Mountain Lakes of Russia: names, photos

Rest by the sea, mountain hikes or excursions to historical places are undoubtedly good. But sometimes you want to diversify your vacation. Recently, a growing number of tourists have turned their attention to the plains and mountains of Russia. Our article will be devoted to the last reservoirs. In the Russian Federation there are more than two and a half million lakes. Of course, not all of them are mountainous. But among them there is something to choose. Below you will read a short selection of places to relax on the mountain lakes of our country. The main regions where these water bodies are concentrated are the North Caucasus, Altai, Chelyabinsk Region, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands, Karelia and Transbaikalia.

Classification of lakes (shortly)

These water bodies are classified according to the origin of the basins. There are tectonic lakes. They are in the failures and deflections of the earth's crust. Such lakes are of considerable depth. The Baikal, for example, has a tectonic origin. Therefore, its depth reaches 1637 meters. There are glacial-tectonic lakes. These include Valdai, Seliger, Onega, Ladoga, Imandra. They were formed due to the glacier pushing tectonic troughs. Volcanic lakes in our country are concentrated mainly on the Kuriles and Kamchatka. Because of the landslides and the formation of natural dams on the rivers, such mountain lakes as Ritsa (North Caucasus) and Sarez (Pamir) were formed. The basins of reservoirs are also formed as a result of a change in the river bed. Such horseshoe-shaped lakes are called "old people". Small saucer-shaped reservoirs arise from the dumping of loose karst rocks. There are many such lakes in the south of Western Siberia.

Altai Lake Region

Most of the reservoirs here are of glacial origin. Markakol, Teletskoye are typical moraine-type mountain lakes. They lie in picturesque gorges between sheer cliffs. But the Altai Mountains have about twenty thousand lakes, and each of them - its fascinating world. For example, in Katun not many plunge into courage - so cold water in it. And located very near Lake Aya in summer warms up to plus thirty degrees Celsius. The cascade of Karakol reservoirs stretched along the slope of Iolgo with a thread. Above them, green grasses and alpine meadows flutter with flowers. And even higher are the lakes, which are of carous origin. In winter, the glacier presses itself a bed in a mountain circus. In the summer, the water accumulates there. The depth of such lakes is considerable, and the water is very cold. Incredibly beautiful ponds of moraine-podprudnogo origin. Talmenje, Shavlinsky, Kucherlinsky, Multinsky lakes change their color from dairy to gently azure.

Not far from the sea

If you are not a specialist in trekking and rock climbing, this does not mean that the mountains with their reservoirs are closed to you. There are a lot of lakes easily accessible for untrained tourists. Let's take at least Sochi, where many Russians come to rest. Everybody knows the mountain lake Ritsa. But there are near the All-Russian health resort and other, no less interesting and picturesque ponds. The Khmelevsky Lakes are located on the eastern slope of the Achishkho mountain range. It's fifteen kilometers from Krasnaya Polyana. So you can get to the lakes on suburban bus number 105, which departs from Sochi bus station. You need to go outside the ski resort "Alpika-Service". Four lakes are called uncomplicated: Big (it's Northern), East, South and West. But the beauty of the landscape, they are ready to argue with the famous Ritsa. There are organized tours on jeeps and UAZ.

Other mountain lakes of the Krasnodar Territory

The reservoirs located on the northern slopes of the Caucasian ridge are mostly glacial, avalanche-dammed or karstic. It is most convenient to relax on Abrau - it is located only fourteen kilometers from Novorossiysk. This is a drainless lake, into which only one river flows - Durso. Kardyvach, located at an altitude of one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight meters, beats all records of beauty in the North Caucasus region. Surrounded by alpine meadows against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks, it changes its color every minute. Unfortunately, it is forbidden to stop with tents on the shore, because the lands of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve are spread around. Lake Psenodah is the pearl of the tourist-loving plateau of Lago Naki. Its origin is glacial-karst, and the height above sea level is almost two thousand meters. Psenodes, whose name translates as "a beautiful well", is not always filled with water. As the lake feeds on glaciers, in summer, in dry weather, it dries up.

