea, why is Baikal opposed to it, and not the North Sea (Arctic Ocean)?

Archaeological excavations made it possible to establish that in the late Neolithic, and probably in the Bronze Age, Turkic-speaking peoples, the Kurykans, lived in the Baikal region. They owned the runic writing of the Turks and the Yenisei Kyr-gyz. Perhaps they were the first to give the name to Lake Baikal.

The Evenks who lived in the Baikal region gave the name to many rivers flowing into Baikal, but the word Baikal is not in their language, it is alien to them. The phrase Baikal and Nuur testifies that Baikal already had its own name when the Buryats learned about it, since the phrase itself already contains information that this name came to them from some other language.

When was Baikal first shown on a map?

In the “Drawing of the Siberian Land”, compiled in 1667 by order of the Tobolsk governor P. Godunov. Schematically, Baikal is also depicted in the handwritten "Drawing Book of Siberia" (1699-1701) by the Russian cartographer and historian of Siberia S. U. Remezov. This is the first Russian geographical atlas. It consisted of 23 large-format maps, was distinguished by the abundance and detail of information, and summed up all the available geographical materials of that time. The atlas of S. U. Remezov has preserved the handwritten works of many unknown Siberian explorers, who, with their experience and real knowledge of the area, make a great contribution to the development of Russian cartography.

The first relatively reliable map of Lake Baikal was prepared in 1773 by navigator Alexei Pushkarev on a scale of 10 versts per inch, or approximately 1:420,000. The map was compiled in two stages: first, after filming in 1772 of Lake Baikal to the north of the source of the Angara. This map has not been printed, and its handwritten original is kept in the library of the Russian Academy of Sciences. After completing the survey of the rest of the lake, A. Pushkarev in 1773 compiled a map of the entire Baikal - “A special flat map of the Baikal Sea showing the rivers and rivers flowing into it, as well as the Angara falling out of it ...”. Its handwritten original has not yet been found; only a copy made by Mikhail Khudyakov has survived (not completely).

Before Pushkarev's map, there was a map of Baikal, compiled earlier under Frauendorf's guidance in 1766, but it had many errors, and A. Pushkarev had to make a diagram of Baikal again, so it is his map that should be considered the first instrumental sea map of Baikal. It served a very important service for researchers of the history of the relief and the outline of the Baikal shores.

What is the average and maximum depth of Baikal?

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world. Its average depth is about 730 m. It was first calculated quite accurately by G. Yu. Vereshchagin in the 1930s. 20th century

According to the studies of the Limnological Institute, carried out in 1959 with the help of a magnetostrictive echo sounder and a control check in winter from the ice with an ordinary lot on a cable, the maximum depth of Baikal was determined to be 1620 m. Subsequently, an amendment was made to the data on the greatest depth of Baikal. At present, the depth of 1637 m is considered to be the greatest depth of Baikal and the greatest depth for the lakes of the globe. As for the depth of 1642 m near the southern head of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula on the map published by GUNiO in 1992, it raises doubts.

What is the area of ​​the Baikal water surface?

31.5 thousand km2 is approximately equal to the area of ​​such countries as Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark. In terms of water surface area, Baikal ranks eighth among the largest lakes in the world. In our country, it is surpassed only by the Caspian and the Aral, on other continents - Victoria and Tanganyika (in Africa), Huron, Michigan and Upper in North America.

How much water is in Baikal?

The total volume of surface waters on the planet is about 1406 million km3. The volume of Baikal water is about 23 thousand km3. This is more than the volume of water contained in all five Great Lakes of North America (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) combined, in the Baltic Sea. The Baikal volume of water is almost twice as large as in Lake Tanganyika; 90 times than in the Sea of ​​Azov; 23 times than in Lake Ladoga. Baikal contains about 1/5 of the world's reserves of surface fresh water (excluding glaciers, snowfields and ice of Antarctica, Greenland and other reserves where the water is in a solid state). Thus, Baikal is the largest storage of liquid fresh water on the planet and the largest factory for maintaining its purity. In order to imagine how large the volume of Baikal water is, let us recall that if it were necessary to drain Baikal using such a pump as the Angara, it would take almost 400 years for all the water in Baikal to flow out, provided that in it would not have received during all this time not a single drop from its tributaries and from the atmosphere.

If it were necessary to fill the Baikal basin by directing the water of all the rivers of the globe into it, then this could be done only in 300 days. And, finally, if you freeze the water of Lake Baikal, cut ice cubes of 1 km3 from it and put them in one row, then this kilometer-thick ice belt will stretch from the north to the south pole of the earth and beyond the pole for 3 thousand km.

At what height above the ocean level is the modern bottom of Lake Baikal located?

The modern bottom of Baikal at its greatest depth is located 1181 m below the level of the world ocean.

Where is the coastline (line) of Baikal?

The coastline is the boundary between the land surface and the water surface. On the map, it is conditionally drawn along the line of the average level of low water and is located at an altitude of 456 m above sea level. The real boundary of land and lake - the shore line - is in continuous change due to fluctuations in the water level.

Slow long-term movements of the coastline are caused by tectonic movements, or secular level fluctuations associated with changing climatic conditions. Taking into account all the bends formed by bays, sors and bays, the length of the coastline of Lake Baikal is about 2 thousand km.

How did the level and coastline of Lake Baikal change after the construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric dam?

The average level of Lake Baikal has risen by 1 m. However, the amplitude of level fluctuations and its highest levels have remained within the former limits. Over the past 10-15 years, water level marks in Baikal have noticeably decreased, and its minimum values ​​have approached those that were before the construction of the dam.

The coastline has shifted somewhat towards the coast due to the flooding of coastal lowland areas. The area of ​​the Baikal water area, according to geomorphologists' calculations, has increased by about 500 km2.

Due to the rise in the level, abrasion processes intensified and the shore was somewhat reshaped - spits, separating litters were eroded, some landslides on the coastal slopes, screes on the slopes revived, coastal shallow waters were filled with sediment, etc. At present, the shores of the lake are mainly stabilized. Only in the abrasion areas, the formation of the “water-shore” balance continues.

As the water level rose, the water temperature slightly decreased in summer, and the composition and number of food organisms for fish in the Proval Bay and in the sors changed. In some areas coastal spawning grounds for gobies, especially the yellow-winged goby, have been eroded or covered by coastal sediments. At present, with a stable water level in the lake, all these disturbances have fully recovered or their restoration is nearing completion. If the level is not stable, then the processes of reformation can continue indefinitely.

How many capes are on Baikal?

I. G. Georgi (1775), in addition to many nameless ones, counted 80 capes with a name. They stand out among other coastal forms by their appearance or color, by the plants growing on them, by the most common animals or fish, etc. Almost each of the capes has bays, or bays, used by ships for sludge in various winds. I.D. Chersky (1886) counted 174 capes, of which 101 are on the northwestern coast, and 73 on the southeastern coast, in addition, there are more than 30 capes on Olkhon Island. He clarified the size of the capes, the distances between them and the names of F. K. Drizhenko.

Which lake is Baikal's twin?

By origin (rift) and the size of the basin, Lake Baikal can be considered a twin. Tanganyika in East Africa. The length of the lake is about 650 km, the width is 40-80 km, and the area is 34 thousand km2. The maximum depth in the southern part is 1470 m (after Baikal Tanganyika is the second deepest lake on Earth). Water in it with a high content of magnesium salts. The total mineralization of water is 5 times higher than in Baikal. The water temperature on the surface is from 23.6 to 26.5 °C. Deeper than 400 m and to the bottom, the temperature is constant - about 23°C. Only the upper 100-200-meter layer of the lake is enriched with oxygen and suitable for life. About 75% of the fauna form endemics (there are especially many of them among fish, shrimps, ostracods, decapods, copepods, gastropods). There are hippos, crocodiles, a lot of waterfowl. The main object of fishing is idagala (dagaa) from herring fish.

Why is Baikal considered a model of the ocean?

