Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ N. w. and 103°43′–109°58′ E. d. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, the length of the coastline is about 2000 km. Area 31,500 km2. In terms of area, Baikal ranks 7th among the lakes in the world after the Caspian, Victoria, Tanganyika, Huron, Michigan and Superior. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world - 1637 m, its average depth is 730 m.

Scheme map of the Baikal Basin

In addition to these generally accepted lake parameters, there are others. So, according to bathymetric data electronic card lake Baikal, compiled by an international team of authors, there are some differences in the morphometric characteristics of the lake. In terms of the volume of water mass (23,000 km 3), Baikal ranks first among freshwater lakes in the world, containing 20% ​​of the world's and 80% of Russian water reserves. There is more water than in all of the Great American Lakes combined.

If we assume that the flow of water into the lake due to tributaries stopped, then a river equal to the water content of the Angara would begin to flow out in 383, and it would take more than six months (about 200 days) to fill the bowl of Baikal with all the rivers of the globe. The lake level, after its regulation by the Irkutsk reservoir, is maintained at 456–457 m above sea level. u. m. 336 rivers flow into Baikal (according to I.D. Chersky) and one Angara flows out. The area of ​​the drainage basin is 588 thousand km 2, with 53% of it falling on the territory of Russia and 47% in Mongolia.

Source: Baikal Studies: textbook. allowance / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. – Irkutsk: Irkutsk Publishing House. state University, 2009.

Baikal passport

Geological age of Lake Baikal:

Pre-rift (pre-Baikal) stage (Cretaceous – late Eocene) – 70–25 million years

Rift stage – 25 million years before modern times.

Baikal coordinates: 51°29’ – 55°46’ N. and 103°43’ – 109°56’ E.

Lake area – 31,570 km 2

Drainage basin area – 588,092 km2,

including:

in Russia – 53.6%

in Mongolia – 46.4%

Lake length – 636 km

Maximum width (Ust-Barguzin village – Onguren village) – 79.5 km

Minimum width (delta of the Selenga River - Buguldeika) - 25 km

Coastline length – 2100 km

Maximum depth – 1637 m

Average depth – 758 m

Water volume – 23,000 km 3

Lake bottom relative to sea level – 1183 m

Thickness of bottom sediments (according to geophysical data):

Southern Baikal – 700 m

delta river Selenga – 8500 m

Northern Baikal – 4500 m

Sediment accumulation rate – 0.42 mm/100 years

Thickness earth's crust:

under the Siberian platform – 36–42 km

under the mountain ranges of the Baikal region - 45–55 km

The smallest thickness to the base of the crust in the center of the Baikal depression is 34 km

Thinning of the earth's crust under the Baikal rift – 3–7 km

The highest height of the ridges surrounding Lake Baikal (Barguzinsky ridge) is 2,840 m

Rift gap amplitude (between greatest height ridges and the foundation fall into

dines of Baikal) – 12,977 (the greatest depth of the ocean (Mariana Trench in the Pacific

ocean) – 11,022 m)

The magnitude of the vertical displacement of pre-rift strata along faults along the shores:

For the Southern basin – 8–8.5 km, for the Central basin – 9 km, for the Northern

basin – 5–5.5 km

Amplitudes of horizontal displacements of strata (spreading) surrounding Baikal – up to 100–150 km

The speed (observed) of tectonic divergence of the shores of Lake Baikal is 0.7–2 cm/year

Transparency (Secchi disk) – up to 40 m

The average water level at the Pacific mark after flow regulation is 456.41 m

Average water level before flow regulation – 455.67 m

Average amplitude of intra-annual changes in water level:

after flow regulation – 0.94 m

before flow regulation – 0.82 m

Time of minimum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation – May

before flow regulation – April

Time of maximum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation – October

before flow regulation – September

Water surface temperature:

in bays and litters – from 0°С to +23–24°С

Water temperature in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) – +3.8–6.5°С

Water temperature at a depth of more than 50 m – +3.5°С

The number of Epishura in the layer 0–50 m (Southern Baikal) is 310–1000 thousand specimens/m2

Average annual biomass of Epishura in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) – 5.2–11 g/m2

Average annual air temperature:

Southern Baikal – –0.7°С

Middle Baikal – –1.6°С

Northern Baikal – –3.6°С

Date of freezing (in full) – 12/14/1877 – 02/06/1959

Date of autopsy (in full) – 04/17/1923–05/26/1879

Source: Baikal: nature and people: encyclopedic reference book / Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS; [rep. ed. Corresponding member A.K. Tulokhonov] – Ulan-Ude: ECOS: Publishing House BSC SB RAS, 2009. – 608 pp.: color. ill.