The Transbaikal Region

It has several thousand water bodies of various origins. Tectonic lakes, like Baikal, have a considerable depth. This is Otkoyakol, the Great Leprindo. Mountain lakes in Transbaikalia arose due to the activities of glaciers. As a rule, they have steep and steep banks, and the depth begins immediately at the shore. If these lakes are located above the mark of one and a half thousand meters above sea level, then there are no fish in them. Only crustaceans and the simplest algae inhabit ice-bound eight months of the year in reservoirs. In the lakes of the lower tier, the so-called moraine origin, fish are found. A lot of such reservoirs are located in the valley of the Upper and Middle Sakukans (Charskaya Dolina), and also on the Ikabi Plain near the mountain Zarod. Thermokarst lakes are formed due to thawing of permafrost. It happens that whole parts of the forest fall through the earth. Among the drowned trees are a free fish. The largest lake in the region is Nichatka. There are salmon, perch, pike, burbot.

Oron is the northern brother of Baikal

Vitimsky Reserve, located on the border of Buryatia and Irkutsk region, is rightfully proud of its pearl. Lake Oron is only one hundred and twenty five meters does not "reach" to the depth of Lake Baikal. It is also of tectonic origin. Although the lake itself is only 330 meters above sea level, it can safely be called a mountain lake, because its ridges are surrounded by 3000 meters. In this emerald pond there are many species of fish, and one of them - the goat davatchan - is listed in the Red Book. Oron is a mountain lake, the photo of which is easily confused with the Alpine lake. This reservoir is twenty-four kilometers in length and is incomplete seven in width, and is listed in UNESCO. The shores of the lake are surrounded by steep loaches, overgrown with cedar stilt and a rare taiga. The water in Oron is surprisingly clean and soft. Swimming in a boat, you can see clumps of boulders on the bottom, although the depth in the lake reaches 184 meters.

Mountain lakes of the Chelyabinsk region

The region has more than three thousand fresh water reservoirs. They are located on the map of the region unevenly. Most of them concentrated in the east and north. Lake Uvildy - for those who like to relax in comfort. The banks of the reservoir are simply dotted with camp sites, because the beaches here are sandy, and the water warms up enough for swimming. This is the largest lake in the Chelyabinsk region in terms of the area of the water mirror. And one of the purest. Arakul - a small lake, but very picturesque. Nearby rises the rock massif Shihan - the highest in the Middle Urals. The five lakes with the cleanest water are Sungul, Kisegach, Yelovoye, Turgoyak and Uvildy. The most accessible water bodies are Itkul (near Yekaterinburg), Kisegach (suburb of Chebarkul), Yakty-Kul (the outskirts of Magnitogorsk).

The most-most high-mountain lakes

We have already mentioned that Baikal is "ahead of the whole planet" in the depth area. But what is the name of the highest mountain lake? Unfortunately, we can not answer this question. The fact is that the glaciers in the mountains often force cars that are filled with water in the summer. These shallow and small in size ponds lie sometimes at a height of two and a half thousand meters above sea level and even higher. It is very difficult to get there, and sometimes it is completely impossible. And swim in them - even more so. After all, at this altitude, even the air in July does not get warmer than +20 degrees, and the water temperature barely reaches +8 ° C. It also happens that over the summer night the surface of the lake is shackled by a thin ice. Such water bodies are often located in groups, in mountain circuses or in cars. No living creatures in them, of course, no. In winter they freeze to the very bottom.

Zyuratkul

Do not consider these located at a significant height of small reservoirs without a name. Mountain lakes with a large area are much smaller. The most "high-altitude" water body of the Ural Mountains is Zyuratkul. In a literal translation its name sounds like "Heart-lake". Zyuratkul is often called the "Urals Ritsa". Although the climate here is not as fertile as in the Caucasus, the landscapes simply fascinate with its beauty. The lake is located in an ecologically clean intermontane valley of the Chelyabinsk region. The water mirror lies at an altitude of seven hundred and twenty-four meters above sea level. The lake is a favorite holiday destination for residents of the Chelyabinsk region. The most popular is the recreation center "Zyuratkul". It consists of an economy class hotel and a number of VIP cottages.

Lakes of the Kamchatka region

The edge of volcanoes and geysers is also replete with fresh water. Of particular interest are the mountain lakes, which in the people bear the poetic names of Faith, Hope and Love. Three ponds are cascaded at different heights (about 600 meters above sea level) and are connected to each other by a stream. Officially they are called Turquoise Lakes. In June, during a period of intensive melting of snow, some of the ice is flooded. Sunlight, reflected, gives the water a radiant, bright blue color. High hills, covered with snow, surround the lake from all sides. These reservoirs have been assigned the status of an environmental object. The nearest city is Yelizovo - located from the Turquoise Lakes in twenty one kilometers.