In every city there are favorite places for anglers, where they usually go fishing. There is such a place for fish lovers in the city of Kurchatov. This is the Kurchatov reservoir. When it was formed, what is especially and why attracts fishermen and not only, we will tell further.
Kurchatov city: the beginning
Before talking about the Kurchatov reservoir, we will get to know a little closer to the city itself. It is located in the Kursk region, just 37 kilometers from Kursk itself. This town is quite small - a little more than 38 thousand people live in it (there is a tendency to a decrease in the number of inhabitants from year to year). And he is relatively young, was founded only in 1968, therefore, in the current celebrate the anniversary - fifty years. Initially, in the city of Kurchatov, which, by the way, as you can easily guess, was named after the famous Russian physicist Igor Kurchatov, there were various villages. There were quite a few of them, some gradually deteriorated and disappeared, some still held on to life. However, in the mid-sixties of the last century, when a decree was issued on the construction of the Kursk nuclear power plant, for a group of workers who arrived to erect it, they began hastily erecting a workers' village so that they had a place to live. This place, which appeared in 1968, was originally designed for no more than eighteen thousand people and for some time remained nameless, three years later it was called the village of Kurchatov. And twelve years later (in 1983), the settlement, already by that time quite overgrown, was given the status of a city.
City today
Today, Kurchatov is the third largest city in the Kursk region. In addition, it is one of the most comfortable cities in the aforementioned region, which for its purity and beauty several times received even all-Russian prizes.
Distinctive features of this settlement are, firstly, the complete absence of a private sector in it, and secondly, the ridiculously simple street layout, which makes it very easy for Kurchatov to navigate to a person who is poorly oriented in the area.
sights
Despite its rather modest size, Kurchatov boasts various attractions. Among them are the stele in honor of the builders of the power plant, the local history museum, Freedom Square, the five thousandth stadium - and so on. And the Kurchatov Reservoir, or, in other words, the cooling pond, which is located just near this city (more specifically, near the village of Shchetinka), is one of the brightest sights.
Briefly about the main thing
The reservoir of the city of Kurchatov is also called the cooling pond of the Kursk atomic station. And this pond appeared in 1976-1977 of the last century in the floodplain of the Seim River, which just flows near Kurchatov. Why a pond cooler? The thing is that the main function of the Kurchatov reservoir from the moment of its launch to this day has been and remains the maintenance of the work of the heat exchange equipment and the protection system of the aforementioned station. Thanks to the cooling pond, water continuously enters the cooling systems of the nuclear power plant reactors.
Reservoir features
A feature of the reservoir is that a huge number of different species of fish live in it. Moreover, the special workshops of the Kursk Power Plant are additionally bred by some owners of gills and scales so that they carry out biological water purification. In addition, many different birds live near the reservoir. They nest there because this local "sea" does not freeze in winter.
We will describe in more detail about different representatives of the animal world on the reservoir of the city of Kurchatov below, but for now it’s worth adding that for the residents of the city this place was not only an opportunity to fish successfully, but also to have a good rest. Fortunately, the territory allows: the area of the Kurchatov reservoir is almost twenty square kilometers - a very impressive figure. The depth at the "sea" near Kursk in some places reaches seventeen meters.
Fauna of the reservoir
So, who exactly lives in the territory of this water body? Fans of fishing on the Kurchatov Reservoir know: there it is easy to meet carp and silver carp, pike perch and bream, ide and pike, tilapia and roach and many others. A choice for every taste, or rather, a mouth.
Among the birds, there is also a considerable variety: mallard, and terns, and moorhen, and whooper swan, and loon, and mustachioed tit - and many more diverse representatives of birds, more than a hundred or more species. All these waterfowers have a great winter near this water resource.