Literature

1. Atlas of Baikal // ed. G.I. Galazia. M.: Federal Service for Geodesy and Cartography of Russia (FSG and KR SB RAS), 1993. - 160 p. Atlas of Baikal. - M.: Publishing house. GUGK, 1995.
2. Vikulov V. E. Regime of special environmental management (experience of organization in the territory of the Lake Baikal basin): dis. . doc. geogr. Sciences / V.E. Vikulov. -Ulan-Ude, 1983.
3. Public Administration natural resources Baikal region. - M.: Publishing house NIA Priroda, 1999. - 244 p.
4. Grushko Ya.M. Around Baikal: a guide / Ya.M. Grushko. Irkutsk, 1967. -252 p.
5. Kozhov M.M. Baikal and its life / M.M. Kozhov. Irkutsk: Vost.-Sib. book publishing house, 1963.
6. Logachev N.A. Relief and geomorphological zoning. - In the book: Baikal region and Transbaikalia / Series: History of the development of the relief of Siberia and the Far East. - M.: Nauka, 1974.-
7. Ainbund M.M. Currents and internal water exchange in Lake Baikal Text. / MM. Ainbund. L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 19888. - 247 p.
8. Kozin A.Z. Geological and geographical description of Lake Baikal Electronic resource. / A.Z. Kozin.
9. Votintsev K.K. Hydrochemistry of Lake Baikal. // M.: Publishing house. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. - p. 311.
10. Grafov S.V., Kolotilo L.G., Potashko A.E. The navigation of Lake Baikal. Admiralty No. 1007. - St. Petersburg: GUNIO, 1993.
11. Gusev O.K.,

Numerous scientific studies have been devoted to the problem of the origin of the word “Baikal,” which indicates a lack of clarity on this issue. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable version is considered to be the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - rich lake.

Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - rich fire and Baigal Dalai - large lake. The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - North Sea.

The Evenki name Lamu - Sea was used for several years by the first Russian explorers in the 17th century, then they switched to the Buryat Baigal, slightly softening the letter “g” by phonetic replacement. Quite often Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent temper, because the distant opposite shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze... At the same time, a distinction is made between the Small Sea and the Big Sea. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.

Baikal water

Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent, clean and saturated with oxygen. In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, and diseases were treated with its help. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using a Secchi disk (a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm), is 40 m (for comparison, in the Sargasso Sea, which is considered the standard of transparency, this value is 65 m). Later, when massive algae blooms begin, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather the bottom can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

Age of Lake Baikal

Usually in the literature the age of the lake is given as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of Baikal should be considered open, since the use of various methods for determining age gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first assessment is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed very ancient lake. If we assume that Baikal is actually several tens of millions of years old, then it is the oldest lake on Earth.

It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes also occur in present time, which manifests itself in increased seismicity in the Baikal region.

Climate in the area of ​​Lake Baikal.

The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - in winter it is warmer on Baikal, and in summer it is a little cooler than, for example, in Irkutsk, which is located 70 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually about 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing almost along the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

The influence of Baikal is not limited to temperature regulation. Due to the fact that the evaporation of cold water from the surface of the lake is very small, clouds cannot form over Baikal. In addition, the air masses that bring clouds from land heat up when they pass over the coastal mountains, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Lake Baikal is clear most of the time. This is also evidenced by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the area of ​​Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison - on the Riga seaside 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are unlucky, you can end up with one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the sunniest place of Lake Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.

The average annual water temperature on the surface of the lake is +4°C. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches +16-17°C, in shallow bays up to +22-23°C.

Wind and waves on Baikal.

The wind almost always blows on Lake Baikal. More than thirty local names of winds are known. This does not mean that there are so many different winds on Baikal, just that many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that they almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Prevailing winds: north-west, often called mountain, north-east (Barguzin and Verkhovik, also known as Angara), south-west (kultuk), south-east (shelonnik). Maximum wind speed, registered on Baikal, 40 m/s. In the literature there are also higher values ​​- up to 60 m/s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where there is wind, there are, as you know, waves. Let me immediately note that the opposite is not true - a wave can occur even with complete calm. Waves on Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values ​​of 5 and even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate “by eye”, which has a large error, usually towards overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. In summer, strong waves on Lake Baikal are rare, and calm often occurs.

