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Lake Baikal has many rivers flowing into it, but only one flowing out: the mighty Angara. This latter flows out with such a powerful stream, that even in the coldest winter, the initial kilometer of the river never freezes. To the left in this picture, the frozen surface of Lake Baikal. |
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The ice is usually two meters thick on the lake, in places even more. Enough to support heavy duty transport across its surface, which becomes a convenient highway. |
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On clear days (which are the rule in winter thanks to the siberian anticyclone), it is easy to see the other bank of the lake towards the East, only about 40 km away in this point. In the North-South direction however, lake Baikal extends for almost 700 km. It is about 1.6km deep, and it alone contains about 20% of the fresh water in the world (more than the north-american Great Lakes combined). |
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Lake Baikal and the surrounding taiga on a calm winter day. What could be more effective in describing the heart of Siberia? |
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The ubiquitous tourist happily spoiling the background. |
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The village of Listvyanka. Here many people from the big city Irkutsk have their summer dacias, but in winter it's a quiet atmosphere. |
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On the road to Listvyanka, a small museum is dedicated to Lake Baikal. In these days of difficult economy, it's run only thanks to the enthusiasm of a few, and its run-down appearance from outside can be deceiving. Inside however, there's a wealth of information and specimens. Lake Baikal is home to the nerpa (phoca sibirica), a seal found only here. |
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Dawn casts long shadows over the houses and laboratories of the Mondy astronomical observatory, at the southern border of Buryatia. |
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Astronomers begin their daily routines at the solar telescope, housed in this dome with an original design. |
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South across the fence, lie the frozen, motionless plains of Mongolia. The border is patrolled daily by Red Army soldiers, that walk up and down along it for kilometers. In winter, temperatures and winds make this less than pleasant a stroll. |
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The Sayan mountain range presents itself with a beautiful view. |
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The ubiquitous tourist braves a temperature of -35C for yet one more souvenir picture. |
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In the early morning of a cold winter day, Ulan Ude is not very welcoming. The capital of Buryatia boasts the largest statue-head of Mr. Lenin in Russia (and presumably the world). |
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The Hodigitria Cathedral in downtown Ulan-Ude. The state in which this monument is left is really a shame, expecially since inside it there is supposedly a collection of art works but it was impossible to enter. The park in front has a children playground where the little ones have a great time even in winter. It is also a meeting point for some interesting characters, which will always pull out a bottle of vodka (or so they say) from up their sleeve and crack the most unbelievable stories. If you are game, be prepared to meet the whole neighbourhood. |
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The Ivolginsk datsan, or buddhist temple. Buryatia is largely buddhist (like neighbouring Mongolia), and Ivolginsk is the largest centre of this religion in the russian territory. The complex is interesting more for its colors than for its architecture, but inside the temples (sorry, no photos allowed) there are some beautifil statues. Try to visit it with a local to learn the interesting story of this temple. |
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The main temple in the Ivolginsk complex. |
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A view from the top over Ulan-Ude. |
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The East- and West-bound Transiberian trains cross each other at the Ulan-Ude station. |
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The frozen Selenga river provides relaxing walks and convenient shortcuts in the heart of the city. |