Baikal has many features inherent in the ocean - great depths; a huge mass of water; internal waves and seiches; hot flashes; strong storms; high waves; the expansion of the basin due to the spreading of the shores, similar to the origin of the continents of Africa and South America; large magnitudes of magnetic anomalies, etc.

Bay, bay, sor. How many of them are on Baikal?

A bay is a well-defined depression in the coastal zone. Its value should be in such a combination with the width of the entrance (throat) that the water of the bay is surrounded by land on almost all sides. The bay provides shelter from different wind directions. Baikal has six large bays. The largest and deepest is Barguzinsky (its area is 725 km2, the maximum depth is 1284 m). It is followed by Chivyrkuisky (270 km2), Proval (197 km2), Posolsky (35 km2), Cherkalov (20 km2), Mukhor (16 km2).

A bay is a part of a lake that goes deep into the land. The ratio of the size of this depression to the width of the entrance near the bay is less than near the bay, it is more open. The bay can protect ships not from all winds, but only from one or two directions. There are quite a lot of bays on Baikal, at least two dozen - Larch (the deepest, maximum depth is about 1000 m), Goloustnaya, Sandy, Babushka, Aya, Bazarnaya, etc.

Sorami on Baikal are called closed, shallow, usually well-heated bays. The greatest depth in sors does not exceed 7 m. Sory is formed when coastal shallow waters or bays are cut off by moving coastal sediments, which form spits, embankments. The Baikal inhabitants call these braids and embankments a hag. The largest sor is Verkhne-Angara, or North Baikal, its area is 23 km2. Part of its water area is swampy, overgrown with solid vegetation. The largest in terms of open water area is Posolsky Sor, then Arangatui, Cherkalov, etc.

How did the Ambassadorial Sor happen?

According to geophysicists, during an earthquake that occurred here in a relatively recent past (within one or two millennia), a land area of ​​​​35-40 km2 was submerged under water. Proval Bay formed similarly. In 1862, during an earthquake with a force of about 10-10.5 points, a block of the earth's crust sank. This litter has not yet completed its formation, but is already separated from Baikal by a sandy embankment and is connected to it by three shallow straits. The Cherkalov litter probably also arose.

What is an estuary?

A flooded one-branch mouth of a river with direct access to the open sea, a lake in the form of a funnel-shaped extension. The mouths of such Baikal rivers as the Selenga, Turka, V. Angara, Tompa, B. Chivyrkuy, Sosnovka and others may have been such, but at present they are filled with river sediments. Only the outlines of the deltas remind of the former form.

What are lagoons and are there any in Baikal?

Open or closed, separated by coastal ridges or embankments, coastal areas of a reservoir on accumulative (scattered) banks. There are quite a lot of them on Baikal (more than ten), especially in the northern basin. They are usually located on accumulative capes (Pokoiniki, Zavorotny, Kedrovy, etc.), as well as in the deltas of the Selenga and V. Angara rivers, and in other areas.

What is the Small Sea and why is it called that?

This is a part of the Baikal water area enclosed between the western shore of the lake (in its middle part) and Olkhon Island, the line of the Zama and Khoboy capes (the northern part of Ol-Khon) and the southern shore of Mukhor Bay. The entire Lake Baikal is called the Big Sea, and this relatively small part is called the Small Sea. Its length (within the boundaries considered by F.K. Drizhenko) is about 69 km, the maximum width is about 15.5 km. Unreasonably, in our opinion, its natural continuation is rejected from the Small Sea - the southwestern tip - Mukhor Bay. It is also part of the Small Sea basin. Together with the Mukhor Bay, the Small Sea has a length of about 78 km, the water surface area is 1019 km2.

How many tributaries does Baikal have?

Ever since the studies of I. D. Chersky in the last century, it is believed that 336 permanent watercourses flow into Baikal. Subsequently, there were several attempts to revise the tributaries of the lake, but they were limited to counting them on large-scale maps and partly on aerial photographs. So far, no one has repeated field studies. F.K. Drizhenko, but among others, there are gullies through which water flows for a short time, mainly during periods of intense rains in wet years. At the same time, F.K. Drizhenko also gives the number of tributaries of Baikal according to I.D. Chersky.

Given the current weather and climate situation associated with the warming and drying up of the northern hemisphere and the Baikal basin, as well as the disappearance of about 150 rivers and streams in this territory due to immoderate deforestation, there is reason to believe that a smaller number of tributaries flows into Baikal at present. than they were in the last century.

The largest tributary of Lake Baikal is the Selenga River. Its length from the source is 1024 km, the area of ​​the drainage basin is about 465 thousand km2. It brings about half of the volume of river water entering the lake from all tributaries.

How many islands are on Baikal?

There are 30 indigenous islands on Baikal, the largest is Olkhon, its area is 730 sq. km. The remaining islands are much smaller - from 7 to 0.9 square meters. km or less. Among them there are rocks and stones. All indigenous islands are mountainous. In addition, more than a dozen alluvial sand and pebble islands have formed in the delta areas of large rivers. The life of these islands is short-lived. The largest of them about. Yarki in the north of Baikal, confined to the Angara-Kicherskaya delta.

What is an archipelago?

A group of islands in the open sea or lake. On Lake Baikal, the group of Ushkany Islands - 4 islands - is called an archipelago.

According to modern measurements, their height is 215 m above the Baikal level, or 671 above sea level. This mark refers to the highest point of the Big Ushkany Island. Small Ushkany Islands have a height of 15-20 m above the lake level.

Where did the name Ushkany Islands come from?

It is believed that once on the Ushkany Islands there were hares, which in Siberia are called Ushkans, hence the name of the islands. However, it is more likely that the name came from the richest seal rookeries in terms of numbers, which commercial hunters also call ushkans.

At what point is the highest point on. Olkhon?

The highest point of Olkhon is Mount Zhima. Its height is 818 m above the lake level, or 1274 m above sea level. Against this mountain and cape, 8-10 km from the shore, somewhat south of the cape, the greatest depth of Baikal was noted - 1637 m. the level of the indigenous bottom, composed of a crystalline foundation, then Mount Zhima from the foot to the top has a height of more than 9000 m, that is, it exceeds the highest peak in the world - Mt. Everest (8848 m above sea level).

What is Burkhan?

Cape on the island of Olkhon (it is also called Shamansky). Among the natives, the main deity of Baikal is called Burkhan. And Cape Burkhan, with a through cave and a pagan temple, is considered to be its abode.

How many caves are there on the shores of Lake Baikal?

According to references in various sources, more than two dozen. Of these, more than ten caves were inhabited by ancient people in the past. Some of them, for example, a cave on the Big Ushkany Island, are still visited by hunters. In the period of bad weather, when the seals, coming to rest on the coast of the island, hide, the hunters take refuge there. This cave can accommodate 15-20 people, you can build a fire in it. In the past it was much larger. Probably, during one of the earthquakes, the front part of the roof over the entrance collapsed. The fragments - huge marble blocks - still lie near the cave.

What is an undersea?

This poetic name for the coast of the Barguzinsky Reserve was used by V. Ch. Dorogostaisky. Subsequently, this term was extended to the entire territory of the coast adjacent to Baikal, especially to its picturesque areas.

What is the Baikal region?

In the past, the Baikal region was understood as the territories adjacent to Baikal from the west, in contrast to Transbaikalia - the territories from the lake to the east. But it is more correct to refer to the Baikal region the entire area adjacent to Baikal, and the western territories, by analogy with Transbaikalia, to be called Cis-Baikal.

Baikal(bur. Baigal dalai, Baigal nuur) is a lake of tectonic origin in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, the deepest lake in the world and the largest (by volume) reservoir of watery fresh water. It contains about 19% of the global supply of fresh water. The lake is located in the rift plain in Eastern Siberia on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. 336 rivers flow into it, many of which are Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, etc., and one river flows out - Angara.