Ichthyofauna of Baikal.

Depending on their habitat conditions, fish can be divided into several groups. Sturgeon, pike, burbot, ide, roach, dace, perch, and minnow occupy the coastal shallows and river deltas of Lake Baikal. Fish of Siberian mountain rivers: grayling, taimen, lenok inhabit small tributaries of the lake and its coastal zone. Omul, since ancient times considered a symbol of Baikal, inhabits its open and coastal part, whitefish, another famous resident of Baikal, inhabits only the coastal part.

The most remarkable group of Baikal fish are gobies, of which there are 25 species. The most interesting of them are the golomyankas. This miracle of Baikal is not found anywhere else in the world. Golomyanka is incredibly beautiful, shimmers blue and pink in the light, and if you leave it in the sun it will melt, leaving only bones and a greasy stain. It is the main and most numerous inhabitant of Lake Baikal, but rarely gets caught in fishermen’s nets. Its only enemy is the seal, for which it is the main food.

To preserve rare and endangered animals, there is a strict and complete ban on hunting, maximum conservation of the habitat, the creation of special nurseries, national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries

Since 2008, every second Sunday in October, Baikal Day is celebrated - the deepest and largest freshwater lake on the planet, a unique natural attraction and a real treasure of Russia.

Where is it located, history

In what part of the world is it located? The lake is located in the center of Asia, on the territory of the Russian Federation, on the border of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. Its length is 636 km.

It is estimated that the lake is approximately 25 million years old. The formation of rift basins (there are three in total) occurred during the period of seismic activity of ancient mud volcanoes. It was because of this that the earth's crust fractured. Also, the origin of Lake Baikal is associated with the location of one part of the continent on top of another in ancient times (according to this version, it is the same age as the Himalayas).

Thus, the reservoir is one of the most ancient on the planet. Interestingly, mentions of it are contained in ancient Chinese chronicles. The Chinese called it “Bai Hai”, which means “North Sea”.

Attention! Seismic activity in this area continues to this day. More than a hundred earthquakes occur every year, but most of them are very weak and can only be recorded using special equipment. There is also a large magnetic anomaly observed here.

Interestingly, the formation of the basins is still ongoing. Every year, water reclaims about 2 cm from the land. Some scientists believe that a reservoir can turn into, but these are just guesses.

History of the name

There are many versions of the origin of the toponym “Baikal”, but the most important of them is the Turkic one. In Turkic it sounds like “Bai-kul”, which means “rich lake”. A very accurate name.

The Buryats who inhabited this area called the lake “Baigal-Nuur”. Perhaps, with the arrival of the Russians here, the letter “g” was gradually replaced by “k”.

Attention! There are several other reservoirs in Russia with the same exact name. They are located in the Yakutsk and Tyumen regions. But, of course, other bodies of water are much smaller than the main one.

Sometimes Baikal is called a sea, comparing it with the Caspian and Aral, which are preserved parts of the ancient oceans. This name is quite correct, because storms often occur here, and the waves reach a height of 4-5 meters.

Peculiarities

Let us list the special features of Lake Baikal. Storms and wave formation also occur here due to winds. They are very strong and different in their characteristics. Scientists even gave them names:

• Kultuk;
• Mountain;
• Shelonnik.

In many respects, the lake is more like a sea.

Lake Baikal

Size and shape

Its shape resembles a crescent. Its area is 32 thousand square kilometers (length - more than 630 meters, width - 80 meters). Interestingly, some European countries could easily be located entirely on its territory, for example, Albania, Malta, Denmark or Holland. There are many islands on it (22 in total), but only one is inhabited - Olkhon. The length of the coastline is equal to the distance from Moscow to Istanbul.

Depth

The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters (average depth is 730 meters; however, according to a number of scientists, there are depressions at the bottom, the depth of which is more than 7 km), that is, it is almost 5 Eiffel Towers. But only in 2002, after lengthy research and numerous measurements, was it possible to confirm this fact.

The lake holds 19% of the world's fresh water reserves

Amount of water

Baikal holds 19% of all the world's fresh water reserves. Total - 23 thousand cubic kilometers. This amount of water was formed because more than 300 rivers flow into the reservoir.

