Baikal

The nature of the Eastern Siberia is beautiful and severe. Taiga is endless. The ridges with rocky peaks and slopes, covered with forests, are picturesque. The bowels of Siberia are rich; its mighty rivers keep inexhaustible reserves of energy. Fertile intermountain valleys will soon be covered with succulent meadows. But one of the greatest masterpieces created by the nature of this land is beautiful Baikal. Mountains and forests back away from Baikal on the huge area with length of 636 km. and width of 25-79 km. Everything is marvelous and peculiar in it: endless expanses of cold and impetuous waters, huge depths that are so unusual for the lakes, fresh water, animals and plants that look like sea forms living in it, gas and oil seeps on the surface of the lake, origin of which is still mysterious. Those who have seen Baikal will save in their memories imposing pictures of the lake surrounded by high ridges. Baikal shows itself to the travelers in many different characters. Some remember it calm and silent with blue and mirrored surface of the water, some remember it rushing white foaming waves to the marble rocks, and others see Baikal having tamed his storms and roughness and clutched by heavy ice that is cracking on the frost. Baikal is really awesome in the storm!

Noise and thunder are born over the shores when the wind breaks loose.

Waves one by one rush toward marble rocks and crush with millions of splashes that rise with small tall pillars. Baikal clamped between rocks is rushing, seething and foaming just like a giant cauldron that will boil over in a moment. When you look at swirling autumn Baikal, at retreating waves that drag fragments of the rocks away from the shores, it is so difficult to imagine that Baikal may be peaceful. Baikal is completely different in the calm weather. In the summer days there may happen days when you cannot see even a single wrinkle of ripple.

At these days the far blue sky is reflected in the water just like in a giant mirror and crystal clear water becomes even more transparent and bright. The nearest mountains, puffs of cumulus clouds that almost always float over the mountains at these days and everything that grows and lives on the shores of the lake - mighty cedars, straight mast pines, pointed firs, leafy birches – everything is reflected in the water. Reflections of the stars shimmer in quiet and dark Baikal in the night just like fireflies.