Information about Baikal:

Geographical location and dimensions of the basin

Baikal is located in the center of Asia, in Russia, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The lake stretches from northeast to southwest for 620 km in the form of a huge crescent. The width of Lake Baikal ranges from 24 to 79 km. There is no other deepest lake on earth. The bottom of Lake Baikal is 1167 meters below the level of the World Ocean, and the mirror of its waters is 453 meters higher.

The area of ​​​​the aquatic surface is 31,722 km² (excluding islands), which is approximately equal to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsuch states as Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark. Baikal ranks sixth among the largest lakes in the world in terms of the area of ​​its water surface.

The lake is located in a specific basin, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. With all this, the western coast is rocky and steep, the relief of the eastern coast is more gentle (in some places the mountains recede from the coast for 10 km).

Depth

Baikal is the deepest lake on the planet Earth. The modern value of the greatest depth of the lake - 1637 m - was established in 1983 by L.G. Kolotilo and A.I. Sulimov during the performance of hydrographic work by the expedition of the GUNiO of the USSR Ministry of Defense at the point with coordinates 53°14’59’ N.L. 108°05’11’E

The greatest depth was mapped in 1992 and proved in 2002 as a result of a joint Belgian-Spanish-Russian project to create the latest bathymetric map of Baikal, when the depths were digitized at 1,312,788 points of the lake’s water area (the depth values ​​were obtained as a result of recalculation acoustic sounding data combined with additional bathymetric information, including echolocation and seismic profiling; one of the creators of the discovery of the greatest depth, L.G. Kolotilo, was a participant in this project).

If we take into account that the water surface of the lake is located at an altitude of 453 m above sea level, then the lower point of the basin lies 1186.5 m below the level of the world ocean, which makes the Baikal bowl also one of the deepest continental depressions.

The average depth of the lake is also very large - 744.4 m. It exceeds the greatest depths of many very deep lakes.

Apart from Baikal, only two lakes on Earth have a depth of more than 1000 meters: Tanganyika (1470 m) and the Caspian Sea (1025 m). According to some data, the subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica has a depth of more than 1200 m, but it must be taken into account that this subglacial "lake" is not a lake in the sense that we are used to, because there are four kilometers of ice above the water and it is a kind of closed container, where the water is under tremendous pressure, and the "surface" or "level" of water in different parts of this "lake" differs by more than 400 meters. Consequently, the concept of "depth" for the subglacial Lake Vostok is fundamentally different from the depth of "ordinary" lakes.

Water volume

Water reserves in Baikal are huge - 23,615.39 km³ (about 19% of global fresh water reserves - all fresh lakes in the world contain 123 thousand km³ of water). In terms of water reserves, Baikal occupies the 2nd place in the world among lakes, second only to the Caspian Sea, but the water in the Caspian Sea is salty. There is more water in Baikal than in all 5 Great Lakes taken together, and 25 times more than in Lake Ladoga.

Tributaries and runoff

336 rivers and streams flow into Baikal, but this number takes into account only constant tributaries. The largest of them are Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Turka, Snezhnaya, Sarma. One river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

Water characteristics

Baikal water is very transparent. The main characteristics of Baikal water can be briefly described as follows: it contains very few dissolved and suspended mineral substances, negligibly insufficient organic impurities, and a lot of oxygen.

The water in Baikal is cool. The temperature of the surface layers even in summer does not exceed +8…+9°C, in some bays - +15°C. The temperature of the deep layers is about +4°C. Only in the summer of 1986 did the surface water temperature in the northern part of Baikal rise to a record 22-23°C.

The water in the lake is so transparent that individual pebbles and various objects can be seen at a depth of 40 m. At this time, the Baikal water is blue. In summer and autumn, when a mass of plant and animal organisms develop in the water warmed by the sun, its transparency drops to 8-10 m, and the color becomes blue-green and green. The purest and most transparent water of Lake Baikal contains so few mineral salts (96.7 mg/l) that it can be used instead of distilled water.

The freezing period is on average January 9 - May 4; Baikal freezes completely, not counting a small, 15-20 km long section located at the source of the Angara. The sailing period for passenger and cargo ships is usually from June to September; research vessels begin navigation right after the ice breaks up the lake and complete it with the freezing of Lake Baikal, in other words, from May to January.

By the end of winter, the thickness of the ice on Baikal reaches 1 m, and in the bays - 1.5-2 m. In severe frost, cracks, which have the local name "stanovo cracks", break the ice into separate fields. The length of such cracks is 10-30 km, and the width is 2-3 m. Breaks occur once a year in approximately the same areas of the lake. They are accompanied by a sonorous crack, reminiscent of thunder or cannon shots. It seems to a person standing on the ice that the ice cover is bursting just under his feet and he will currently fall into the abyss. Thanks to the cracks in the ice, the fish in the lake do not die from a lack of oxygen. Baikal ice, in addition, is very transparent, and the sun's rays fall through it, therefore planktonic aquatic plants that produce oxygen rapidly develop in the water. Along the shores of Lake Baikal, it is possible to watch ice grottoes and splashes in winter.

Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. So, in the 1930s, specialists from the Baikal Limnological Station found unusual forms of ice cover, corresponding only to Baikal. For example, “hills” are cone-shaped ice mounds up to 6 m high, hollow inside. Outwardly, they resemble ice tents, “open” in the opposite direction from the coast. The hills can be placed separately, and from time to time they form small "mountain ranges". There are also a number of other types of ice on Baikal: “sokuy”, “kolobovnik”, “autumn”.

In addition, in the spring of 2009, satellite images of various parts of Lake Baikal were widely distributed on the Internet, on which dark rings were found. According to scientists, these rings appear due to the rise of deep waters and an increase in the temperature of the surface layer of water in the central part of the ring structure. As a result of this process, an anticyclonic (clockwise) direction appears. In the zone where the direction achieves the highest velocities, the vertical water exchange increases, which leads to accelerated destruction of the ice cover.

Bottom relief

The bottom of Lake Baikal has a pronounced relief. Along the entire coast of Baikal, coastal shallow waters (shelves) and underwater slopes are developed to a greater or lesser extent; the bed of 3 main basins of the lake is expressed; there are underwater banks and even underwater ridges.

The Baikal basin is divided into three basins: Southern, Middle and Northern, separated from each other by 2 ridges - Akademichesky and Selenginsky.

More expressive is the Academic Ridge, which stretches along the bottom of Lake Baikal from Olkhon Island to the Ushkany Islands (which are its highest part). Its length is about 100 km, the highest height above the bottom of Baikal is 1848 m. The thickness of bottom sediments in Baikal reaches about 6 thousand m, and as established by gravity survey, one of the highest mountains on Earth, more than 7000 m high, is flooded in Baikal.

Islands and peninsulas

There are 27 islands on Baikal (Ushkany Islands, Olkhon Peninsula, Yarki Peninsula and others), the largest of them is Olkhon (71 km long and 12 km wide, located almost in the center of the lake near its western coast, area - 729 km², according to according to other sources - 700 km²), the largest peninsula is Svyatoy Nos.

seismic activity

The Baikal region (the so-called Baikal rift zone) is one of the areas with the highest seismicity: earthquakes constantly occur here, the strength of most of which is one or two points on the MSK-64 intensity scale. But there are also strong ones; So, in 1862, during the ten-point Kudarinsky earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a land area of ​​​​200 km² with 6 uluses, in which 1300 people lived, went under water, and Proval Bay was formed. Strong earthquakes were also recorded in 1903 (Baikal), 1950 (Mondinskoe), 1957 (Muiskoe), 1959 (Middle Baikal). The epicenter of the Middle Baikal earthquake was located at the bottom of Baikal near the village of Sukhaya (southeast coast). His strength reached 9 points. In Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk, the force of the head shock reached 5-6 points, cracks and minor damage were observed in buildings and structures. The last strong earthquakes on Baikal occurred in August 2008 (9 points) and in February 2010 (6.1 points).

Climate

Baikal winds often raise a storm on the lake. The water mass of Baikal influences the climate of the coastal area. Winters are milder here, and summers are cooler. The arrival of spring on Baikal is delayed by 10-15 days compared to the surrounding areas, and autumn is often quite long.

