Old blog about Lake Baikal that hasn't been updated for many years.
Showing posts with label siberia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label siberia. Show all posts
November 28, 2011
November 24, 2011
Winter on lake Baikal
Dear readers. We are glad to announce winter 2011-2012 season. Lake Baikal opens great opportunities from the middle of January, when the lake freezes all over.
Also, its nice to travel in Russia, when its winter. Trains are not that loaded during this time, and you can easily organize an individual trip across Russia, stopping in the places of your interest. We hope lake Baikal is one of them.
Also, its nice to travel in Russia, when its winter. Trains are not that loaded during this time, and you can easily organize an individual trip across Russia, stopping in the places of your interest. We hope lake Baikal is one of them.
November 23, 2011
Good old Irkutsk 2011
I found some interesting shots while going through some files on my computer.
This is a very old tram.
Interior art work.
December 24, 2010
Why Winter?
I always say that winter in Siberia is the best time to visit. Especially lake Baikal are.
Many people ask me: "Why Winter?" Here I would like to give some answers :)
First of all, its New Year time. Cities are largely decorated with lights, ice sculptures. Every office and shop has discounts and gifts!
People are more active and energetic. In summer, its vacation time in Russia. Many people are gone traveling, cities seem to be very relaxed; but in the winter people are at their most powerful state. Happily stressed and openminded.
Parties at home are very warm and full of tasty things. People stay more indoors, become closer, what makes them best friends ever.
Of course it is very cold sometimes, its hard to handle for some people (good clothes is very important). But the beauty of the cities and nature is overwhealming. It is much cleaner, and everything is white. Rivers and lake are frozen in the second part of January and thats where fun begins. Ice skating, winter hiking, skiing, snowboarding and many other sports and activities.
Also for "real" divers its THE time to come to lake Baikal for diving. Its crazy-stunnig-amazing thing to do. It can be compared to diving in Antarctica.
Please comment about this, tell us why do you think winter is better for traveling in Siberia.
Many people ask me: "Why Winter?" Here I would like to give some answers :)
First of all, its New Year time. Cities are largely decorated with lights, ice sculptures. Every office and shop has discounts and gifts!
People are more active and energetic. In summer, its vacation time in Russia. Many people are gone traveling, cities seem to be very relaxed; but in the winter people are at their most powerful state. Happily stressed and openminded.
Parties at home are very warm and full of tasty things. People stay more indoors, become closer, what makes them best friends ever.
Of course it is very cold sometimes, its hard to handle for some people (good clothes is very important). But the beauty of the cities and nature is overwhealming. It is much cleaner, and everything is white. Rivers and lake are frozen in the second part of January and thats where fun begins. Ice skating, winter hiking, skiing, snowboarding and many other sports and activities.
Also for "real" divers its THE time to come to lake Baikal for diving. Its crazy-stunnig-amazing thing to do. It can be compared to diving in Antarctica.
Please comment about this, tell us why do you think winter is better for traveling in Siberia.
October 18, 2010
Even in tempest, Siberian lake is a jewel
SOUTHBOUND ON LAKE BAIKAL, Siberia | Though mainly celebrated for its beauty, this jewel of Siberia also commands respect for the frequent mighty gales that can whip along its 400-mile length in any season.
The winds have names, often taken from the topographic features down which they rage — river valleys, and the canyons of mountains rimming the chasm that contains the lake.
At their worst, they can howl at 40 to 50 meters per second — 90 to 110 miles an hour — and create waves as much as 20 feet high.
The one we met today may have been the one called the Kultuk, a lesser storm, but exciting enough.
The day began with banks of low clouds gathering in the southwest, and for much of the morning we progressed uneventfully, the boat nosing through a mild chop.
By the time we gathered for lunch in early afternoon, the wind had freshened greatly. Rain was falling in blinding, horizontal sheets, and the boat’s pitching was much increased.
Borne up on waves that Victor estimated at between 2 and 3 meters, or more than 6 to nearly 10 feet, it would slam down in the following trough with a thunderous jolt. Water cascaded over the bow and the forward window of the galley.
Standing or walking was a challenge. To venture out onto the deck was unthinkable.
Fortunately, the Yaroslavits is a stout, steel-hulled craft. But in the name of comfort, if not caution, the crewman at the wheel reversed course to run with the southwest wind and the waves, not against them.
We all sat tight in the galley area, waiting for the storm to ease, as presently it did.
It was discovered later that a porthole in Victor’s compartment, not securely latched, had swung open and admitted spray that doused his sleeping bag. But apart from that there was no damage.
The sky began gradually to clear, the tumultuous clouds breaking away and sliding down to make a frame above the mountain peaks.
And as we rounded the tip of a peninsula that blocked the wind entirely, we glided on a surface smooth as glass to our anchorage once again in the Bay of Snakes, the very place we’d left that morning.
The evening was spectacular, with clouds lighted from below by the setting sun, and ranks of mountain ridges, one after another, receding in shades of forest green, purple and blue.