What else is the lake famous for? Of course, quality. Its purity is amazing. IN The water is incredibly transparent; through its thickness you can see what is happening at a depth of 40 meters. In terms of purity, it is equated to distilled water, since it contains extremely few minerals. But there are a lot of things that make it useful. In 2000, according to the results scientific research It was found that water has a glow.

Attention! In about one winter month The water freezes completely and becomes covered with a whole network of cracks. The depth of some of them reaches 30 meters. Walking on the surface of Baikal in winter is unsafe.

The water does not warm up even in summer ( average temperature only 8-10 degrees, although in some shallow bays the temperature can reach up to 20 degrees), despite the fact that there are a lot of sunny days here (this is why Baikal is also called the “Lake of the Sun”). Swimming here is limited even for professionals, because so far not a single person has been able to cross the reservoir by swimming. Interestingly, the current here is not very strong, only 10 cm per second. There is a thermal spring nearby. The water temperature in it is over 70 degrees.

The water in the lake is very clear

Flora and fauna

Ecoworld of the Baikal region is unique. It grows along the banks large number cedars and larches, which are long-lived. The age of several trees has already exceeded 700 years.

In terms of the number of endemic animals, this area is comparable only to Australia. More than a thousand endemic species live here (most likely, this is due to the fact that there are mountain ranges and hills around). There are more than 50 species of fish in the waters alone (the most famous are the viviparous golomyanka, which consists almost entirely of fat, and the Baikal omul, a fish from the salmon family), and on the shores there are rookeries of seals or seals.

Moreover, scientists still have not figured out how exactly they appeared here (perhaps they are the descendants of animals of the ancient north - Arctida).

The region celebrates Seal Day every year. The event is designed to attract public attention to the problem of poaching in the region.

The water is filtered by shrimp, crustaceans and sponges, which reach a size of 1 meter in 100 years. Thanks to their activity, as well as special circulation, the water is completely mixed within 5 months, which is why it remains so clean.

Nearby is the large national Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, on whose territory there are many research stations. The qualitative composition of the reserve is 1,750 species of plants and animals. All of them are under state protection.

Resources

Scientists have long found out that there are rich people at the bottom of the lake. oil fields. Almost every year about 5 tons of oil are produced here.

Interesting facts will be useful for children:

1. The territories of the Baikal region were inhabited by people back in the 2nd millennium BC. Presumably these were the ancestors of the Evenks. How many ethnic groups lived here is still unknown.
2. Baikal was discovered by Russian explorers at the end of the 17th century. It was first seen by the Russian Cossack Kurbat Ivanov. At that time, its shores were inhabited by the Buryats, who, in turn, replaced the Berguts who lived here in more distant times.
3. Scientists have found that at the bottom there are the highest mountains in the world (their maximum height is 7500 meters), scientists also found the remains of dinosaurs here.
4. There is a cave on the shore where mysterious shamanic rituals were held in ancient times. It is located in the Shamanka rock. It’s interesting that in ancient times criminals were executed here: they simply placed them on the very edge of the cape and waited big wave. If a wave washed away a person, then he was guilty. It was believed that the waters of Lake Baikal do not touch the innocent.
5. Cape Ryty is considered a cursed place. Only very experienced shamans can enter it.
6. A lot of people drowned here. Interestingly, July is considered the most disastrous time for travelers and researchers.
7. There are more than 20 caves nearby - this is a paradise for speleologists.
8. There is a version according to which, somewhere nearby or, perhaps, at the bottom there is the grave of the famous Genghis Khan.
9. There are also suggestions that somewhere nearby are hidden the treasures of the Chinese caravan, which tried to find shelter here from the Tatars - the Mongols, and the treasures of Admiral Kolchak, who hid here a large amount of silver, which was taken to Irkutsk for the fair.
10. Local residents believe that UFOs can often be seen here.
11. In Russia, a children's carbonated drink called “Baikal” is produced. It has a special taste, which is achieved using a mixture of herbal extracts and essential oils. Interestingly, all the herbs from the composition grow on the banks of the reservoir.
12. In 1976, Crimean astronomers discovered an asteroid, which was named after the reservoir.
13. On the lake, as in deserts, mirages can often be observed.
14. Interestingly, only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. One beautiful legend is connected with this fact, according to which Angara is a naughty daughter who ran away from her father to her lover - the Yenisei.

There are rich oil deposits at the bottom of the lake

Attention! If the 336 rivers flowing into the lake stopped feeding it, and the Angara continued to flow, then it would be necessary to wait 400 years to see the bottom.

