02.09.2017

Lake Onega is the most beautiful reservoir in the North-West of Russia with crystal clear fresh water. The untouched nature of the shores and small islets, as well as historical and cultural monuments (rock paintings, a wooden cathedral and others) are the perfect combination for an interesting and memorable vacation. What interesting facts should you know before going to Lake Onega?

  1. There are a lot of islands on the lake - about 1650, and they are concentrated mainly in the northern part of the water area.
  2. The largest Onega island is Bolshoi Klimetsky with several settlements, a school, and the ruins of a monastery. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Bolshoi Klimetsky Island is 147 km².
  3. The calmest and most favorable season for tourism on the lake is summer, although strong storms occur at any time of the year, waves rise up to 4-5 meters and cause the death of even experienced fishermen and tourists.
  4. The approach of a storm on the lake is determined by several signs, for example, by a sharp drop in pressure or the rapid movement of clouds, although the wind blows weakly near the ground.
  5. "Galician ruffs" and "Shelonik" are local names for winds. The first is squally, blowing from the southeast, creating waves with "lambs" on the tops. The second blows strongly from the southwest and is very dangerous for small ships.
  6. For the safety of merchant ships sailing across the lake, back in the 19th century. along the southern coast, a bypass channel was built, where one could not be afraid of a storm.
  7. The sites of ancient people discovered on the Bolshoy and Maly Lelikovsky Islands indicate that the shores of the lake were inhabited as early as the 4th-3rd millennia BC.
  8. About the same time (IV-III thousand years BC), the petroglyphs are dated, which in groups cover the rocks at the capes of Besov Nos, Peri Nos, Kladovets and some others. In total, more than a thousand images of people, animals, birds have been found. The most famous trinity is the demon, the otter and the burbot.
  9. The village of Pegrema on the Zaonezh Peninsula is considered the place where the ancient sanctuary was located, because at the end of the 20th century, about 100 bizarre boulders were found there, depicting various animals and people, including, for example, a human skull.
  10. The famous museum of wooden architecture on the island of Kizhi includes exhibits brought from different islands of the lake and from all over Karelia, and on Kizhi itself by 1966 (the formation of the reserve) there were only two churches and a bell tower.
  11. In total, there are 552 man-made monuments on the shores of the lake and on the islands, dating back to different periods of human history.
  12. In 1938-1952, a hydroelectric power station was built on the Svir River flowing out of the lake. It has its own river reservoir (Verkhnesvirskoe), but Lake Onega itself is also considered a natural reservoir, its flow is regulated.
  13. Shungite is a rock that is used in metallurgy, construction, water filtration and even in alternative medicine. The largest deposits in Russia are on the Zaonezhsky peninsula and along the northern shore of the lake.
  14. 24 lighthouses were built on the shores of Lake Onega. Most of them no longer work (Anzhepsky, Andomsky, Besov Nos, Dry Nos, Vasilisin, Monac, etc.), but some still serve for navigation purposes (for example, Garnitsky in the harbor of Petrozavodsk)
  15. The multi-day sailing regatta has been annually held in the lake water area since 1972. This is the main sports event in Karelia with international status. The start and finish of the race are in Petrozavodsk.

Moreover, Lake Onega is an important transport facility. Vessels along it can pass along the Svir to Ladoga, along the White Sea-Baltic Canal - to the White Sea, and from there to Moscow, the Volga and further to the southern seas.

No wonder Karelia is called the land of blue lakes. After all, there are over 60 thousand of them. It so happened that of the two largest such bodies of water - Onega and Lake Ladoga, throughout history, seem to compete with each other in their superiority. Yes, Onega lake both in depth and in area it is twice shallower, but its waters, into which more than 1150 rivers flow (in comparison: only 35 rivers flow into Ladoga), wash 1650 islands (which is 2.5 times more than in Ladoga). Even in terms of the quality of the water, Onego plugs in the belt, that there is already Ladoga, Baikal itself!
The shores in the northern part of the lake are elevated, densely covered with forest and rather strongly indented by bays, capes, lips, cliffs, in the southern half they are low, mostly swampy.
Mainly on Onego Storms are frequent when the waves reach a height of over 2 meters, but there are exceptions with breezes and calm in the summer months.

