IRKUTSK
Our new guide explained all the facts about Lake Baikal. It is a fresh water lake. It has twenty-two islands. It holds 20% of the worlds fresh water and holds more water then the Great Lakes put together. Water is pumped from the bottom of the lake and bottled for drinking. The lake may have been a salt water lake before the ice age, millions of years ago. There are three hundred and sixty-six rivers flowing into the lake and only one flowing out of it. The name of that river is the Angara River. It is near Listvyanka. Lake Baikal is 445 meters above sea level and the deepest place on the bottom is over a thousand meters below sea level. It is the deepest lake in the world, a mile deep in some places.
Some call it a miracle of nature because the water of the lake is pure. The lake has an automatic cleaning system that purifies the water. One of the crustacean that helps clean the lake is named espischura. It lives in cold, clean water with a constant chemical composition and a high saturation of oxygen. It plays an important part in the life cycle of Baikal because it comsumes plankton algea and then filters the water as it goes, thus contributing to the purification of the water. This species filters 500 - 1,000 cubic kilometers of water throughout the year. There are also many other kinds of crustaceans, worms and sponges that live off the impurities of the lake and help it return to it's origional pure state.
Some scientists think that Lake Baikal will be an ocean in time becase the tetonic plates are causing the earth's crust to slowly pull apart. It will take millions of years for this to happen since the earth pulls apart only a few centimeters every year.
There are many varieties of fish in the lake and the rivers that enter and exit it. There is one fish the thrives in Baikal that is interesting to take note of. It does not swim in schools like most fish do. It is called the Oil Fish and it is only found in Lake Baikal and a few of the rivers that flow into it. It gives birth to 3,000 of it's young at a time and they do not lay eggs. The baby fish are born already live fish. The mature fish contains 35% medinical oil, rich in vitamin A. The fat from the fish is melted down and used for rheumatism and other maladies and is also good for healing wounds. Other fish in Lake Baikal are perch, omul, dace, ides, crucian, roushes, ell-pouts and many others. The major fish used for food from Baikal is the omul. There are five varieties of this fish.
There are all kinds of climates and weather conditions around Lake Baikal. It depends on the time of year and where you are though. There are mild winters around the lake. It freezes over in January. The summers are cool.
There are sable in the tiaga, and fir animals and birds all around and in the nearby mountains and valleys. The Lake is surrounded by mountains. There are a thousand species of aquatic flora surrounding the region and twenty species of flowering plants; not to mention alpine plants and two thousand forms of vascular plants. There are a number of trees growing, such as; Larch, cedar and pine. It is also a treasure-trove of mineral resourses.
There is a species of seal that lives in Lake Baikal which is a wonder in it's self. The population around Baikal is no less then 100,000. All other seals in the world live in salt water. The nerpa is the only one that lives in fresh water and they have for millions of years. The nearest relatives of the nerpa live in the northern artic region and the southern part of the Caspion Sea, but there are many differences in these two species of seals. There are many theories of how the nerpa came to this region. One popular belief is that they came to Baikal from the Artic Ocean through the Lena River in prehistoric times.
Omul
The lake remains a mystery and that is why is is still fascinating. We toured the museum at Listvyanka and watched a video that explained everything about the lake and looked at some of the artifacts of the area and learned about its unique flora and fauna. There was also a collection of rocks and minerals found in the area.
After that we loaded into the bus and went a short distance to the souvenir market that is located on a pier on the lake. They sell all the usual types of things we have seen in Russia so far. There were tables of cut glass, painted wooden boxes and other things. There were also people cooking fish on grills over little wood stoves and selling them. Most of the fish was omul, but there were other kinds too such as; sig and harius. Omul is a salmon like fish only shorter. Many people who live in the settlements along the shores of Lake Baikal smoke, salt or dry the fish they catch and sell the extras to tourists who come into the area.
Soon we were on our way through the tiaga forest down the Baikal Highway heading toward Irkutsk which is 70km or 44 miles from Listvyanka. First we would be stopping at a resturant for lunch.