It takes about a month for the lake to completely melt. Ice melting begins approximately in March-April. A holiday here is the dream of many tourists. Celebrities have also been here, for example, James Cameron, who directed Avatar, spent his 51st birthday here. The current President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, took part in a dive inside the Mir bathyscaphe, which was used, among other things, during the underwater filming of the film Titanic.

Local residents believe that you cannot get sick from swimming in the cold waters of the reservoir. Latest strong earthquake happened here in 2008. Its strength was equal to 9 points on the Richter scale. The area was also hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.

12 secrets and wonders of Baikal

History of Baikal! How did Baikal appear?

Conclusion

We can talk about Baikal for a long time. He's incredibly handsome. Its nature and mysteries attract researchers and travelers from all over the world.

Baikal is not only the largest, but also the most mysterious and enigmatic lake on the planet. Many legends and traditions are associated with its appearance, which dates back 35 million years. As soon as it is not called - the pearl of Siberia, mighty water, great fire, sea. Where is Lake Baikal located? The oldest reservoir is freely spread out in the southern part of Eastern Siberia.

Geography

The length of the lake, located at an altitude of 450 meters above sea level, is 636 kilometers, and the coastline stretches for almost 2,000 kilometers. Most of it consists of nature reserves and parks under state protection. The width of Lake Baikal, due to its unusual crescent-shaped shape, reaches 81 km in the central part and 27 km at its narrowest point.

The northwestern part of the huge reservoir is located in the Irkutsk region, the southeastern part is in Buryatia. Assessing the depth of Lake Baikal, which ranks first in the world, experts call the figure 1640 meters with a permissible error of 2%. The second deepest lake is Lake Tanganyika on the African continent, which is two hundred meters behind the leader. More than three hundred rivers and streams replenish the supply of fresh water in the lake, a good half of the total volume comes from the Selenga. But only one flows out of it, the Angara. There are twenty-two islands on the lake, the largest of which is Olkhon.

The map can be enlarged by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

Why is Baikal called Baikal

According to ancient legend, the “oldest” lake on the planet appeared as a result of a volcanic eruption. But researchers are still arguing about the origin of its name. There are several assumptions:

• Bai-Kul - translated from Turkic means “rich lake”;
• Baigal - from the Mongolian “rich fire”;
• Baigal Dalai - in the same Mongolian means “big lake”;
• Beihai - on Chinese means "northern sea";
• Baigal-Nuur is a Buryat name;
• Lamu - that’s what the Evenki called the lake.

It is believed that the first explorers who appeared here in the seventeenth century called Baikal by the Evenk name. Later, having switched to the Buryat name, they softened the letter “g”, giving the name the current appearance.

Waters of Lake Baikal

The purity of the lake water is amazing. Its transparency is 40 meters, and its oxygen saturation and unique composition, slightly mineralized and close to those of distilled water, make it unusually healing.

During algae blooms, transparency decreases slightly, but remains quite high. Of great interest to tourists is watching a coin thrown into the waters of the lake, which can be seen quite clearly. long time. Visiting the famous lake is the dream of almost every Russian. Where Lake Baikal is located is already known, but what kind of weather prevails there?

Climate

If you look at where Baikal is located on a map of Russia, you can note that it is only 70 kilometers from Irkutsk. However, it is rash to assume that the climate is the same here and there. Typically sharply continental in these places, it is significantly softened in the lake area by the abundance of water and dense forests. Air temperature on Lake Baikal in winter time warmer, and in summer - colder by almost 10 degrees. In addition, rainy weather is rare here. Minor evaporation of water does not contribute to the formation of clouds, and their counterparts coming from behind the mountains heat up and dissipate.

Sometimes, of course, you can get caught in the rain, but the number of sunny days on Olkhon Island, for example, is much greater than on the Riga seaside or in the Caucasian Abastumani. Enough cold water Lake Baikal warms up to 16-17 degrees in summer, but only close to the shore. At depth, the water temperature in summer is only 4-5 degrees. The period from June 15 to August 15 is considered the most successful for a trip to Baikal - warm and sunny.