Exotic inhabitants
Not only fish living creatures (among which, incidentally, there are also representatives quite unusual for these latitudes, for example, tilapia, as well as black and white grass carp), the local cooling pond is famous. Seafood lovers can rejoice: relatively recently appeared in the Kurchatov reservoir and shrimp. The most real, representatives of one of the "shrimp" species. This information was confirmed by experts, since the inhabitants were at first somewhat frightened by the appearance of strange creatures with gray claws in the pond. All the "fault" is good ecology. It is thanks to her that the inhabitants swim and settle here in the reservoir of the city of Kurchatov, by all logic, unable to live there. However, these shrimps were not inspired by local gourmets. According to reviews, their meat is fresh, tasteless, and indeed, "there is nothing there."
Fishing features
According to the opinions of amateur connoisseurs, fishing at the Kurchatov Reservoir is not necessary at times. Sometimes a bite is good, just have time to cast a fishing rod, on other days there is nothing for several hours. Fishermen suggest that this is due to the fact that there are a lot of poachers on the Kurchatov Reservoir (photo of the reservoir) that scatter the nets. A net to catch a fish, of course, is easier than throwing a fishing rod.
Some have expressed concerns about whether to take the caught fish home and eat it. The thing is that the water in the local "sea" is rather polluted: waste from the city is discharged into it, and vacationers on the reservoir do not disdain the opportunity to litter near the cooling pond. The nuclear station is again nearby: what if the water is radioactive? Those expressing such doubts object with a laugh: the water is not more technogenic than the air (and some say that the Moscow River is of the worst quality according to the indicators), but the fish is oily and very tasty. Be that as it may, the parties are unlikely to convince each other, but there will be enough space for the reservoir of this city for everyone: those who are fishing is just a sport, and those who thus earn their own food.
Rest on the Kurchatov reservoir
At this pond come not only those who love fishing, but everyone who wants to just have a good time and relax. Especially, of course, this applies to the warm season. There are two ways to relax: just come and walk along the beautiful, clean, well-groomed, well-equipped promenade, admire the beautiful views that open from it, for example, the picturesque landscapes of the Cousin Mountain. This is the name of the ancient settlement located on the prominent cape to the river, another attraction of Kurchatov. Or go sunbathing on the beach of the Kurchatov Reservoir. Strictly speaking, there are several beaches there, and all of them are more "wild" than equipped. Of course, the second vacation option is suitable exclusively for the summer, because on hot summer days it is so great to lie in the sand near the water, enjoying the sun. One can argue, of course: if it is a cooling pond, what kind of beaches are we talking about? There is probably ice water!
The thing is that the Kurchatov reservoir is divided in half by an oblique, and on the one hand the water is really cold, and on the other it is warm, even hot. It has already been mentioned above that water does not freeze in winter: even in the most severe frosts, it does not get colder than five to seven degrees above zero. The water temperature in the Kurchatov reservoir in the warm season reaches even forty degrees with a plus sign - very extreme temperatures! So the availability of beaches is justified.
Is it possible to swim in the Kurchatov reservoir
Beaches are beaches, but not everyone likes to just roll thoughtlessly on the sand, some have the opportunity to plunge. Can this be done in the aforementioned body of water?
Unfortunately not. The water here is dirty, and this local "sea" is considered more a technical water resource. There are special signs showing that swimming is forbidden, however, it’s worth being honest, it doesn’t stop the especially zealous water fans. That is why often approaches to the beaches of the reservoir are dug up, in addition, special patrols are sent there to expel careless bathers, and they also do not allow the sale of soft drinks near this reservoir so that there is no temptation, so to speak. Kurchatov residents are invited to swim at other beaches in specially designated areas.
How to get to the pond
As mentioned above, this reservoir is located near the village of Shchetinka, therefore, to get to its coast, you need to find yourself in the specified settlement. It is separated from Kurchatov by a little less than sixty kilometers, which can be overcome by car in an hour, or even faster - depending on how you drive. Also, to this settlement, regular buses run with the help of which you can end up on the reservoir. Routes run regularly and at short intervals, especially in the summer.