Our retreat from the tempest meant that we would return to Victor’s rescue base near the mouth of the Angara River and to the city of Irkutsk a day later than originally planned.
But I don’t for a moment consider that a day lost.
Irrespective of the schedule, an extra day spent on the world’s most beautiful lake is by any reckoning a bit of luck, a day gained.
From here: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/11/2216328/even-in-tempest-siberian-lake.html
The winds have names, often taken from the topographic features down which they rage — river valleys, and the canyons of mountains rimming the chasm that contains the lake.
At their worst, they can howl at 40 to 50 meters per second — 90 to 110 miles an hour — and create waves as much as 20 feet high.
The one we met today may have been the one called the Kultuk, a lesser storm, but exciting enough.
The day began with banks of low clouds gathering in the southwest, and for much of the morning we progressed uneventfully, the boat nosing through a mild chop.
By the time we gathered for lunch in early afternoon, the wind had freshened greatly. Rain was falling in blinding, horizontal sheets, and the boat’s pitching was much increased.
Borne up on waves that Victor estimated at between 2 and 3 meters, or more than 6 to nearly 10 feet, it would slam down in the following trough with a thunderous jolt. Water cascaded over the bow and the forward window of the galley.
Standing or walking was a challenge. To venture out onto the deck was unthinkable.
Fortunately, the Yaroslavits is a stout, steel-hulled craft. But in the name of comfort, if not caution, the crewman at the wheel reversed course to run with the southwest wind and the waves, not against them.
We all sat tight in the galley area, waiting for the storm to ease, as presently it did.
It was discovered later that a porthole in Victor’s compartment, not securely latched, had swung open and admitted spray that doused his sleeping bag. But apart from that there was no damage.
The sky began gradually to clear, the tumultuous clouds breaking away and sliding down to make a frame above the mountain peaks.
And as we rounded the tip of a peninsula that blocked the wind entirely, we glided on a surface smooth as glass to our anchorage once again in the Bay of Snakes, the very place we’d left that morning.
The evening was spectacular, with clouds lighted from below by the setting sun, and ranks of mountain ridges, one after another, receding in shades of forest green, purple and blue.
Our retreat from the tempest meant that we would return to Victor’s rescue base near the mouth of the Angara River and to the city of Irkutsk a day later than originally planned.
But I don’t for a moment consider that a day lost.
Irrespective of the schedule, an extra day spent on the world’s most beautiful lake is by any reckoning a bit of luck, a day gained.
From here: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/11/2216328/even-in-tempest-siberian-lake.html
Irkutsk Virtual Tour
This is great video, very nicely made! 34 minutes across Irkutsk, catching the most important stuff. After watching you will have a good image of what to expect when you travel to Irkutsk city in winter, near lake Baikal.
Bruno, you did a really good job! Thank you very much for this video!
Bruno, you did a really good job! Thank you very much for this video!
August 10, 2010
May 20, 2008
Artsiberia
From Artsiberia:
"The idea and the goal of the project is to promote Siberian art and to encourage knowledge about the cultural heritage of the Eastern Siberia through art exhibits and exchanges, and the publications of books and articles, cards and posters.
All requests related to cooperation, exhibits, lecture series, publications and art and citizen exchanges are welcomed."
You can find many images of siberian art, also religious buddist and orthodox art. Very interesting and 'real' subjects.
Holiday in Siberia Part 1 - Baikal
An article by Slow Travel
Historically an invitation to Siberia came from Josef Stalin. Unlike Butlin’s it was to a rather different sort of camp, a gulag, or labour camp. Trips also tended to be one-way affairs, with many prisoners literally worked to death. The size and remoteness of Siberia allowed this barbaric activity to go on out of sight if not out of mind of most Russians. If Siberia was an independent nation it would still be one of the biggest countries in the world, and anywhere this size has got to have something special offer. And indeed it does!
We’ve just spent the last few days around Lake Baikal, the biggest single repository of freshwater on the planet. It’s awesome in scale. You could lose Scotland in it. If it wasn’t so far away some people might be tempted to try. It’s also currently frozen, covered with an incredible icy surface that creates a tempting white plain (up to 80km across) between the rugged black mountains that flank the water on either side. The ice is deceptive however, especially at this time of the year. During the numb winter months people happily drive 20 ton trucks across the surface on established ice roads. Come the spring melt it’s a different story. The ice softens unevenly and whilst it is safe in some areas, in others it becomes treacherously thin and downright dangerous. This year 11 vehicles have been lost and 9 people drowned in the deep dark icy waters when the apparently reliable ice has suddenly given way beneath them.