The Baikal region is distinguished by a large total duration of sunshine. For example, in the village of Huge Goloustnoye, it reaches 2524 hours, which is more than in the Black Sea resorts, and is a record for Russia. There are only 37 days in the absence of the sun per year in the same settlement, and 48 on the Olkhon Peninsula.

The special features of the climate are justified by the Baikal winds, which have their own names - barguzin, sarma, verkhovik, kultuk.

Origin of the lake

The origin of Baikal still causes scientific controversy. Scientists usually determine the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. This fact also makes Baikal a unique natural object, because most of the lakes, separately of glacial origin, live on average 10-15 thousand years, and later they are filled with silty sediments and become waterlogged.

But there is also a version about the youth of Baikal, put forward by A.V. Tatarinov in 2009, which received circumstantial evidence during the second step of the Mirs expedition to Baikal. Namely, the activity of mud volcanoes at the bottom of Lake Baikal allows scientists to believe that the modern coastal strip of the lake is only 8 thousand years old, and the deep-water part is 150 thousand years old.

Of course, only that the lake is located in a rift basin and is similar in structure, for example, to the Dead Sea basin. Some researchers explain the formation of Baikal by its location in the transform fault zone, others imply the presence of a mantle plume under Baikal, and others explain the formation of the basin by passive rifting as a result of the collision of the Eurasian plate and Hindustan. Be that as it may, the transformation of Baikal continues to this day - earthquakes constantly occur in the lake districts. There are speculations that the subsidence of the basin is associated with the formation of vacuum chambers due to the outpouring of basalts on the surface (Quaternary period).

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How many islands are on Lake Baikal?

Baikal (bur. Baigal dalai, Baigal nuur) is a lake of tectonic origin in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, the deepest lake in the world and the largest (by volume) reservoir of watery fresh water. It contains about 19% of the global supply of fresh water. The lake is located in the rift plain in Eastern Siberia on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. It falls into...

1642 meters- maximum depth of the lake Baikal. Located on the east coast Olkhon Islands. 1432 meters- maximum depth of the southern basin of the lake. It is located between the rivers Pereemnaya and Mishikha. 903 meters- the maximum depth of the northern basin. It is located between capes Elokhin and Pokoiniki. 31722 sq/km. is the area of ​​the water surface. 23615.4 cu/km.- water volume. 2100 km.- the length of the shoreline of the lake. 636 km. is the length of the lake. 79.5 km. is the width of the lake. 570000 sq/km.- the area of ​​the watershed. 455 meters- the height of the surface of the lake above sea level. -1187 meters- the difference between the bottom of the lake and the level of the world ocean. +4°C- water temperature in the deep layers of the lake. +8...+9°C- water temperature of the surface layers in an open lake. +15...+23°C- the temperature of the water in the bays. 96.7 mg/l.- mineralization of water. 27 - number of islands Baikal (about. Olkhon, Ushkany Islands, about. Bright, oh Khanik, etc.)

Islands and peninsulas of Baikal

The richest islands are the middle Baikal. In the middle of the lake is an archipelago of four Ushkany Islands, the largest island of the lake - Olkhon, the islands of the Chivyrkuisky Bay - Shaggy, Naked, White Stone, Cormorant and Kovryazhka and the islands Small Sea- Izhilhei, Edor, Modoto, Kharantsy, Roll up, Ogoy, Borakchin, Khubyn, Khunuk, Big and Small Toynaki. On the northern part of the lake are the islands of Yarki and Millionny. These islands are separated from the water area of ​​the lake by the Gulf of Angarsky Sor. In the southern part Baikal there are only alluvial islands near the delta Selengi- these are the two islands of Karga Babya and about. Gull. Throughout the coastline of the lake there are many peninsulas and capes. One can especially highlight the largest of them - the Svyatoy Nos peninsula. The peninsula separates Chivyrkuisky and Barguzinsky bays. The area of ​​the peninsula is 596 sq. km. The most beautiful monument of nature is the cape - Rock Shamanka. The cape is located in the middle part of the western coast of the island. Olkhon.

Rivers and streams

According to I.D. Chersky, 336 rivers and streams flow into the lake. In 1964, counting rivers Baikal according to topographic maps carried out by V.M. Boyarkin. According to him in Baikal 544 temporary and permanent streams flow into the lake, 324 - flow into the lake from the eastern shore, 220 - from the western. The largest of the rivers flowing into the lake Baikal - Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin. From the slopes Khamar-Dabana, Barguzinsky and Primorsky ridges, many small rivers and streams flow into the lake - Snezhnaya, Utulik, Langutai, Selenginka, Sarma, Khara-Murin, Pereemnaya, Goloustnaya, Thompuda, Kabanya, etc. All rivers annually bring in Baikal 60 cu. km of water. Only one river flows out of the lake - Angara.

In addition to omul and two species of golomyanka, 49 species of fish are found in Baikal, 27 species are endemic. The Sturgeon family is represented by one species - the Baikal sturgeon. The Salmon family, in addition to the omul, is represented by four more species - davatchan, taimen, whitefish, lenok. The Grayling family is represented by one species - the Siberian grayling. Two varieties of it live in Baikal - the black grayling, which lives mainly in the southern and northern parts of the lake, and the white grayling, which lives off the eastern coast. The Pike family is represented by one species - the common pike (pictured). Pike is found in the bays of the lake and rivers flowing into Baikal. Especially large specimens of this fish are found in the Chivyrkuisky Bay. Carp nine species - roach, Siberian dace, ide, 3 species of minnows, tench, gudgeon, silver carp. The Loach family has two species - the Siberian char and the Siberian loach. The cod family has one species - burbot. It is the most prolific fish of the lake, the female burbot weighing 4 kg. lays up to 2.3 million eggs. The perch family is represented by one species - the perch. Sculpins (pictured) living cart. Baikal is divided into three families, 11 genera and 29 species. 22 species of sculpin are found only in the lake. The smallest fish of Baikal, the sculpin Gurvich, has a weight of 2-3 grams. In addition to the above-mentioned fish, the Amur carp, eastern bream, Amur catfish, Ladoga ripus and Baunt vendace are resettled in Baikal, and there are also, accidentally caught, the irotan-headed peled. The peled, possibly, got into the lake after the floods of 1971-1973 from the lake Shchuchye, where it was brought, the arotaniz of the Gusinoye lake, where it also got by chance, during the acclimatization of the Amur carp.

Olkhon Island

Among the three dozen Baikal islands, Olkhon Island, surrounded by many ancient myths and legends, stands out especially for its size, variety of landscapes, and the grandeur of natural monuments. Olkhon is located on the territory of the Pribaikalsky National Park and is considered to be one of the most beautiful places on Lake Baikal. The island is especially beautiful in autumn, when the coast is almost deserted. Covered with a golden carpet of grasses, with forests touched by the fiery colors of autumn, Olkhon obediently freezes under the mighty blows of Baikal waves and mountain wind in anticipation of a harsh Siberian winter...

Geography of Olkhon

Olkhon, the largest island of Baikal, is located in the middle part of the lake, near the western coast. The island is stretched along the coast of Lake Baikal, the length of Olkhon is 73 km (between capes Khoboy and Umysh-Tame), the width reaches 15 km. The area of ​​Olkhon Island is about 700 sq. km, the length of the coastline is about 210 km.

The part of Baikal enclosed between the western coast of the lake and the island of Olkhon is a unique water area with a special microclimate and is called the Small Sea, which speaks of exclusivity and well-known independence. The southwestern tip of Olkhon is separated from the coast of Baikal by the Olkhon Gates strait, which has a reputation as the most insidious place on Baikal.

There are at least two versions of the origin of the name of the island, both stem from the language of the indigenous people of Olkhon - the Buryats. According to the first, the name of the island comes from the word "oikhon" - "wooded", according to the second - from "olkhan" - "dry". Both are quite consistent with the appearance of Olkhon - it is both dry and wooded, so it is difficult to give preference to any one option.

