The hotel “Mayak”is situated in Lystvyanka village of Irkutsk
region on the board of the lake
Baikal. There are a lot
of nature, museum and historical objects around frequently visiting by
tourists.
How to get to:
It’s simple to get to Lystvyanka by car
through the Baikal high road (60
km), also in the summertime it’s possible to get here by
motor ship from the landing stage “Raketa” in Irkutsk. Every day you can get by bus and
mini-bus № 524 according with its schedule each 30 minutes. The first bus goes
to Lystvyanka at 8.30 in
the morning. It takes about an hour to get to Lystvyanka.
On the way to Lystvyanka:
The
museum of architecture and ethnography «Taltsy».
It’s located in 47 km
from Irkutsk,
near to the route. “Taltsy” is one of the greatest open-air museums in
Russia. You can
see with life and traditions of Buryats, Rusians and Tofalars. The
cultural and historical center enjoys over 40 monuments of stone and
wooden
architecture, among them are monuments of urban architecture, buildings
of
services, churches, museums and theatres, and 8000 exhibits on the
surface of 67 hectares. The idea
of creation an unusual open-air museum is connected with the building of
hydro
power station on the boards of Angara and Ilim
rivers. There were three-centuries-years-old villages which were sank
and for
saving the valuable Siberian historical monuments the Irkutsk government
decided to create the
museum of wooden architecture and culture. Farther on the way
to Lystvyanka you pass across the
«Big river» village
which was established in 1930s as a place for ex-exiles.
Yuriy Panov is a famous person in this area, he is a painter having
passed 10
years in prison camps. He created three sculptures of a tree trunk for
the
victims of Stalin’s repressions and put them near to his house. He
became one
of the heroes of the documental film “20th century. Time of truth”
which was shut in 1988 by the Gorkiy’s film studio. Here
you
see Lystvyanka Lystvyanka is a
little village
on the South board of Baikal, near to the Angara
river head. Pressed between the lake’s board and Primorskiy mountain
ridge it
spreads for 5 km.
For a number of people the meeting with the
lake starts from this geographical
point.
History of
Lystvyanka
Lystvyanka is one of the oldest villages
on Baikal. The exact date of
its establishment is not known but they say that it was established by
Kazaks
and settlers in the beginning of 18th century. The village was
firstly mentioned in chronicles in the end of 18th century. We begin our
excursion from the Angara
river head. Lystvyanka is situated in the unique place near to
the Angara river
head, the only river escaping Baikal. The
width of source is 863 meter. You can see
the top of the stone mentioned in legends in a half kilometer. The very big
unfrozen patch of
the river source became the place of wintering for many
waterfowls. Here you see the famous Shaman-stone.
The Shaman-stone is a symbol
of Baikal. The most famous legend about this stone tells that a time ago
the
old man Baikal wanted his daughter Ahgara marry the young warrior named
Irkut.
But rebellious Angara, fallen in love with
bogatyr Enisey, run to him. The angry dad hurled behind his daughter a
great
rock – the Shaman-stone. From the ancient time they gave the stone with
the
mysterious power. Buryats believe that the all-powerful spirits inhabit
on the
stone and it was the Shaman-stone as a place of the Angara’s
owner – Ama Sagan Noyona. Here they prayed and made the important
ceremonies,
here they made the justice – they brought a criminal and left him on a
top of a
stone. If the Baikal water didn’t wash off the criminal, they justified
him.
In
winter in the unfrozen patch of Angara river
that spreads from 5 to 15 km
there winter 15 thousand of waterfowls.
Next to the entry of the
village the monument of famous writer and dramatist A.Vampilov is
situated. He
died near to this place in 1972. He is an author of the famous pieces
like “The
elder son”, “Duck hunt” and the others. The motor boat in which Vampilov
with
his friend were passing from the port Baikal to Lystvyanka turned over.
Each
year in august the Irkutsk
theatergoers visit this place. Studies of
Baikal Today in Lysvyanka
there is situated the only museum
of studying the lake Baikal in Russia
– the Baikal museum, made on the base of Limnological institute
of Russian Academy of
Sciences. This is the only museum which has an exposition introducing
the
history of studies of Baikal, its flora and fauna. You can see aquariums
with
Baikal animals and fish: omul, grayling, salmon and Baikal seal. In this
museum
you can see these clever and attractive creatures. The performance lasts
for 15
minutes but it will impress you for a long time. The Baikal seal is an
only
seal in the whole world that lives in fresh water. There meet the Baikal
seal
round all Baikal particulary in its North and middle parts, on the
Ushkaniy
islands. The origin of the Baikal seal is not known. The Baikal seal
eats
during the year about one tonne of fish. In trying to find fish it dives
at the
depth of 200 meters
and stay under water for 20-25 minutes. The maximum speed of swimming is
20-25 km for an hour. The male
seals are about 130-150 kg
and 1,8 meters
in length, the female seals are much smaller. The Baikal seal lives for
56
years.
The
museum exposition receives guests every day from 9.00 to 19.00. The cost
is 200
rubles for adults, for children under 12 years old – 100 rubles, for
foreigners
– 350 rubles for a person. Tel. (3952) 490-155, 490-186, museum site - www.baikalmuseum.irk.ru. The Baikal seal show you also can
enjoy in
the seal aquarium, not so far
from the Hotel «Mayak».
n
winter in the unfrozen patch of Angara river
that spreads from 5 to 15 km
there winter 15 thousand of waterfowls.