Scythe
There were young men cutting grass with scythes along the edge of a forest as we passed by. A man going in the forest with a pack on his back and a pail in his hand possible foraging for mushrooms or berries that can be found in abundance this time of year.
About half way to Irkutsk we turned off the main road and down a little dirt road passed some very elegant looking dashas. We came to two log cabins each with a flat roof. This was the resturant. It was called The Pines Guest House.
Girls bearing bread and vodka
Tow girls came out carrying trays. One with bread and salt and the other with paper cups of vodka. As we got out of the bus they offered this old Russian traditional gift to us. I was the last person in line so the girl gave me two cups of vodka.
We stood infront of the resturant for a few minutes talking and salting the bread and eating it and drinking the vodka. There were a couple young men about 24 or 25 there. They had with them a bear cub. This was found in the forest a few days earlier. They said the mother had died so they brought the little bear back. The men let us pet him. That was a very interesting experience as the cub purred like a cat when you petted him. He was also very strong for being such a little guy.
Inside the resturant we sat down at a long table. It was fairly dark inside since it didn't seem like there was any electricity. By then the vodka was hitting me and my head was swimming. It didn't take long before the first course came. It was soup very similar to the one we had the other day. In it was olives and lemon wedges with shredded meat and a very tasty broth. This soup came in tall ceramic bowls. The main course we were told was Chinese food. It was sauted chicken and mushrooms. I'm sure the chicken came from a local chicken coop and the mushrooms came from the nearby forests. For desert it was berry pie. The berries also picked locally from the tiaga. I don't know how much they charged us for this meal. Proboably a small fortune since we were American tourist. During the meal the vodka and wine kept coming. A little while later tea was served. After that we left.
Soon we were heading down the highway in the direction of Irkutsk passing little villages here and there. As I mentioned before; each little house had a garden in back with potatoes growning in it. I found out what these potatoes were for. Before winter came they were going to make vodka with. That makes sense. We were in Russia. Russians drink vodka. Vodka is made from potatoes. Every Russian grows them. It took me awhile but I got it.
Entering Irkutsk we passed some very expensive looking new houses that were in the process of being built. They were being built by the newly rich country men who had made it good under the new wave of capitalism. The tour guide commented dryly, "if these new millionaires are so rich they should spend alittle more money on a better architect then maybe their houses would look better".
Irkutsk was built on the Angara River, the only river that flows out of the Lake Baikal. It got it's name from the Irkut River which is nearby. Six hundred thousand people live in and around the city. There are many ethnic and tribal groups that live there but the main ones are the ethnic caucasion Russians and the native Buryat, who came from Mongolia many hundres of years earlier.
As we rolled into town we were given a quick tour of the city. The city had some nice looking buildings. Some of the older ones were in bad need of renovation. There were a few new ones that were build in a rustic fashion. Very impressive. The people seemd to be in a time warp. I remember people dressing like that in the States back in the sixties and seventies. It was cool though.
After this we went to the hotel we would be staying in. The exterior had an old/modern look to it. The lobby was decorated in dark wood paneling. Businessmen in suits were seen everywhere. Some speaking in Russian. Occasionally you would hear the English language spoken. We all got checked in and we got our rooms.
Church of Our Savior
The first place we stopped was The Church of Our Savior. There is a famous mural on the outside of the church which depicts the baptism of Jesus. It is the oldest stone building in Irkutsk. A fort once surrounded it. During the Bolshevik Revolution the church was used as a shoe repair shop and after that a storehouse. It is now in the process of returning to it's origional function as a church. It has a little way to go. Near the church is a World War II memorial that we also went to see. Many newly wed couples go to places like this. There were a couple of them there that day.
After this we drove down the street a little way and stopped at another church called, Church of the Holy Sign. Hidden deep in some locked vault in this church is supposed to be the cloth that has the inprint of Christ's face on it that Veronica used to wipe the sweat from the Savior's face while he was on his way to the cross. When she returned home she realized that his image was on the cloth. But of course they don't let people see this relic, and it was no different that day. I asked about it when I got inside but was told that I could not see it. I did buy some icons and other religious articles while I was there. A couple of Jesus and the Madonna etc. I also got a cross to hold in my hand when I'm laying in a coffin when I die. Don't know if I will do that.