The western coast of Olkhon Island, washed by the waters of the Small Sea, is mostly gentle, with rocky capes and bays deeply protruding into the shore. The eastern, on the contrary, is mountainous, rocky, abruptly breaks off into Baikal, there are no deep bays here. It is on the southern coast of Olkhon that the highest point of the island is located - Mount Zhima (1274 m), towering 818 meters above Lake Baikal. And only 11 kilometers from the highest point of Olkhon is the deepest place of Baikal - a mark of 1637 m. In these places, the steepness of the underwater slope near the island reaches 30-40 degrees.

The southern part of Olkhon and, partially, the northern tip are steppe, the rest of the space is covered by pine, larch and birch forests. In the middle part of the western coast of the island, from Cape Khuzhirsky to Cape Sasa, the shores are sandy. Overgrown with pines and larches, dissected by rocky capes, they leave an unforgettable impression.

Olkhon is large enough to have its own lakes. The largest and most famous are: Nurskoye, which merges with Zagli Bay at a high water level in Baikal; Khankhoy, with a whole necklace of archaeological sites; Shara-Nur, the only salt lake on Olkhon; Nuku Nur, with an incredible amount of aquatic life.

There are no rivers on Olkhon, only a couple of small streams reaching Baikal are known. In the forest part of the island there are small springs that feed a few marshes. Despite the lack of water, new streams appear before our eyes on Olkhon. In September 2004, I discovered a stream at the northern end of Saraisky Bay. It was only slightly weaker than the stream flowing near the village of Kharantsy. Walking along the channel upstream, I found that the stream flows out of a small ravine, which, apparently, washed the stream itself. The length of the stream is 100-150 meters.

Climate of Olkhon

The warmest months on Olkhon are July and August. Winter is quite mild and with little snow, but longer than on the mainland. Spring and summer come later than on the mainland. Very little precipitation falls on Olkhon Island, about 200 mm per year - the norm for semi-deserts. The southern and southwestern parts of the island are the driest places not only on Olkhon, but throughout Baikal. The reason for this is the Primorsky Range, through which air masses cross on the way to Olkhon. Overcoming the ridge and rolling into the Baikal basin, they heat up, which leads to a drop in relative humidity. As a result, the rains destined for Olkhon fall on the eastern coast of Lake Baikal. The usual Olkhon rain is ten drops per hour, but there are very heavy rains and prolonged bad weather on Olkhon.

The wind on Olkhon blows often and for a long time, with north-western winds prevailing. The average number of days with a wind of more than 15 m/s is 148. Due to the fact that Olkhon is stretched along the Primorsky Range, being itself a spur, the island experiences the full force of the mountain wind, including its most ferocious variety - sarma.

Population of Olkhon Island

People settled on Olkhon a very long time ago - a site of an ancient man of the Paleolithic era was found in Saraisky Bay, its age is estimated at more than 13 thousand years. Olkhon is currently the only inhabited island on Lake Baikal. About 1,500 people live in several small villages, mainly the indigenous population - the Buryats. Occupation - fishing and cattle breeding. The largest settlement on the island is Khuzhir with a population of about 1200 people. Here is the only industrial enterprise on Olkhon - the largest on Baikal, the Malomorsky fish factory.

Fauna and flora

The wildlife of Olkhon has largely suffered from a powerful anthropogenic impact. Even the Olkhonsky reserve created in 1977, which covers almost the entire forest zone of the island, does not help. Due to the fault of man, in recent decades, the great cormorant, bustard, wolf, deer, roe deer, falcon-balaban have disappeared from Olkhon. As early as the 18th century, sable was completely eradicated on the island. The seal, which loved to bask in the sun on the coastal rocks, became a rarity. Now you can meet this unique animal only on the eastern shore of Olkhon. In the most recent years, the solar eagle nesting here (also known as the imperial eagle, imperial eagle) has completely disappeared from Olkhon. The same sacred Bald Eagle, the hero of many ancient Baikal legends, the son of the Master of Olkhon, the progenitor of the Olkhon shamans, to whom sacrifices are still made.

Currently, 135 species of birds live on the island (sandpiper, duck, black grouse, capercaillie, Daurian jackdaw, horned lark, white-belted swift, wheatear, wagtail, etc.). Twenty species of mammals (lynx, fox, hare, squirrel, polecat, weasel, etc.), including an endemic animal - the Olkhon vole, found only in the Baikal steppes; three species of reptiles and one species of amphibians. Of the large predators, occasionally in winter there are solitary wolves that penetrate the island through the ice. It is extremely rare that wolf packs come in the same way. There are no bears on Olkhon.

Archeology

The history of Olkhon is deeply rooted in antiquity. The island gave rise to many amazing legends and legends. The rich history of Olkhon is confirmed by numerous historical monuments and archaeological finds made over more than 200 years of studying the island. On Olkhon, 143 archaeological sites are known, many of which are under state protection, these are rock paintings, ancient settlements, parking lots, burials, religious and defensive structures. Unfortunately, many archeological monuments were destroyed, including the most expressive of them - the ancient stone walls, the purpose of which is still unknown. But the purpose for which the walls were destroyed in 1963 is well known - the extracted stone was used to strengthen the pier in the village of Khuzhir.

Natural attractions of Olkhon

On the territory of the island of Olkhon there are several natural monuments protected by the state, although it is time to declare the whole of Olkhon a natural monument and start really protecting it.

The most famous natural monument of Lake Baikal - Cape Shaman, also known as Cape Burkhan, belongs to the natural and historical monuments. Burkhan is located in the middle part of the northern coast of Olkhon on the outskirts of the village of Khuzhir. The image of the cape actually became the hallmark of Baikal.

Landscape monuments of nature are no less picturesque: Cape Sagan-Khushun - a magnificent white marble cape in the northern part of Olkhon, and Cape Khoboy, crowning the northern tip of the island.

Spectacular Cape Kobylya Golova, washed on one side by the waters of the Small Sea, and on the other - by the waters of the Olkhon Gate Strait, has been declared a geological and geomorphological monument of nature.

Botanical monuments are represented by a relic spruce forest on the western slope of Mount Zhima. Elnik was discovered in 1965 by a local historian and geography teacher of the Khuzhir school, Nikolai Mikhailovich Revyakin. The uniqueness of the spruce forest lies in the fact that it has survived from the Ice Age and survived, despite the arid climate of Olkhon, thanks to the presence of subsoil waters.

Other monuments of scientific importance are also protected: geological and geomorphological monuments - Haransa and Haraldaiskaya bays, Cape Sasa, Peschanka tract, landscape natural monuments - Zagli and Tagay bays, Bayan-Shungen tract.

How to get to Olkhon

Olkhon Island is located in the central part of Lake Baikal, near the greatest depth mark (1642m). All the variety of natural landscapes of the Baikal shores is concentrated here. Even in its shape, it resembles the outlines of Lake Baikal. The highest point is the city of Zhima (Izhimey) with a mark of 1274m. Olkhon has a special climate: summers are hotter here, winters are colder; less precipitation than anywhere else in the Baikal region, strong winds are frequent in the autumn-spring period. The furious Sarma wind blows over the island, tears off the soil cover and brings a lot of trouble to the fishermen. The island is the geographical, historical and sacred center of the lake - the concentration of ancient legends and historical traditions. The territory of the island is rich in historical monuments. By their number per 1 sq. km. it has no equal in the entire Baikal region: 143 archaeological objects are known. These are burial grounds, ancient settlements, the remains of stone walls.

There are 26 islands on Lake Baikal. Of these, Olkhon is the largest and only inhabited island. Resorting to poetic images, we can say that Baikal is the blue heart of Siberia, and Olkhon is the heart of Baikal. Its length is 71.7 km, the maximum width is 15 km, and its area is 730 sq. km. The island got its name from the Buryat word "oy-khon" - a forest or "a little wooded". In fact, the forest is found only in the central part. The northern and southern extremities of the island are steppe. The population of the island does not exceed 1500 people, most of them live in the largest village of the island - Khuzhir.
For wildlife lovers and photographers, Olkhon is a real reserve of amazing landscapes and majestic landscapes.

