Water has always acted on a person not only bewitchingly, but also soothingly. They came to her and talked about their sorrows, in her calm waters found a special peace and harmony. That is why the numerous lakes of Russia are so remarkable!
The beauty and charm of the water surface
Calm mirror surface is stagnant water, surrounded on all sides by banks. This is also a place of worship, aesthetic pleasure. What are lakes? They can be deep (sometimes deeper than the seas) and small, fresh and salty, large in area and small, of volcanic, tectonic, moraine origin. Their age also varies among themselves. There are no ugly or boring ones, the map of the rivers and lakes of Russia shows that there are an infinite number of them, and each of them is beautiful and perfect in its own way.
Surely, any traveler who has visited this country at least once, or a resident will find his favorite or even sacred lake. In any case, their visit is highly recommended. Once you see Baikal or Lake Teletskoye and you will fall in love with it once and for all! This is a place of power that fills with energy after working years, stuffy urban air and long social contact. It is important not only to contemplate in awe of beauty, but also to protect it.
Deep abyss of Baikal
What is the deepest lake in Russia? Of course, this is a mysterious and unique Baikal! Even any schoolboy has heard of him. It is simply a magical and unique place with clean, pure water that always has a deep blue tint. If there is not a cloud in the sky, then the surface of the water becomes simply emerald! The deep lake is of high environmental value and is included in the UNESCO list. The water here is fresh, and the depth reaches 1642 meters, which allows it to be compared with the abysses of the Arctic Ocean (depth 1220 meters). If suddenly there is no fresh water left, the deepest lake in Russia will be able to quench the thirst of the population of the whole world for 50 years, since it makes up one fifth of all reserves.
It is considered the oldest lake. Think for yourself - his age is 25 million years old! Its depth is due to a large crack in the earth's crust. The continental basin is gradually increasing. The largest island is Olkhon, which spans 71 kilometers. It divides Baikal into the Small (eastern part) and the Big Sea (western part).
The waters here are crystal clear, so you can see in depth at 40 meters, which allows you to distinguish between local deep-sea inhabitants. The water temperature is usually about +8 degrees Celsius. Baikal is also famous for its hot springs. Two large cities that are located near its waters are Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. Near the calm surface of the lake is not quite serene. Small and large earthquakes happen here all the time.
The Pearl of Karelia - Lake Onega
Baikal is the most beautiful place, but there are also other lakes in Russia that conquer travelers with their mystery. Onega refers to them. They even began to call it the sea, since it is the second largest in Europe after Ladoga. The length of the lake is 245 kilometers, the greatest depth is 130 meters. Since the time of the distant ice age, many local inhabitants have remained here - fish and amphibians. This place is a storehouse of prey for fishing enthusiasts. The northern area is ideal for inhabiting valuable species of fish: trout, salmon, sterlet.
Peipsi Lake - the greatness of the dunes
Where does one of the largest and most beautiful lakes stretch? In the northern regions, like most others. Lake Peipsi is located not far from Latvia and Estonia. It separates these two countries from the Pskov region. The longest is 90 kilometers and the width is 47 kilometers. The lake is constantly replenished with water from many small rivers and large streams. What are the remarkable shores of Lake Peipsi from the north? They are a continuous chain of dunes that extend into the distance. Their height is quite impressive - about eight, and in some places all 10 meters. Closer to the west, the dunes become more gentle. The south side is the boulders of Finnish granite.
There is also an island lost in a brilliant smooth surface. It is located in the south of the lake and has the name "Zhelachek" ("Mezha"). It also has two small villages.
No less interesting for travelers is the western part of Lake Peipsi. The coast in this area has its own unique outlines. Calm bays are combined with steep capes and a shallow shore. These capes are so high that they reach 24 meters. The depth of the lake is 7.5 meters. What is the bottom? It consists mainly of sand, clay and sand silt. This is not such a crystal clear body of water as Lake Baikal or the Alps, from an aesthetic point of view. Sludge precipitation makes the water cloudy. This place also did not go unnoticed by anglers. Vast waters are rich in diverse fish. There are burbot, pike perch, salmon and others.
Great Ladoga
How beautiful the names of the lakes of Russia! For example, Lake Ladoga, which conquers us with the beauty of the nature of the North and became a savior during the Second World War. The northern shores are dotted with mazes of straits. There are even islands and trees growing on them. The bottom relief is systematically increasing from the south (51 meters) to the north (depth 230 meters).