St Veronica
The Irkutsk Museum of Regional Studies was the next stop. It is on the other side of town near a popular river. There is a park next to the river and there were brides in their bridal gowns out at that place too. It is very fashionable for newly married brides and grooms to go to places like this on their wedding day, I was told.
Inside the museum it was very interesting. The main consentration of this museum was information about the people who lived in Siberia before the Russians came. It showed their mode of living, their dress, the shape of their skull. The museum has over 350,000 exhibits. It has examples of their weopans, utinsels of Poleolithic and neolithic ages. There are collections of minerals, stuffed animals and birds. Old manuscripts and log books of early expeditions, handicrafts, exhibits from China and much more.
Since we were going to take a three and a half day train ride to Moscow our next stop was the public market. It is where local producers sell their products. It is in a large rectangle building. The ground floor is divided into three big halls. There is a meat section, a place to buy fruit and vegatables and then a bakery section. Upstairs there are also some little shops selling all kinds of things. It was nothing like the Russia I had heard about all my life. The day I was there it was very busy and very crowded. There were lots of goods. There was anything you wanted to buy, I bought some instant coffee, instant noodles, oranges, tomatoes and a bottle of wine from upstairs. It was a very pleasant experience.
Next we went to what was supposed to be a fancy resturant. There was only one other party there when we went in. The food wasn't that great. There seemed to be a shortage. The place was very sparse. The entree was some kind of fish with head, tail and fins still attached. They hadn't even bothered to take these things off. It was cooked with cheese inside and out. I had never heard of such a preparation as cheese cooked with fish. I think someone was putting us on. Along with this they had carrot salad, potato salad with peas and squid. Ice cream was for for desert. It started raining when we go outside. By the time we got back to the hotel it was pouring.
Building
Our new guide explained all the facts about Lake Baikal. It is a fresh water lake. It has twenty-two islands. It holds 20% of the worlds fresh water and holds more water then the Great Lakes put together. Water is pumped from the bottom of the lake and bottled for drinking. The lake may have been a salt water lake before the ice age, millions of years ago. There are three hundred and sixty-six rivers flowing into the lake and only one flowing out of it. The name of that river is the Angara River. It is near Listvyanka. Lake Baikal is 445 meters above sea level and the deepest place on the bottom is over a thousand meters below sea level. It is the deepest lake in the world, a mile deep in some places.
Some call it a miracle of nature because the water of the lake is pure. The lake has an automatic cleaning system that purifies the water. One of the crustacean that helps clean the lake is named espischura. It lives in cold, clean water with a constant chemical composition and a high saturation of oxygen. It plays an important part in the life cycle of Baikal because it comsumes plankton algea and then filters the water as it goes, thus contributing to the purification of the water. This species filters 500 - 1,000 cubic kilometers of water throughout the year. There are also many other kinds of crustaceans, worms and sponges that live off the impurities of the lake and help it return to it's origional pure state.
Some scientists think that Lake Baikal will be an ocean in time becase the tetonic plates are causing the earth's crust to slowly pull apart. It will take millions of years for this to happen since the earth pulls apart only a few centimeters every year.
There are many varieties of fish in the lake and the rivers that enter and exit it. There is one fish the thrives in Baikal that is interesting to take note of. It does not swim in schools like most fish do. It is called the Oil Fish and it is only found in Lake Baikal and a few of the rivers that flow into it. It gives birth to 3,000 of it's young at a time and they do not lay eggs. The baby fish are born already live fish. The mature fish contains 35% medinical oil, rich in vitamin A. The fat from the fish is melted down and used for rheumatism and other maladies and is also good for healing wounds. Other fish in Lake Baikal are perch, omul, dace, ides, crucian, roushes, ell-pouts and many others. The major fish used for food from Baikal is the omul. There are five varieties of this fish.