Most of the year the island has favorable conditions for tourism and pleasant recreation. Here you can make walking, car, water travel, horseback riding and bicycles. From May to December, the island is connected to the mainland by ferry. In winter, cars drive on ice. During the period of freeze-up and opening of the waters of Baikal, the island can only be reached by plane. The warmest months on Olkhon are July and August. Winter is quite mild, with little snow and long. Spring and summer come later than on the mainland.

HOW TO GET TO

ATTRACTION

The island is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful places on Lake Baikal. Olkhon is the center of Buryat and Central Asian shamanism. According to legend, it was here that the first Buryat shaman received his gift; in the time of Genghis Khan, all Mongolian shamans fled here from the persecution of lamas. It is also believed that the tomb of Genghis Khan himself is located on Olkhon.

1. Zagli Bay (1-5 km of road, counting kilometers from the ferry pier)(53°2′33.87″N 106°57′42.5″E)

The sunniest place in the Irkutsk region. The number of sunny days here is 3 times higher than in Irkutsk and is more than 300 days a year. Precipitation falls the same amount as in the dry steppes of Kazakhstan. The bay is clearly visible from the road behind the ferry crossing. Shores without a single bush. As a rule, tourists stop in the depths of the bay on Lake Nur, connected to the bay by a narrow channel. In summer, the water in it warms up to a temperature of 25-26 degrees Celsius. From the north, the lake is overgrown with reeds and reeds, in the southern part there are thickets of pondweed.

2. Peninsula Kobylya Golova (turn left at 6 km of the road)(53°3′46.85″N 106°54′12.38″E)

The outermost rock (Cape Khorin-Irgi) is separated from the peninsula Kobylya Golova by a sheer crevice about 4 m wide and walls up to 10 m high to the very surface of the water and resembles a horse's head from a distance. The cliffs of the cape attract attention with sokuami-ice splashes formed on the rocks when the island freezes. During a strong storm, the rocks on the windward side can be covered with splash ice up to 10-20 m in height. At the same time, the crevice is picturesquely overgrown with bizarre ice decorations.

Photo: Sergey Dzyuba

According to the abundance, beauty and constancy of the formation of ice decorations every winter on the coastal rocks on the Small Sea, there are only two such places - the Kobylya Golova peninsula and the rocks of Cape Sagan-Khushun in the northern part of Olkhon. Near Cape Kobylya Golova from October 14 to October 15, 1901, due to the strong wind of Sarma, a ship disaster occurred on Lake Baikal, 176 people died on the Potapov ship.

3. Cape Khorgoy and Kurykan wall (turn at the road near the village of Khadaya, 7 km of the road)(53°6′21.64″N 106°58′18.34″E)

Cape Khorgoy is a steppe cape. The most convenient way to visit it is from the warm litter, where tourists like to relax in sunny weather in summer. Separated from the Small Sea by a pebble spit, the Baikal sor has shallow depths and warms up well in summer, which allows you to swim for a long time.
Cape Khorgoy is known for the ruins of the ancient Kurykan protective wall, more than 185 meters long and up to 2 meters high in some places. (photo) Kurykans are an ancient Turkic people who lived in the Baikal region in the 6th-11th centuries. The Kurykans are the ancestors of two Sberian peoples - the Yakuts and the Buryats.

4. Cape Burkhan (Shamanka rock) near the village of Khuzhir, 47 km of the road(53°12′16.5″N 107°20′25″E)

Shaman-rock, one of the nine shrines of Asia (previously called the stone-temple), located near the village. Khuzhira has become a kind of visiting card of the lake, one of the most famous key images of Baikal: not a single film or photo album about Baikal can do without its image. The most revered holy place on Baikal was a cave in the rock of this Cape Shamanka, to which sacrifices were made and vows were made from the time the first shamans appeared.
The cave of the cape was considered the seat of the ezhin-owner of Olkhon and was sacredly revered by the local population. No one had the right to come close to the residence of the master spirit of Olkhon.

The sacred Shaman rock with a through cave, where only a shaman had the right to access, remained forbidden for a long time, no one was allowed to approach it and pass through it. The through cave (the entrance is located at an altitude of 481 m above sea level) is about 12 m long, 3 to 4.5 m wide, and up to 6 m high. Previously, there was a side corridor in the cave, now this side branch is littered with fallen stones. Here sacrifices were made to the spirits, the cape was the main place of pilgrimage for believers of the Buryats of the entire Baikal region. The local museum of local lore contains shamanic items collected from the ashes in this grove.
On the Shaman Cape, the Olkhon Buryats took oaths to remove a false accusation or defend their honor, promises to fulfill their duty. Childless Buryats from different regions came here with a request to give children.
According to the beliefs of the Buryat shamanists, the cave was the seat of the terrible spirit-owner of the island of Olkhon Khan Khute-baabay and his son, the eagle. In honor of these spirits, sacrifices were often held on Olkhon Island in the old days.

5. Sandy beach of the Saraisky Bay, 50 km of the road(53°12′28.37″N 107°21′52.14″E)

To the north of Cape Burkhan there is a magnificent sandy beach of the Saraisky Bay, which stretches for 3 km between Cape Burkhan and the village. Kharantsy. This is a favorite place for vacationers from the tourist bases of the village. Khuzhir. Sandy shafts hide cozy glades in the depths of the coast, surrounded by a pine forest. The sandy area stretches for about a kilometer inland. To get to the beach, immediately after leaving the village, turn towards the shore (1.5 km).
Improved gravel road from the village. Khuzhira to the village of Kharantsy passes far from the coast. In the first days of June, wild rosemary blooms profusely along the road, decorating the undergrowth with a bright purple color.

6. Peschanoe tract, 67 km of the road(53°17′15.64″N 107°35′14.89″E)

The Peschanoe tract is located 20 km north of the village. Khuzhir in the Nyurgan Bay and is known for its picturesque sand dunes. Constant winds blowing from the sea carry sand from the coast and form sandy deposits, which, in the form of high hills, ridges, dunes, occupy an area of ​​about 3 km2. These are the largest sandy deposits in terms of area not only on Olkhon Island, but also on the entire western coast of Lake Baikal.
Good places for recreation can be found on the coast before reaching the village, if you turn to the coast, immediately after descending to the sandy tract. An interesting walk deep into the sandy hills is especially beautiful here in autumn, when the foliage becomes colorful. On the edge of the forest, where the sands break off, you can find stilted trees that have risen 30-40 cm above the sand on their roots. Their height is much less than that of the famous stilted trees in Peschanaya Bay, but, observing them over the past years, an increase in root exposure has been noted. Perhaps in a few decades their height will be equal to the famous stilted trees in Peschanaya Bay.

Photo: Valery Belykh

7. Cape Sagan-Khushun, 86 km of the road(53°23′40.28″N 107°43′52.76″E)

Sagan-Khushun - "white cape" - an extremely picturesque rocky cape about 1 km long, made of light-colored marble, densely covered with brownish-red spots of lichen. It is located 4 km from the northern tip of the island. This secluded place is difficult to find from land due to the lack of a noticeable road to it and landmarks, and from the side of the lake, the rocks merge into a uniform kilometer-long cliff.

Photo: Daniil Korzhov

Only near the rocks, as it were, part, revealing a small bay closed by monolithic walls.
At the level of the surf in the rocks of Sagan-Khushun there are numerous grottoes.
The largest of them is located under the rock Middle Brother, north of a small bay. The dimensions of this grotto are sufficient to swim inside by boat. The length is 8 meters, the width is 4 meters and the maximum height is 3 meters. This grotto in ice decoration is especially spectacular in winter. Another deep wave-cut grotto is located to the east of the Lesser Brother rock and is oriented with the entrance to the north. It can be viewed only in winter: crawl on the ice in a narrow 14-meter passage. The rocks of Sagan-Khushun are included in the list of natural monuments of Lake Baikal. This place stands out among the monotonous coast with spectacular pyramid-shaped rocks, known to the local population as the Three Brothers.