It was with this grisly fate in mind that we were somewhat thankful that the timing of our arrival on Olkhon Island (the biggest in the Lake) coincided with the deployment of a natty little ‘Padoushka’ or hovercraft. This enabled us to skim thrillingly over the ice safe in the knowledge that if it cracked we weren’t going through and into the depths below. And what depths. Baikal is 1637m deep at it’s most abyssal point, and as a result the water remains startlingly, scrotum-shrinkingly cold even in midsummer. It’s also terrifyingly clear with visibility up to 40m down resulting in some swimmers suffering from vertigo – not something you expect whilst taking a dip (but at least it might take your mind off your freezing testicles).
We are almost the first tourists of the season on the island too, only being beaten to this honour by a (very nice) German couple who arrived the day before. Typical. We later met them naked in the banya, so made friends perhaps more quickly and intimately than we might have anticipated. Yesterday however we were literally the only guests at the homestead and as such have been treated like slightly weird, if welcome, oddities. Last night we even had a personal concert on accordion and guitar (not simultaneously I hasten to add) by Nikola the care-taker (‘Because I take care of things’). It’s like being part of a small family and a world away from the summer hordes when the dining room has fed up to 350 people in a day in high season.
Far from the madding crowd. On an island. In the middle of a frozen lake. In Siberia. Bliss.
Historically an invitation to Siberia came from Josef Stalin. Unlike Butlin’s it was to a rather different sort of camp, a gulag, or labour camp. Trips also tended to be one-way affairs, with many prisoners literally worked to death. The size and remoteness of Siberia allowed this barbaric activity to go on out of sight if not out of mind of most Russians. If Siberia was an independent nation it would still be one of the biggest countries in the world, and anywhere this size has got to have something special offer. And indeed it does!
We’ve just spent the last few days around Lake Baikal, the biggest single repository of freshwater on the planet. It’s awesome in scale. You could lose Scotland in it. If it wasn’t so far away some people might be tempted to try. It’s also currently frozen, covered with an incredible icy surface that creates a tempting white plain (up to 80km across) between the rugged black mountains that flank the water on either side. The ice is deceptive however, especially at this time of the year. During the numb winter months people happily drive 20 ton trucks across the surface on established ice roads. Come the spring melt it’s a different story. The ice softens unevenly and whilst it is safe in some areas, in others it becomes treacherously thin and downright dangerous. This year 11 vehicles have been lost and 9 people drowned in the deep dark icy waters when the apparently reliable ice has suddenly given way beneath them.
It was with this grisly fate in mind that we were somewhat thankful that the timing of our arrival on Olkhon Island (the biggest in the Lake) coincided with the deployment of a natty little ‘Padoushka’ or hovercraft. This enabled us to skim thrillingly over the ice safe in the knowledge that if it cracked we weren’t going through and into the depths below. And what depths. Baikal is 1637m deep at it’s most abyssal point, and as a result the water remains startlingly, scrotum-shrinkingly cold even in midsummer. It’s also terrifyingly clear with visibility up to 40m down resulting in some swimmers suffering from vertigo – not something you expect whilst taking a dip (but at least it might take your mind off your freezing testicles).
We are almost the first tourists of the season on the island too, only being beaten to this honour by a (very nice) German couple who arrived the day before. Typical. We later met them naked in the banya, so made friends perhaps more quickly and intimately than we might have anticipated. Yesterday however we were literally the only guests at the homestead and as such have been treated like slightly weird, if welcome, oddities. Last night we even had a personal concert on accordion and guitar (not simultaneously I hasten to add) by Nikola the care-taker (‘Because I take care of things’). It’s like being part of a small family and a world away from the summer hordes when the dining room has fed up to 350 people in a day in high season.
Far from the madding crowd. On an island. In the middle of a frozen lake. In Siberia. Bliss.
January 28, 2008
Ohio State Catches Baikal Fever
Ohio State University is now starting an environmental study abroad program dealing with environmental issues in Siberia, as well as language and culture. The program is based in Tomsk, but will include trips to other important sites, including Baikal - the most important of them all. The program looks like a good introduction to environmental issues, as well as Russian language and culture. The deadline for applications this year has passed, but hopefully the program will be a success and continue in the future, introducing more people to the beauty of Baikal.
Here's the program's website which contains all the basic information, hopefully they'll update it with pictures of their travels this summer:
http://cfaes.osu.edu/current-students/get-involved/folder.2007-11-06.3186332430/russia/
http://cfaes.osu.edu/current-students/get-involved/folder.2007-11-06.3186332430/russia/
November 1, 2007
How does Irkutsk look like?
I found a great website about Baikal region with a huge collection on real-life photos. It is about Irkutsk mostly. Actually this website existed for a long time, but I've just 're-found' it. It is in russian, but english speaking people can use some of the features available on this website, like dayly-updated photo collections.
Photos showing Irkutsk city;
people, who live in Irkutsk and around Baikal;
Baikal, for shure.
NOTE: There is a navigation tool on top of each photo. You can use it to switch to different photos.
Photos showing Irkutsk city;
people, who live in Irkutsk and around Baikal;
Baikal, for shure.
NOTE: There is a navigation tool on top of each photo. You can use it to switch to different photos.
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