There are all kinds of climates and weather conditions around Lake Baikal. It depends on the time of year and where you are though. There are mild winters around the lake. It freezes over in January. The summers are cool.
There are sable in the tiaga, and fir animals and birds all around and in the nearby mountains and valleys. The Lake is surrounded by mountains. There are a thousand species of aquatic flora surrounding the region and twenty species of flowering plants; not to mention alpine plants and two thousand forms of vascular plants. There are a number of trees growing, such as; Larch, cedar and pine. It is also a treasure-trove of mineral resourses.
There is a species of seal that lives in Lake Baikal which is a wonder in it's self. The population around Baikal is no less then 100,000. All other seals in the world live in salt water. The nerpa is the only one that lives in fresh water and they have for millions of years. The nearest relatives of the nerpa live in the northern artic region and the southern part of the Caspion Sea, but there are many differences in these two species of seals. There are many theories of how the nerpa came to this region. One popular belief is that they came to Baikal from the Artic Ocean through the Lena River in prehistoric times.
Omul
The lake remains a mystery and that is why is is still fascinating. We toured the museum at Listvyanka and watched a video that explained everything about the lake and looked at some of the artifacts of the area and learned about its unique flora and fauna. There was also a collection of rocks and minerals found in the area.
After that we loaded into the bus and went a short distance to the souvenir market that is located on a pier on the lake. They sell all the usual types of things we have seen in Russia so far. There were tables of cut glass, painted wooden boxes and other things. There were also people cooking fish on grills over little wood stoves and selling them. Most of the fish was omul, but there were other kinds too such as; sig and harius. Omul is a salmon like fish only shorter. Many people who live in the settlements along the shores of Lake Baikal smoke, salt or dry the fish they catch and sell the extras to tourists who come into the area.
Soon we were on our way through the tiaga forest down the Baikal Highway heading toward Irkutsk which is 70km or 44 miles from Listvyanka. First we would be stopping at a resturant for lunch.
Scythe
There were young men cutting grass with scythes along the edge of a forest as we passed by. A man going in the forest with a pack on his back and a pail in his hand possible foraging for mushrooms or berries that can be found in abundance this time of year.
About half way to Irkutsk we turned off the main road and down a little dirt road passed some very elegant looking dashas. We came to two log cabins each with a flat roof. This was the resturant. It was called The Pines Guest House.
Girls bearing bread and vodka
Tow girls came out carrying trays. One with bread and salt and the other with paper cups of vodka. As we got out of the bus they offered this old Russian traditional gift to us. I was the last person in line so the girl gave me two cups of vodka.
We stood infront of the resturant for a few minutes talking and salting the bread and eating it and drinking the vodka. There were a couple young men about 24 or 25 there. They had with them a bear cub. This was found in the forest a few days earlier. They said the mother had died so they brought the little bear back. The men let us pet him. That was a very interesting experience as the cub purred like a cat when you petted him. He was also very strong for being such a little guy.
Inside the resturant we sat down at a long table. It was fairly dark inside since it didn't seem like there was any electricity. By then the vodka was hitting me and my head was swimming. It didn't take long before the first course came. It was soup very similar to the one we had the other day. In it was olives and lemon wedges with shredded meat and a very tasty broth. This soup came in tall ceramic bowls. The main course we were told was Chinese food. It was sauted chicken and mushrooms. I'm sure the chicken came from a local chicken coop and the mushrooms came from the nearby forests. For desert it was berry pie. The berries also picked locally from the tiaga. I don't know how much they charged us for this meal. Proboably a small fortune since we were American tourist. During the meal the vodka and wine kept coming. A little while later tea was served. After that we left.
Soon we were heading down the highway in the direction of Irkutsk passing little villages here and there. As I mentioned before; each little house had a garden in back with potatoes growning in it. I found out what these potatoes were for. Before winter came they were going to make vodka with. That makes sense. We were in Russia. Russians drink vodka. Vodka is made from potatoes. Every Russian grows them. It took me awhile but I got it.