Photo: Alexandra Gurieva

Photo: Alexander Arkhipkin

8. Lake Khankhoi(53°9′13.68″N 107°10′14.16″E)

Lake Khankhoi is located in the middle part of the northern coast of Olkhon Island. Known for its very warm water and abundance of fish. From the north, the lake is separated from Baikal by a powerful rocky ridge, which breaks off steeply into Baikal, but smoothly descends to the lake. The ridge offers a picturesque view of the Small Sea, the Malomorsky Islands, and the Primorsky Range. From the east, the lake is separated from Baikal by a sandy spit 30-50 m wide. In the lake there are horned, perch and pike, the latter in large quantities, there are very large specimens - 10 kg or more.

There are several archaeological sites nearby. Not far from the western end of the lake, the remains of an ancient ritual complex (7th century BC - 10th century AD), including more than twenty stone structures, were found, next to it is a more modern cult complex with three stone obo (17-19 centuries .). On the top of a rocky ridge that cuts steeply into Baikal and separates the lake from the Small Sea, ancient burials and remains of religious buildings were found.

9. Lake Shara-Nur(53°6′17.72″N 107°15′17.71″E)

Shara-Nur is the only lake on the island of Olkhon, located in the mountains. Translated from the Mongolian-Buryat "Yellow Lake". It is revered by the locals for its salty mineral waters and healing mud. Mud from the lake helps with various diseases, such as arthritis. The water in the lake has healing properties. From the dissolved mineral salts, when bathing in the lake, the body appears red. The chemical composition of the lake includes hydrogen sulfide, which gives the water a peculiar smell.

Good warming, small depth of the lake is very convenient for swimming. Light breezes of the wind, the diverse landscape of these places, the birds swimming on the lake - all this sets you up for tranquility. If you wish, you can swim here and take a short walk through the forest.

10. Cape Khoboy(53°24′48.51″N 107°47′24.71″E)

Cape Khoboy (Khoboy in Buryat - "fang, molar") is the northernmost cape on Olkhon Island. The spectacular columnar rock, resembling a sharp fang from the sea, has a pronounced resemblance to the profile of a female head with a bust, as on the ancient Greek galleys from the east and west. The local name for the rock is Deva. There is a Buryat legend, according to which this is a petrified Buryat woman who, out of envy for her husband, asked the Tengris for the same palace as the one granted to her husband. Tengri with the words: "As long as there is evil and envy on earth, you will be a stone" - they turned it into a rock.

The place is remarkable for its many-voiced echo, which is reflected from the monolithic rock. There are rare and relic herbs here. In winter, you can see the grottoes, fabulously decorated with splashing ice and transparent icicles. They are located at the level of the water's edge, their entrances are oriented to the north. To visit the longest of the grottoes (19 m) you need a flashlight. In the rocks, at the water level, on the cape, there are grottoes up to 22 meters long, they can be viewed only in winter from the ice.
Cape Khoboy is located near the widest point of Lake Baikal (79.5 km), and only in good weather can one see the eastern shore, the mountainous outline of the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, from it. It is very convenient to watch the sunrise from here. The solar disk appears from behind the mountainous peninsula of the Holy Nose, and with a transparent atmosphere, this spectacle with wisps of fog creeping over the water surface is very picturesque.

11. Mount Zhima(53°14′3.22″N 107°43′6.39″E)

The mountain is considered sacred by the local population. This is the highest point on the island. The name of the area Izhimey comes from the word "ezhin" - the owner of the area. According to legend, the sacred mountain of Zhima was the abode of spirits and deities. At the top of the mountain there used to be a wooden hut and a hut made of pine bark, built, as it is believed, by Olkhon shamans. The system of prohibitions, taboos on visiting this mountain by everyone except shamans, has been known since ancient times. In the minds of shamanists, this mountain is sacred, where, through a ritual, a connection with the world of spirits is made. Hiking up the mountain is tiring and requires a whole day. You have to go without a path through a dense forest. There are no sources of water, so you need to carry water with you. Between capes Izhimey and Khara-Khushun, 10 km northeast of the coast, the greatest depth of Baikal was recorded - 1637 m

Photo: Julia

12. Uzura area(53°19′22.43″N 107°44′35.51″E)

Uzury is the first gently sloping valley from Cape Khoboy, overlooking the eastern shore of Olkhon. The only place in the north of the island where the road goes down to the water. On the shore of the bay is located the village. Uzury, where there is a permanent weather station. First, along the path, and then without it, you can go uphill to the right in 1.5-2 hours, from where a majestic circular panorama of Lake Baikal, the northern tip of Olkhon Island and the Small Sea opens. It is better to climb first along the path along the coast, and then along the rocky ridge. When it becomes narrow, it is necessary to go around the ridge on the left side along a grassy slope. It is better to descend back through the forest directly to the Uzur Pad or to the path on the Baikal shore. On the left side of the valley, in graphite marbles, there is a small cave (5 1.5 2) and a two-meter graceful rocky arch. In the slate-marble rocks, geologists found a mineral - emerald-green tourmaline.

13. Rock of love (Cape Shunte-left)(53°23′31.98″N 107°47′27.92″E)

4 km from Cape Khoboy on the east coast there is another attraction - the Rock of Love (Cape Shunte-Left). It is believed that with a certain fantasy, the rock resembles the legs of a woman spread apart and bent at the knees.

Usually, when visiting Cape Shunte-Levy, guides tell the following legend: “If the Buryats failed to conceive a child, they came to this rock, and everything worked out for them. And now, if someone doesn’t succeed, you can come here and try.” Now there is a car passage to the rock of Love.

14. Hunting lodge(53°5′54.63″N 107°16′59.66″E)

Three kilometers from Lake Shara-Nur, on the road towards the eastern coast of the island, there is an active hunting lodge, where you can stop for a rest and a bite to eat. In the winter hut you can always find matches, salt, firewood and even a few potatoes, carefully left by other tourists or hunters. After the rest, as a token of gratitude, you can also set aside some of the non-perishable provisions or essentials for other travelers.

15. East coast of Olkhon Island(53°4′3.72″N 107°18′51.55″E)

Five kilometers from the winter hut, after the Tashkinei Pad, the road goes to a very picturesque beach on the eastern coast of the island, from where a view of the big Baikal opens.

16. Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment on Ogoy Island(53°7′40.95″N 106°59′58.17″E)

In 2005, the sacred Buddhist Suburga or Enlightenment Stupa was built on Ogoy Island. The eight-meter building is made of concrete, consists of three steps, a dome and a spire. It is believed that Buddhist stupas are meant to dissolve all negative obstacles in the world, contribute to the prosperity of the area where they are built and benefit people, especially those who visit these stupas consciously. The stupa is the material embodiment of the Buddha himself. According to faith, everyone who comes into contact with it (see it, walk around, make offerings), thereby gaining great spiritual merit, are freed from suffering.
Inside the concrete structure of the Stupa has voids. Relics are gradually laid there, which bring blessings and fill the statue with religious content. In the first stage, weapons were concreted as a symbol of the prevention of wars and conflicts. Next - a few vessels. They contain coins, precious metals and stones. This is the protection of all living on earth from poverty, a symbol of good luck and prosperity. But the main place in the body of the deity will be occupied by the ancient texts of mantras and copies of books - the legacy of Tibetan culture. They contain the very teachings of the Buddha. In total, 2.5 tons of mantras and 700 kilograms of books were brought from Nepal for the Stupa of Enlightenment.

Photo: Boris Levakov

ROUTES

The most convenient way to see all the sights of Olkhon is to stay for a few days in the largest settlement of the island - the village of Khuzhir, located in the center of the lake on its western coast near the sacred place - the Shamanka rock and then make radial excursions for sightseeing.
With only two days off, it makes sense to take a sightseeing route, which allows you to see most of the island's attractions in a limited time.