Fauna and flora

Vegetable and fauna Lake Baikal are unique. The lake serves as a reliable shelter for almost three thousand species of animals and thousands of plants, many of which are found only here. And this despite the fact that, as scientists suggest, more than 20% of the living organisms living in it, from the surface to the maximum depths, are still unknown to science. Grayling, whitefish, taimen, sturgeon, omul, lenok, golomyanka - this is not a complete list of fish species inhabiting the lake. There are about sixty of them in total, which turns fishing on a pond into an extremely exciting and productive activity. There are still heated debates about how the Baikal seal, a purely marine mammal, got to Baikal and comfortably took root here. It is assumed that it came here in the distant times of the Ice Age, moving from the Arctic Ocean along the Angara and Yenisei. Now tens of thousands of animals live here.

How to get to Baikal?

Relaxing on the lake is interesting and attractive all year round, each season has its own positive aspects. At first, many are slightly intimidated by the long journey, but having learned how to get to Baikal, they are determined to set off. Every day flights depart from Moscow airports Vnukovo and Domodedovo to Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk. The flight time is almost the same - the plane flies six hours to the first destination, twenty minutes less to the second. Irkutsk airport is located six kilometers from the center.

Road along railway It will take a little longer; the Moscow-Irkutsk train will cover the distance of 5192 km in 3 and a half days. However, magnificent scenery and decent service will help brighten up your travel time. From regional center Getting to Baikal is not difficult - there are minibuses and buses from the central bus station, electric trains and trains from the railway station, and from the Raketa pier in the summer you can go by yacht or boat. A short distance of 70 kilometers will not seem too long and boring.

Listvyanka

At the source of the Angara, the oldest Baikal village of Listvyanka is located, which is about three hundred years old. Previously, local residents lived by hunting and now there is a fairly developed tourist infrastructure with comfortable hotels, inns, cozy restaurants and entertainment venues, saunas and bathhouses with Baikal water. From this settlement acquaintance with the region begins, here is the only Russian Federation Lake Museum. It is invariably visited by domestic and foreign tourists, getting acquainted with the history of the famous reservoir, its flora and fauna, and the results of numerous scientific studies.

The village has many attractions that are worth visiting:

• "mini-zoo" with bears and foxes,
• nerpinarium,
• art gallery,
• Shaman-stone,
• observatory.

The diving centers operating in the village offer tourists an unforgettable experience - diving into clear waters unique Lake Baikal to a depth of three to forty meters. This is possible at any time of the year, since the water temperature at the dive sites is from 3 to 12 degrees. IN summer time Many water excursions depart from Listvyanka - to the nearby village of Big Cats, to Sandy Bay, to the port of Baikal. You can take the opportunity to ride along the water surface of Lake Baikal on your own, on a rented boat.

Seasonal holidays

The flow of tourists to Baikal does not weaken, but is growing every year. If you look at where Lake Baikal is located on a map of Russia, you can clearly see that it is located in a cozy environment of mountain ranges and forests. The unique beauty of these places is beautiful in its own way at any time of the year.

In winter, lovers of ice fishing, skiing, sailing, and cycling on the thick ice of the reservoir come here. Those who come here at the end of spring will be able to see the majestic awakening from hibernation and the rescue of Baikal from ice captivity. At this time there are not many tourists and you can enjoy unity with nature without interference. In the spring, you can even meet the clubfooted inhabitants of the Baikal-Lena and Barguzinsky nature reserves, who go out to the water. the diversity and riot of colors of the forests close to the lake. However, the end of October and November are characterized by inhospitable weather and possible thaw.

Interesting and mysterious sights of Lake Baikal

• Shaman-stone - according to legend, has miraculous powers. The owner of the Angara, Ama Sagaan noyon, lived here, magical shamanic rituals were performed and criminals were left overnight to repent of their deeds and admit their guilt.
• Cape Khoboy on Olkhon Island - a petrified Buryat woman, punished for her envy. There are many legends associated with the cape. In winter, a real delight comes from visiting the grottoes located here, exquisitely decorated with transparent icicles.
• Shamanka Rock, located on Cape Burkhan, is made of granite, quartz and snow-white marble. The through cave located in it was the center of cult worship of the Buryats, who considered it the residence of the owner of Lake Baikal. The entrance here was closed to mere mortals, and women went around the rock by the farthest road. Various rituals and ceremonies were held in the cave, which evoked sacred awe among the local population. Pagan priests lifted family curses here, relieved illnesses and predicted the future by falling into a trance.

What city is Baikal in?

Having firmly decided on the next trip to Lake Baikal, the potential tourist begins to develop a route and asks a completely understandable question - where is the lake located?

