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There are more than 2 million lakes on the territory of our country. Some of them are striking in their size and depth. Thus, Baikal contains about 85% of Russia’s fresh water, which is about 22% of all world fresh water reserves. The numbers are impressive.
But most Russian waters are miniature. The smallest lakes in Russia can be found almost everywhere, but there are especially many of them in the Republic of Karelia. There are about 27 thousand rivers and 60 thousand lakes in it;
10 Nerpiche Lake, 237 km²
Located in the Republic of Sakha. It is considered the largest lake in the Kamchatka Territory. seal lake – brackish, lagoon type, once it was a sea bay, until it separated from the sea due to the rise of the coast. Its maximum depth is 12 m, but on average it does not exceed 3,4 m.
The shores of the lake are heavily swamped. The Ozernaya River flows out of it, and about 17 small streams and rivers flow into it. Nerpiche Lake is a system of lakes connected by a wide strait, and its bay is called a lake. Kultuchnoe. The name comes from the word “cult” which translates as “lagoon”.
The lake is rich in a variety of fish, some species of which live here permanently, while others swim through it on their way to the rivers from the sea. The favorite pastime of the local population is fishing.
9. Vivi, 229 km²
Located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory Lake Vyvy. It is freshwater, elongated. Larch forests grow along the coast. It got its name due to the river Vivi flowing from it, which the Evenki called so. It means “mad” because it is too changeable: now it dries up, then it shows its temper, rushing through rapids and rifts.
Until now, this lake has not been fully studied, it is not known what its maximum depth is. 133 rivers flow into it. It is notable for the fact that one of its banks is the geographical center of Russia. First, the calculations were made by Peter Bakut, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and then Lake Vivi became the official center of our country.
No one lives on its shores, only sometimes tourists or fishermen come here. The lake is unique in terms of the number of fish, here you can catch even a 50-kilogram taimen.
8. Kovdozero, 224 km²
Located in the Murmansk region, on the Kovda River, in the north of Karelia. Once it was 56 m deep, but in 1995 a hydroelectric power station was built here, because of which the water level rose by 6 m.
7 months a year it is covered with ice, because. freezes around November and thaws in May. The coast is rocky, indented, it has many bays and bays. Nearby are picturesque hills covered with coniferous forest. There are thickets of lingonberries, blueberries, there are a lot of cranberries in the swamp. A rich region, in the lake itself there are about two dozen different fish.
The best time to visit the lake is from June to mid-August, before the storms start. Local residents on Cowdozers almost never, so this is an ideal place for those who would like to relax by the lake with clean water and air, in complete privacy.
7. Keret, 223 km²
Located in the Republic of Karelia. A river with the same name Keret flows out of it and connects it with the White Sea. There are 140 islands on the lake, the largest of which is called Vischany, it stretches for 10 km. Coast – with numerous bays.
The northern part of the lake with low, swampy or sandy shores, the bottom is covered with silt, in some places sandy and rocky. On the shore you can see thickets of reeds, which grow over long distances up to 100 m from the shore.
Lake Keret It has an unusual shape: it stretches for 44 km, and its width is no more than 14 km. We can say that it consists of several lakes connected by straits. Its maximum depth is 26 m, but the average is small – only 4,5 m. The bottom is uneven, there are depth differences. It contains many types of fish.
6. Teletskoye Lake, 223 km²
In the Republic of Altai is Lake Teletskoye, which is also calledGolden hand” , which means “golden lake».
There was an old legend, according to which one Altaian, in despair, threw a piece of gold into the water, so the reservoir itself began to be called golden. He decided to take such a step because in a famine year he could not buy food for his family, no one wanted to exchange food for gold, although the piece was huge. Altaian climbed the mountain, first threw out the gold, and then jumped himself, cursing everything in the world.
It is called Teletsky because teleses lived here. The maximum depth is 325 m, and the average is 174 m. About 70 rivers flow into the lake, but about 70% of the water is supplied by the Chulymshan River. The coast is steep and steep, with gorges and picturesque bays. Strong wind blows here in spring and autumn. Coniferous forests grow on the banks, 14 species of fish live in the waters of Lake Teletskoye.
5. Seliger, 222 km²
Located in the Tver and Novgorod regions. His name is also Ostashkovsky, because. nearby is a city with the same name. There are more than 160 islands on this lake, the largest of which is Khachin. It has about 110 tributaries. It can be said that Seliger – not one lake, but a chain of lakes connected by narrow channels, which stretches for a great distance.
The shores are indented, very picturesque, with beautiful capes and deep bays. The lake has very clear water. Experts still argue over the origin of the name. According to one version, it translates as “high up“, on the other – “flesh”.
About 30 species of fish live in Seliger, and many mammals and birds live on the shores. Sedges and reeds grow on the sandbanks, reeds and cattails, as well as white water lilies, grow in the backwaters.
4. Nyuk, 214 km²
Located in the Republic of Karelia. It has a complex shape, it has many bays. It is possible to distinguish the central part of the lake and four branches that look like blades. In translation from Karelian, its name means “Swan”.
There are 126 islands on the lake. Shore at Nyuk rocky, high, but there are also marshy, low, with sandy beaches. From the end of October to the end of April it is covered with ice. It is quite deep: the maximum depth is 40 m, but the average does not exceed 8,6 m. Many species of fish live in it.
There are no settlements on the banks of the Nyuk, so camping enthusiasts often gather here. There are many berries in the surrounding forests.
3. Lovozero, 209 km²
This one of the smallest lakes is located in the Murmansk region, in the center of the Kola Peninsula. It is believed that the name came from the Sami language and can be translated as “Village of the strong by the lake».
The shores of the lake are heavily indented, there are many bays, capes, they are all covered with coniferous forests. Ice on Lovozers appears in October and does not melt until June. On the shore is the Saami village of the same name, the center of the cultural life of these indigenous peoples of the peninsula.
2. Big Sea Lake, 205 km²
Its location is the Republic of Sakha. Despite the name, it is modest in size. The shape resembles an oval, elongated from north to south. On the banks you can see the vegetation characteristic of the tundra: lichens, small shrubs, woodlands.
Big Sea Lake It is covered with ice in early October and thaws only at the end of June. There are no settlements near it.
1. Janisjärvi, 175 km²
A tiny lake appeared in the Republic of Karelia. If you translate its name, you get “Hare Lake». It is oval in shape, despite its size, has about 43 islands, most of which are located near the coast.
Shores Janisjarvi covered with coniferous forest, they are rocky and elevated. About 20 small rivers flow into the lake. Reeds grow in the bays, and there are many different fish in the lake itself. It is covered with ice in November, thaws in May. Janisjärvi was formed in the place where a meteorite once fell.