History of Lake Onega

Onega lake refers to the basin of the Baltic Sea and spreads out in the southeastern part of Karelia, similar in shape to a kind of monster, stretching either claws or tentacles in the form of bays to the north.
In this connection, the name of the lake has not been established to this day. However, there are several versions of its origin. According to the first, aniz translated from Finnish means "significant", which corresponds to the impressive size of the reservoir, because it is not for nothing that it is listed as the second largest in Europe. According to another version, from the Sami "onego" is translated as sand, i.e. "a lake with a sandy bottom". Another assumption is "low-lying plain" (a lake formed in the lowland) or the Finnish version - "sound", explained by the echo reflected from the rocks that prevail in these places.
Previously, the Finns called Onego "the steaming lake" because of the frequent and dense fogs over the reservoir.
The hollow of Lake Onega was formed as a result of glacier activity in the place of collapses in the earth's crust, so great depths are characteristic here, reaching their maximum of 130 meters.

Islands

Most of the islands are concentrated in the northern and northeastern parts of Onega.
Zaonezhye - the largest peninsula on the lake. This area is included in the UNESCO heritage list as a unique area, the only one in all of Europe. There are many interesting objects scattered here and there on the islands and shores of Zaonezhie: villages, famous and not so famous, with old huts, churches, chapels. Among travelers, Zaonezhye is nicknamed "Russian Rome". The Kizhi chernozems are home to diverse and unique vegetation for other islands. So every 100 meters, one type of forest is replaced by another.
On one of these islands there is pearl of Onega lake and Zaonezhya, the visiting card of Karelia - a whole museum, which has concentrated the masterpieces of wooden architecture in the open air, famous all over the world - Kizhi.
The history of the island began in the 10th century, when the local lands inhabited by Finnish tribes - Korela and all (from which the Vepsians and Karelians originated), gradually began to be mastered by the Novgorodians. This mixture of two nationalities left an imprint on the formation of the culture of the island (which affected the local dialect, architecture, epics).

Another specially protected part belongs to the Kizhi Museum-Reserve - the Kizhi Skerries, which are a maze of numerous islands of various shapes and sizes: from large to very tiny. Some are covered with tall grass meadows, some are dense forests, some have inland lakes, others are swamps.

The most valuable natural objects of the Kizhi skerries are:

Inner lakes and marshes on Klimetsky Island are a stopover and resting place for swans and geese, as well as a nesting place for a crane. Here you can see rare species of insectivorous plants.

Volkostrov Island a kilometer north of the Kizhi island. These are rocks, famous for the production of Volkostrovsk amethysts and overgrown with meadows, and in the center of the object there is a grassy swamp with a number of rare plants of the republic. Visited only along special routes.

Radkolje Island - a rocky island, therefore, the soil cover is very stony, and therefore it is impossible to find a forest here, except that birches and pines grow in small groups, and rare plant species for this region, as well as aboriginal plant species, are of particular interest.

Lelikovo Island long overgrown with grass up to the waist, a few houses with tiny windows. And at the very beginning of the 19th century, there were over 280 inhabitants and 90 households. The bulk of the population was made up of Novgorodians who fled from the oppression of their boyars. Their main occupation was arable farming. Therefore, there are no forests here, since the trees were cleaned out to create arable land.
The church in the name of the Holy Forerunner was built by a local merchant Kleer. The entire object fell into disrepair, the iconostasis was completely plundered. And even if the church is not a masterpiece, it is a heritage from our ancestors. Here, to this day, a hundred-year-old two-storey stone house has survived, in which the founder of the shrine lived.