Entering Irkutsk we passed some very expensive looking new houses that were in the process of being built. They were being built by the newly rich country men who had made it good under the new wave of capitalism. The tour guide commented dryly, "if these new millionaires are so rich they should spend alittle more money on a better architect then maybe their houses would look better".
Irkutsk was built on the Angara River, the only river that flows out of the Lake Baikal. It got it's name from the Irkut River which is nearby. Six hundred thousand people live in and around the city. There are many ethnic and tribal groups that live there but the main ones are the ethnic caucasion Russians and the native Buryat, who came from Mongolia many hundres of years earlier.
As we rolled into town we were given a quick tour of the city. The city had some nice looking buildings. Some of the older ones were in bad need of renovation. There were a few new ones that were build in a rustic fashion. Very impressive. The people seemd to be in a time warp. I remember people dressing like that in the States back in the sixties and seventies. It was cool though.
After this we went to the hotel we would be staying in. The exterior had an old/modern look to it. The lobby was decorated in dark wood paneling. Businessmen in suits were seen everywhere. Some speaking in Russian. Occasionally you would hear the English language spoken. We all got checked in and we got our rooms.
Church of Our Savior
The first place we stopped was The Church of Our Savior. There is a famous mural on the outside of the church which depicts the baptism of Jesus. It is the oldest stone building in Irkutsk. A fort once surrounded it. During the Bolshevik Revolution the church was used as a shoe repair shop and after that a storehouse. It is now in the process of returning to it's origional function as a church. It has a little way to go. Near the church is a World War II memorial that we also went to see. Many newly wed couples go to places like this. There were a couple of them there that day.
After this we drove down the street a little way and stopped at another church called, Church of the Holy Sign. Hidden deep in some locked vault in this church is supposed to be the cloth that has the inprint of Christ's face on it that Veronica used to wipe the sweat from the Savior's face while he was on his way to the cross. When she returned home she realized that his image was on the cloth. But of course they don't let people see this relic, and it was no different that day. I asked about it when I got inside but was told that I could not see it. I did buy some icons and other religious articles while I was there. A couple of Jesus and the Madonna etc. I also got a cross to hold in my hand when I'm laying in a coffin when I die. Don't know if I will do that.
St Veronica
The Irkutsk Museum of Regional Studies was the next stop. It is on the other side of town near a popular river. There is a park next to the river and there were brides in their bridal gowns out at that place too. It is very fashionable for newly married brides and grooms to go to places like this on their wedding day, I was told.
Inside the museum it was very interesting. The main consentration of this museum was information about the people who lived in Siberia before the Russians came. It showed their mode of living, their dress, the shape of their skull. The museum has over 350,000 exhibits. It has examples of their weopans, utinsels of Poleolithic and neolithic ages. There are collections of minerals, stuffed animals and birds. Old manuscripts and log books of early expeditions, handicrafts, exhibits from China and much more.
Since we were going to take a three and a half day train ride to Moscow our next stop was the public market. It is where local producers sell their products. It is in a large rectangle building. The ground floor is divided into three big halls. There is a meat section, a place to buy fruit and vegatables and then a bakery section. Upstairs there are also some little shops selling all kinds of things. It was nothing like the Russia I had heard about all my life. The day I was there it was very busy and very crowded. There were lots of goods. There was anything you wanted to buy, I bought some instant coffee, instant noodles, oranges, tomatoes and a bottle of wine from upstairs. It was a very pleasant experience.
Next we went to what was supposed to be a fancy resturant. There was only one other party there when we went in. The food wasn't that great. There seemed to be a shortage. The place was very sparse. The entree was some kind of fish with head, tail and fins still attached. They hadn't even bothered to take these things off. It was cooked with cheese inside and out. I had never heard of such a preparation as cheese cooked with fish. I think someone was putting us on. Along with this they had carrot salad, potato salad with peas and squid. Ice cream was for for desert. It started raining when we go outside. By the time we got back to the hotel it was pouring.
Building
posted by THE REAL MIKE BAILEY at 4:27 AM
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