There are many islands that froze in the form of sheer bizarre rocks, their height reaches 70 meters. The east coast is not as rugged as the west, where you can meet forests and shrubs. Lake Ladoga is fed by the waters of thirty-two rivers. The Neva River flows from it in a full-flowing stream, the length of which reaches 74 kilometers.
By the way, there is a large number of rainy days, although the greatest rainfall occurs in the warm season. The winds are quite strong, which leads to unrest on the lake. The height of the waves can reach four meters. The water temperature in the warm season is at around +8 degrees Celsius.
Caspian Sea Lake
It is not only the largest lake in the world, but also quite deep. Although scientifically considered to be his sea. The deep lakes of Russia are mysterious and interesting for the traveler in their own way. In the northern part, the depth is shallow - only 5 meters. In the middle it’s already getting deeper - 20 meters. The southern part of the Caspian Sea is the deepest - it reaches 1025.
This sea or lake is unevenly salty. In places where the estuaries are located, the water is more fresh. The water level in the lake is 25 meters below the ocean. On the shore there are such large cities as Baku, Makhachkala. The climate is sharply continental, so there are low temperatures in winter and quite high in summer. Large rivers flow into the Caspian Sea : Terek, Ural, Volga.
Chany Salt Lake
There are also salt lakes in Russia, such as Chany. It is spread in the Novosibirsk region and belongs to drainless. The word "vats" in translation from Turkic means "large vessel". Already in October, the lake is covered with ice and thaws only in May. Although its water in the summer warms up to 28 degrees. The area of the lake always fluctuates and reaches 2000 square meters. It does not differ in great depth - only 2 meters average. On the banks, which are very indented, there are thickets of reeds, reeds, various shrubs and sedge.
What else is remarkable about Lake Chany? On the surface of the water you can count up to 70 islands, some of them are not only large, but also represent amazing landscapes, have a great variety of plants and rare species of animals. Salt lakes in Russia are distinguished by varying degrees of salinity. Vats refers to slightly salted, as the main food is melt snow. The weather on the lake is a reflection of the continental climate. In winter, snow cover can reach up to 30 cm in height.
There are many recreation centers for tourists, there are corners where you can fish. You should be careful for those who prefer a boat trip - there is often a storm. Chany is also considered a mysterious, and according to some stories, anomalous place. There is a legend that there is a strange animal of enormous size, which harms people and livestock.
Kuril Lake - volcanic beauty
This beautiful creation of nature is located in the very south of the Kamchatka Peninsula and is considered freshwater. The maximum depth reaches 306 meters, so it can be safely attributed to deep-sea. Some islands that can be found on the surface are peculiar volcanic domes that rose from the bottom as a result of squeezing magma.
Such lakes on the territory of Russia are of particular value, therefore Kurilskoe is listed as a UNESCO heritage site. There is even thermal water called the Kuril Springs. Their temperature reaches 45 degrees heat.
Cold Inaccessibility of Lake Taimyr
This unique lake in area can only be compared with Lake Baikal. It is considered the northernmost on the planet. What unusual can a traveler find here? Not only cold beauty and grandeur are characteristic, but also the fact that here constantly water changes its level. The lake is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory beyond the Arctic Circle on the peninsula of the same name in the tundra.
We can say that local waters are covered with ice all year round. The greatest depth is 26 meters. The water temperature in the summer does not rise above 8 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to zero. The thickness of the ice can reach three meters. Oddly enough, fish are found in the waters of Taimyr - whitefish, muksun, chir, vendace.
Moraine lakes of Russia. Seliger
Forests, swamps, cozy coves - all this is the surrounding area of Lake Seliger. It is located in the Tver and Novgorod regions. The landscapes in this area are mostly hilly, and in some places plains prevail. Beaches of natural origin contrast with steep banks covered with coniferous trees. On the lake, you can count about 160 medium and small islands. The surface is covered with ice in the cold season and opens only in May. All lakes in Russia are accompanied by unique vegetation. Seliger grows not only conifers, but also oaks, bird cherry, and mountain ash.
What are moraine lakes? These are very picturesque corners of nature, their amazing beauty and unusual origin are simply amazing. Lakes of a moraine type in Russia are the so-called "troughs" or "closed basins" that appeared many years ago as a result of melting blocks of ice, which is why they are also called "glacial". They can be found only in the north and northwest of Russia. They rarely differ in large size and depth. Usually their average depth does not exceed 10 meters, the banks are usually heavily indented. The largest of those reservoirs that can be attributed to moraine - Chudsko-Pskov, Seliger, Ilmen, once called by the Slavs the Slovenian Sea.
Conclusion
As we can see, Russia is a lake region that will surely appeal to even the most experienced traveler.