Top 10 interesting facts about the Vasyugan swamps

Where the Vasyugan Plain stretches, between the Ob and Irtysh rivers, there are Vasyugan swamps, a significant part of which is located in the Tyumen region. Many large tributaries of the Ob and Irtysh originate from them, such as the Parabel, Om, Vasyugan and others. The swampiness of the interfluves of these large rivers is 80%, and the plains – 50%.

The swamp water is obtained mainly from the snows that feed the rivers, in addition to groundwater and rain. Snow in this area does not melt for more than six months, i.e. lies from October to April, and the height of the snow cover reaches 1 m. Surprisingly, these wetlands can be a source of pride.

We bring to your attention a list of 10 interesting facts about the Vasyugan swamps: records and history of the area.

10 One of the largest swamps in the world

These swamps occupy a significant area – 53 thousand km², stretch for 573 km, and for 320 km. They are considered one of the largest in the world, larger in area than Estonia, which is spread over 45226 km², Bosnia and Herzegovina – 51129 km², Denmark – 42 km², Switzerland – 895 km², the Netherlands – 41 km².

In the area where the swamps are now located, more than 8 million people could live, as in Switzerland, or about 6 million, as in Denmark. But now they are practically uninhabited.

9. Appeared about 10 thousand years ago, constantly increasing

Interestingly, the Vasyugan swamps arose not so long ago, if we talk about time on a global scale. The first wetlands appeared here 10 thousand years ago, but then they occupied a small area. About 75% of the area now occupied by them, on which they are spread, have been swampy in the last 500 years. And this process has not stopped yet, the swamp continues to grow.

8. They are one of the main sources of fresh water

They contain large reserves of fresh water, its volume is at least 400 km3. Scientists are sure that at least eight hundred thousand lakes can be counted in the northern regions of the tundra. This is the main source of fresh water. The sources of many rivers are in this swamp – about 25, some of which then reach a huge length.

7. Contain huge reserves of peat

The peat reserves in the Vasyugan swamps are amazing. What has already been discovered is at least 1 billion tons, which is approximately 2% of all world reserves. It lies at a depth of 2,4 m, in some cases – up to 10 m.

Thanks to such reserves, swamps play a huge role in the life of our planet, being its “lungs”, preventing the greenhouse effect. The fact is that they do not allow it to overheat, they cool it, absorbing carbon, which then accumulates in peat.

The Vasyugan swamp can absorb up to 10 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and in return produces about 4 million tons of oxygen.

6. Rare species of flora and fauna

Wetlands are rich in many valuable plants, medicinal herbs. Cloudberries, cranberries, blueberries grow here in large quantities. You can also see rare plant species.

On its territory you can meet reindeer, the population of which, unfortunately, has almost disappeared, moose, squirrels, sable, capercaillie, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, etc.

During the migration period, waders and waterfowl stop here, about 60% of ducks fly by. Curlews and godwit prefer nesting in swamps. It was on the territory of this swamp that they saw the thin-billed curlew, which belongs to the almost extinct species of birds.

Other endangered and rare species of animals and plants live here, which are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.. 242 species of plants, 40 species of mammals, 5 species of amphibians and reptiles, 185 species of birds, 340 species of insects, 10 species of fish were found on the territory of these swamps. Of these, 41 species are listed in the Red Book.

5. There were 19 swamps that merged and formed the Great Vasyugan swamp

Once the Great Vasyugan swamp did not exist, but there were about 19 swamps. However, they continued to grow and grow, and gradually one huge one was formed from almost 2 dozen swamps.

And it is still expanding, adding about 800 hectares to its territory per year. This was confirmed by several hydrologists (L.I. Inisheva, K.I. Kobak, N.G. Inishev), who studied this issue. They not only collected all the data, but also shared it with everyone by writing an article about swamping on Vasyugan.

4. The legend of the origin of the swamps

There is an interesting legend about the origin of these swamps.. Once the Earth was covered only by water, there was no earth on it. God walked on the water and suddenly noticed that a muddy bubble was floating on the surface. There was a devil inside him, he immediately jumped out of there. The Lord told him to go down to the bottom to collect land there. He carried out his order, but hid a little earth behind his cheeks.

God took the land that the devil brought and began to scatter it over the surface. In these places, dry land appeared, covered with vegetation. However, plants grew not only on Earth, but also in the mouth of the devil. He did not like it, he began to spit it out, so swamps turned out.

Once on the outskirts of the swamps lived Samoyeds-Samoyeds, they composed their own legends associated with the Vasyugan swamps. People believed that there were evil deities here whose purpose was to frighten hunters and tourists.

They especially revered the evil spirit, which took the form of a seven-winged bear. He was called Shelaba or Shelabcuba. He personified the devil among these peoples. The mysterious bear had two more appearances: a huge serpent and an eagle covered with iron feathers. Also, everyone was afraid of a cannibal bear, who allegedly lived in a swamp and visited camps to get human flesh.

3. Settling of swamp environs after Stolypin’s reform

Since 1906, the Russian government, under the leadership of P.A. Stolypin, solved the “agrarian question”, because. the village was in a difficult situation, the peasants became impoverished, which caused discontent among them.

It was decided to transfer the allotment lands to the ownership of the peasants, to buy them from the landowners and resell them to them on preferential terms, to lend to the peasants, and so on.

At this time in the Tomsk province, in the vicinity of the Vasyugan swamps, about 200 thousand family people moved, 75 thousand walkers arrived, who needed land for farming.

But even before that, the territory was not empty. Already in 1882, it became known that Old Believers-schismatics settled in the upper reaches of the Vasyugan River and the surrounding rivers. They built houses there, planted vegetable gardens, plowed arable land, and brought in cattle. They counted at least 725 people, including women and children, who inhabited the territory over 2 thousand miles.

2. Drilling oil rigs is detrimental to the microclimate of swamps

Oil rigs, oil spills at drilling sites pose a great danger to local swamps. Due to the extraction of oil and gas, harmful substances – cadmium and lead – begin to accumulate in peat.

Also, the territory of the swamps is polluted with rocket fuel, because. often, when launching rockets from Baikonur, parts of spacecraft fall into the tundra, and the rest of the heptyl gets into the environment.

1. Vasyugan Reserve created

In December 2017, a resolution was signed according to which, in Tomsk and Novosibirsk regions, on the site occupied by the Vasyugan swamps, there will be a reserve with an area of ​​​​at least 614,8 thousand hectares. It was created to preserve the unique natural complexes.