• Babushkino;
• Listvyanka;
• Big Cats;
• Pankovka;
• Nizhneangarsk;
• Baykalsk;
• Severobaykalsk and many others.

You can stay with a tent in a campsite, use the services of a well-equipped tourist base, rent a room in cozy house at local residents. And also, if all family members are completely independent and are not afraid of hiking difficulties, you can go on foot with backpacks and a tent independent travel, stopping for the night and rest in the most picturesque places of Lake Baikal. Such a vacation will certainly become the most memorable and significant event in family life.

Almost in the center of the huge continent of Eurasia there is a narrow blue crescent - Lake Baikal. In the Baikal mountain region, surrounded on all sides by high ridges, it stretches over 636 kilometers in length and up to 80 kilometers in width. Baikal's area is equal to Belgium with its almost 10 million population, many cities and industrial centers, highways and railways.

IN Baikal 336 permanent rivers and streams flow into the lake, while half of the volume of water entering the lake comes from the Selenga. The only river that flows out of Baikal is the Angara.

The area of ​​the lake's water surface is 31,470 square kilometers. The maximum depth reaches 1637 m, the average - 730 m.

In order to understand the enormity of Baikal’s water body, imagine that the Angara, which annually removes 60.9 km3 of water from the lake, would need 387 years of continuous work to drain its bowl. Provided, of course, that during this time not a liter of water gets into it and not a drop evaporates from its surface.

Undoubtedly, Baikal - deepest lake in the world. Not everyone knows that the second contender in the world for this title, the African Lake Tanganyika, lags behind the leader by as much as 200 meters. There are 30 islands on Baikal, the largest is Olkhon Island.

The question of the age of Lake Baikal should be considered open. Usually the literature gives a figure of 20-25 million years. However, the application various methods age determinations give values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. But, if we assume that the traditional point of view is correct, then Baikal can be considered the oldest lake on Earth.

BAIKAL WATER

Baikal water unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. She's extraordinary
transparent, clean and oxygenated. In not so long ago, it was considered healing, and illnesses were treated with its help.

In spring, the transparency of Baikal water is as much as 40 meters! This is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very
slightly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal reaches about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great American Lakes combined - they only reached a total of 22,725 km3. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

INHABITANTS OF BAIKAL

The exclusivity of many physical and geographical features of the lake was the reason
the extraordinary diversity of its flora and fauna. And in this regard, it has no equal among the fresh water bodies of the world.

The lake is home to 52 species of fish of several families.:

• sturgeon (Baikal sturgeon),
• salmon (Davatchan, taimen, lenok, Baikal omul - endemic fish, whitefish),
• grayling (Siberian grayling),
• pike,
• carp,
• loaches,
• catfish,
• cod,
• perch,
• sculpin gobies,
• Golomyanka

The food pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a typical marine mammal - the seal,
or Baikal seal. The Baikal seal is the only representative of mammals in the lake. For almost the whole year
it lives in water, and in the fall it forms mass haulouts on the rocky shores of the lake.

The life of many animals characteristic of Baikal is inextricably linked not only with the lake itself, but also with its coast. Gulls, mergansers, goldeneyes, scoters, scorches, white-tailed eagles, ospreys and many other bird species nest on the shores of the lake and on its islands.

Also remarkable is such an integral part of the life of the great lake as the mass emergence of brown bears on the shores, entirely due to the peculiarities of the nature of Lake Baikal.

In the mountain taiga of the Baikal region there is a musk deer - the smallest deer on the globe.

The diversity of the organic world of Baikal is amazing, but its originality is no less phenomenal. Many of the animals and plants living in the lake are not found anywhere else in the world. Baikal has 848 species of endemic animals (about 60%) and 133 species of endemic plants (15%).

BAIKAL FOR TOURISTS

Today, everything connected with Lake Baikal arouses genuine interest not only in our country, but also abroad. Over the past decade, Baikal has become a magnet for many tourists. Relatively well preserved nature
lakes and seas, rapidly developing infrastructure - hotels, roads, proximity to transport interchanges - give reason to believe that in the future the tourist flow to the shores of Lake Baikal will only increase.

Come to Lake Baikal! Admire its beauty and purity of water, feel the almost mystical
the energy that the sacred sea gives to everyone who comes to its shore.

Based on materials from the article “Unique Baikal”, prepared by Valentina Ivanovna Galkina, Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, head of the exhibition of the Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.