The nature of Tatarstan is amazingly diverse. And it is precisely this diversity that our article will be devoted to. Rivers and springs, lakes and ponds, picturesque ravines, pastel-colored hills and colorful meadows - this region is beautiful at any time of the year.
The main theme of our story will be the lakes of Tatarstan. You will find a list and descriptions of the largest reservoirs in the region in this article.
Brief geography of Tatarstan
Tatarstan is a republic within the Russian Federation, the eighth in population and the 44th in its area. It is located in the northern part of the Volga region, in the place where the two largest rivers of Europe - the Volga and Kama - connect their waters. Tatarstan is adjacent to Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, the Republic of Mari El, Samara, Orenburg, Kirov and Ulyanovsk regions. The main cities of the republic are Kazan (the capital), Naberezhnye Chelny, Nizhnekamsk, Zelenodolsk.
The extreme northern point of Tatarstan is located on the 56th parallel, and the extreme southern - on the 53rd. The distance between these two points is almost 300 kilometers. From west to east, the region stretches for 450 km.
The territory of the republic is located within the Volga-Ural anteclise of a rather large tectonic structure - the Russian platform. A number of combustible and non-metallic minerals are extracted in the region (gas, oil, coal, bitumen, sands, building stone).
In general, Tatarstan is a well-developed and important economic region of the country with developed industry and agriculture. Its development was promoted by a favorable economic and geographical position (at the junction of Europe and Asia), the proximity of the raw material bases of Siberia and the powerful industrial centers of the Urals.
The diversity of nature of Tatarstan
The region is located away from the seas, oceans and mountain systems. Nevertheless, its nature is distinguished by its beauty and great diversity.
The climate of the region is temperate continental. It is warm in summer and not very cold in winter. In short, the climate is ideal for human life and agricultural development. A curious fact: with a relatively small territory, climatic conditions in different parts of the republic differ significantly. So, against the background of its "cool" areas (the Pre-Kama and East Zakamye), Western Zakamye is noticeably distinguished by its warmth and frequent droughts.
Once upon a time, forests covered almost half of Tatarstan. But man through his active economic activity has greatly changed the nature of the region. The untouched steppes were plowed up, and forests were cut down. Today, forests occupy no more than 20% of the republic. However, in absolute terms, the area of the "green carpet" of Tatarstan is about one million hectares. An impressive indicator that preserves the title of the most wooded region of the entire Volga region for Tatarstan.
Another natural wealth is the lakes of Tatarstan. They are widely used for water supply of settlements, as well as for recreation. Many of them are also suitable for fishing, such as Lake Bishops. Tatarstan is often called the "country of four rivers", referring to the Volga, Kama, Vyatka and Belaya. In total within this region there are about 3 thousand rivers and rivulets. But few people know that there are even more lakes!
Lakes of the republic: general characteristics and list
Lakes of Tatarstan - how many of them all? Hydrologists counted at least 8 thousand natural reservoirs within the region. In addition, in Tatarstan in the second half of the 20th century, four large reservoirs and 550 artificial ponds were created.
Most of the lakes of this region are of the genesis type as floodplain and karst. More than 40 species of bone fish are found in the reservoirs of Tatarstan: pike perch, bream, catfish, common carp, pike and others. There are only 30 large lakes in the republic. Middle Kaban is the largest lake in Tatarstan. The area of its water mirror is 112 hectares.
The lakes of Tatarstan are mostly shallow. Most of them have a depth of not more than three meters. The deepest reservoirs of Tatarstan are Tarlashinsky Lake and Aktashsky Dip.
Of course, to describe and list all the reservoirs of the republic in one article is simply impossible. Below are the largest lakes of Tatarstan (the list includes the ten largest reservoirs, see table).
|
No. |
Lake name |
Area (in hectares) |
|
1 |
Middle Boar |
112 |
|
2 |
Kovalinskoye |
88 |
|
3 |
Tarlashinskoe |
60 |
|
4 |
Lower Boar |
56 |
|
5 |
Swan lakes |
34 |
|
6 |
Pick |
33 |
|
7 |
Raif |
32 |
|
eight |
Ilinsky |
28 |
|
nine |
Upper boar |
25 |
|
ten |
Salamykovskoe |
24 |
We will talk about the most interesting and famous lakes of Tatarstan below.
Blue Lakes
Tatarstan is a forest, river and, of course, a lake region. Moreover, many natural reservoirs of the republic are popular places of recreation and recreation for local residents. A vivid example of this is the Blue Lakes located on the outskirts of Kazan.
This is a hydrological system of three small lakes with a total area of 0.3 hectares - Flowing, Big and Small Blue Lakes. All of them are elders of the Kazanka River, which two hundred years ago were complicated by the suddenly formed karst craters.
Blue lakes are proudly called the natural miracle of Tatarstan. Depending on the season, the water in them changes its color from black to azure. A unique salt mud is extracted from the bottom of the lakes, with the help of which many skin diseases are treated. These ponds are also very fond of divers and walruses, who traditionally make New Year's dives here.
The study of the nature of lakes began in 1829, the local historian Karl Fuchs. In 1994, the eponymous nature reserve “Blue Lakes” was established here.
Tatarstan can tell many more interesting stories about its reservoirs. Let's continue our virtual journey through the lakes of this beautiful region!
Bishop's lake
Bishop's (or Tarlashinskoe) lake is a drainless karst reservoir near the village of Tarlashi in the Laishevsky district. It is stretched more than two kilometers in length with a maximum width of 500 meters. The greatest depth of the lake is 18 meters.
Bishop Lake is declared a natural monument, because it is unique in its origin. In addition, it feeds primarily on groundwater. Unfortunately, the shores of the lake today are actively overgrown with spontaneous and unauthorized beaches.
Near the surface of the Lake of Bishops, a beautiful stone church dating from the 19th century is preserved. A fabulous view of the old church opens from the opposite shore of the reservoir.
Lake Raifa
20 kilometers west of Kazan is Lake Raifa. On its shores is the complex of the Bogoroditsky Monastery, a valuable architectural monument of the 17th century. The high white bell tower of the monastery, combined with the smooth surface of Lake Raifa, is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque landscapes of all of Tatarstan.
Today, the area of the lake is about 32 hectares. The reservoir has an oval shape, its total length is 1.3 kilometers. The maximum depth of Lake Raifa is 19 meters. In recent decades, it has been reduced due to the active processes of siltation of the reservoir.
Republic karst abyss
Lake Aktash Failure in the Almetyevsk region is the deepest in Tatarstan. Its depth reaches 28 meters! This pond is nothing more than a karst dip filled with water. It was formed relatively recently - in the 1930s. According to one version, the earth in this place failed due to voids, which, in turn, remained from old oil wells.
Initially, the failure was very tiny: only 2 by 3 meters. But over time, it increased in size. The lake at the bottom of the karst funnel formed in the early 50s.
Among locals, a funny legend about the Aktash failure is popular. Rumor has it that in Soviet times a barrel was thrown into this lake, which after a certain time surfaced in the Caspian Sea.
Monster of Kara-Kul Lake
It turns out that Tatarstan has its own Loch Ness monster! It lives in the Vysokogorsky district of the republic, in a tiny lake Kara-Kul. At least, this is what a legend quite popular among the local population says.
The name of the reservoir is translated from the Tatar language as "black lake". The water in it is really very dark in color due to the active dissolution of karst rocks. Many eyewitnesses say that they managed to see the mysterious lake monster or hear its wild roar. True, they describe it all in different ways.
Whether any mythical creature lives in Kara-Kul Lake is actually unknown. But perches, carps and silver carp feel fine in its waters.