Route No. 1: Journey from the Ferry to the village of Khuzhir and Cape Burkhan

Type of route: bicycle-car, length one way - 47 km.
Travel time: by car - 40 minutes, by bike - 3-3.5 hours.
Route thread: ferry crossing - Zagli Bay - Khargoy Cape - Khuzhir village - Burkhan Cape.

The western coast of the island is the kingdom of steppes and hills, stony and saline steppes predominate here, sand dunes are found. The road along Olkhon starts from the ferry. It follows the narrow and deep Zagli Bay (Tashkay Bay) with high rocky shores. This is the sunniest place on the island. Further - Cape Khorgoy, here are the ruins of the ancient Kurykan settlement - one of the most significant archaeological monuments of Olkhon. To the rock Shamanka - one of the nine shrines of Asia - the route passes through the village. Khuzhir is the largest settlement on the island. And here in front of you on the edge of Cape Burkhan is a two-peak rock, composed of crystalline limestone, covered with bright red lichens.
The Shamanka Rock is the hallmark of not only the island, but the whole of Baikal. In the rock closest to the shore there is a through cave, where shamanic rites still take place. Immediately behind Cape Burkhan is a magnificent sandy beach of the Saraisky Bay with warm water and several low stilted trees.
Radial routes from the village of Khuzhir.

Route No. 2: Khuzhir village - Lake Shara-Nur - East coast of the island

Type of route: bicycle-car, length one way - 15 km.
Travel time: 30 minutes by car, 2.5 hours by bike.
Route thread: Khuzhir village - Lake Shara-Nur - hunting lodge - Tashkinei Pad - East coast of Baikal.

Shara-Nur is the only lake on the island of Olkhon, located in the mountains. Translated from the Buryat language - Yellow Lake. It is revered by the locals for its healing mud and mineral hydrogen sulfide water. Good warming and shallow depth of the lake are very convenient for swimming. Light breezes from the sea, the diverse landscape of these places, the birds floating on the lake set the mood for tranquility.
If desired, from Lake Shara-Nur you can continue the cycling route towards the East coast of the island and after 10 km along the picturesque dirt road go to the Big Sea - this is how the locals of the island call Baikal from the eastern side of the island. Along the way, there is an active winter hut near the road, where at any time of the year the traveler can hide from the summer heat, rain or icy wind.

Route No. 3: Khuzhir village - Lake Khankhoi

Type of route: pedestrian-bike-car, length one way - 11 km.
Travel time: 15 minutes by car, 1 hour by bike, 2 hours on foot.
Route thread: Khuzhir village - Lake Khankhoi.

Lake Khankhoi is located in the steppe part of the island on the west coast. The water here warms up faster than on the Small Sea. The lake is a favorite place for vacationers and lovers of swimming and fishing for sor fish. The shore between the lake and the Small Sea is rocky. On its territory there are archaeological sites of the Neolithic and Iron Age.

Route No. 4: Khuzhir village - a stream in the Tumyr-Tologoy padi

Type of route: pedestrian-bike-car, length one way - 3 km.
Travel time: 5 minutes by car, 15 minutes by bike, 40 minutes on foot.
Route: Khuzhir village - pine grove - stream in the Tumyr-Tologoy padi.

The route starts behind the village of Khuzhir along Lesnaya street inland and passes through a very picturesque pine grove. After 2 km, the forest road comes to a wide forest clearing, which is crossed by a stream with crystal clear water, which originates in the mountainous area of ​​the eastern part of the island. There are a lot of picturesque and cozy places on the glade for a pleasant rest and enjoyment of the surrounding nature.

Route number 5: Khuzhir village - Cape Khoboy-Uzury village

Type of route: bicycle-car, length one way - 35 km.
Travel time: 1 hour by car, 3 hours by bike.
Route thread: Khuzhir village - Kharantsy village - Budun cape - Peschanaya village - Sagan-Khushun cape - Khoboy cape - Love rock - Uzury village.

The route passes through the north-eastern part of the island, the most picturesque places of Olkhon. From the village of Khuzhir, the road goes through the Shaman Forest to the village of Kharantsy. Along the way, a beautiful panorama of the Small Sea and the Primorsky Range opens up. Further picturesque Cape Budun, sand dunes near the village Peschanaya. Behind the Sandy road goes through the mountains to the Sasa area, where the steppe landscape begins. The Sasa-Khoboy section is notable for its steep mountain slopes with small forests and capes. Cape Sagan-Khushun stands out here. And finally, Khoboy is the northernmost cape on Olkhon Island. A spectacular sheer rock, resembling a "sharp fang" in appearance - this is how the name of the rock is translated from the Mongolian. Khoboy offers panoramic views of the Baikal Range with one of the most famous anomalous places of Baikal - Ryty Cape, Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, Barguzinsky Bay. In good weather, you can see the Ushkany Islands, which are the habitat of the largest endemic of the lake, the Baikal seal.
It is more interesting to return along the eastern steep edge of the island: drive 5-6 km along a barely rolled road to the picturesque Rock of Love, covered with red moss and lichen, near which you can take great photos.
On the way back, it is worth visiting the only on the east coast and the most picturesque settlement of the island - the village of Uzura. To do this, you need to turn left along the beaten road to the east coast of the island.

Route number 6: On the islands of the small sea

View route

Type of route: water, total length - 70 km.
Travel time: by boat - 3 hours, by kayak - 6-7 hours.
Route: a bay near the village of Khuzhir - along the Saraisky Bay - Kharantsy Island - Edor Island - Zamogoy Island - Ogoy Island.

It starts from the village of Khuzhir, goes around Cape Burkhan-rock, which has long become a symbol of Baikal. The journey continues along the long border of the sandy spit of the Saraisky Bay, skirting the island of Kharantsy with its grottoes and heading towards the island. Edor. Then the route follows on about. Zamogoj and about. Wow. Ogoy Island (Ugungoy) is the largest island of the Small Sea, its length is 3 km. "Ugungoy" in Buryat means "anhydrous", and Ogoy, perhaps just a distortion of the original name. Ogoy is a rocky piece of land with several gently curving coves, stretching from west to east for three kilometers.
Ogoy Island is one of the "places of power" of Baikal.
On the top of the island in 2005, a Buddhist stupa was erected, called the Stupa of Enlightenment. The relics of Buddhist saints, the objects they used, sacred texts with predictions, as well as a bronze statuette of the dakini Troma Nagmo, considered the mother of all Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, are placed in the stupa. If you walk barefoot around this stupa 8 times, you can cleanse yourself spiritually - from various experiences, worries and problems. For this, a path has been laid out around the stupa. However, sacrifices with alcohol, cigarettes and coins, as is customary among Buryat obos, are not allowed here.
After completing the inspection of the surroundings of the island of Ogoy by water transport, we return back to the bay of the village of Khuzhir.

Route number 7: Holy spring

Type of route: water-pedestrian, length one way - 20 km.
Travel time: by boat - 40 minutes, then on foot 1 hour.
Route: a bay near the village of Khuzhir - through the Small Sea - Cape Yadyrtui on the mainland - the Holy Spring.

It starts from the village of Khuzhir and crosses the Small Sea Strait. Olkhon Island is located 16 km from the mainland. On the opposite coast, the nature of the Primorsky Range is different than on the island. Due to the high rainfall, the vegetation is more lush. At a short distance from the coast deep into the mainland, the road goes to the "Holy Spring", the water of which cures diseases of the digestive tract.

Weekend itinerary

Type of route: automobile, length one way - 85 km.
Travel time: 1.5 days.

Route thread:
1 day. Ferry crossing - Zagli Bay - Khargoy Cape - Khankhoy Lake - Khuzhir village (Burkhan Cape) (lunch) - Peschanaya village - Kharantsy village - Uzury village (overnight in a tent).
Day 2 Uzury village - Love rock - Khoboy cape - Shara-Nur lake (lunch) - Ferry crossing

ACCOMMODATION ON OLKHON

- Mini-hotel "Baikal"

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