There is a sacred grove near the village of Podjelniki. Ancient spruces are concentrated around the local chapel, the maximum diameter of the trunks of which reaches a meter.
The wooden chapel of Praskeva Pyatnitsa and Varlaam Khutynsky (1750) is not functioning, the iconostasis has not survived. It consists of two rectangular log cabins, set back to back. The wider of them is the canopy with the porch, narrower is the chapel itself. A six-sided bell tower rises above the entrance. The belfry tent is supported by a support of pillars and ends with onion domes. Both log cabins are covered with a gable roof. On the south side the chapel has a bench for rest, where you will have the opportunity to breathe in the aroma of freshly cut hay and rosemary, to see how cloudberries and cranberries ripen in a swamp nearby.

Thermokarst sinkholes in the central part of Kizhi Island (100 meters west of the village of Yamka) illustrate a complete picture of how the landscape was formed. When the glacier melted, rivers with melt water formed in its thickness. The sand and gravel absorbed blocks of ice, which subsequently melted and formed caves, the vaults of which were so fragile that they collapsed and formed craters.

Deer Island

12 km east of the island of Kizhi, with an area of \u200b\u200bjust over 1 sq.km., it is an archaeological monument of the republic, since there are preserved limestone deposits formed by the remains of sponges, mosses, corals and blue-green algae more than 2 billion years old. In the 17th century, limestone was mined on the island, during which a burial ground with the bones of an ancient man was discovered, presumably considered an ancestor who stood at the origins of the formation of the Sami people, as well as numerous hunting and fishing tools, and decorations.

The village of Suisar, Prionezhsky region (50 km from Petrozavodsk), founded in the 16th century, has preserved the original historical layout and the remains of a relict spruce grove. But the local old smithy was transported to the Kizhi island and is now presented as an exhibit. Nowadays Suisar is an integral anchorage of the yacht regatta, which is held annually in Lake Onega

"Osudareva's road"

The exact location of the path was not recorded in historical sources. It stretched through swampy forests, from the village of Nyukhcha in the White Sea to Povenets in Lake Onega, with the goal of secretly leaving the troops of Peter I to the Swedish fortress Noteburg, in order to conquer and return to Russia the banks of the Neva and access to the Baltic coast at the beginning of the 18th century. The road is 260 km long. was laid out in 14 days and overcame on foot by battalions in 8 days, which is a complete paradox in history.


A couple of kilometers from the Village of Pegrema, Medvezhyegorsky District, surrounded by a pine forest - there is a complex of the same name, which was so carefully hidden by nature in dense grass, was opened for everyone to see thanks to the fire: boulders in the form of human figures, animal figures "Duck", "Frog "that served as idols for worshiping the souls of the dead, circles-amulets from boulders laid out by a snail. Burials of an ancient man were discovered on the territory of the monument

Klimetsky Island is the largest on the way to Kizhi Island (7 km from the reserve) with a length of 30 km. These places became famous by local storytellers in various legends and epics. In addition, Klimetsky gained special fame, perhaps, as the most mysterious, shrouded in many inexplicable stories: vibration of the earth under his feet, oppressive buzzing, causing terrible headaches, disappearances of people in one place and appearance in a completely different place, memory gaps and much more.

On the same island, you can see the ruins and in some places preserved frescoes of the Klimetsky Monastery (16th century). According to legend, the Novgorod merchant Klim was caught by a storm during the next trade route, and having prayed for salvation, he promised the Almighty to build a monastery in this place. Soon, deserts appeared on the island. After this incident, Klim spent the rest of his life in seclusion in the holy monastery. Despite the dilapidated building, the atmosphere here is peaceful.

International memorial cemetery Sandarmokh, Medvezhyegorsk district, highway A119 to Povenets, 12 km. from Medvezhyegorsk.
The place in the 30s of the 20th century was used as a shooting and burial place for victims of Stalinist repressions (there are about 7 thousand people of 60 nationalities). These were mainly prisoners of the White Sea-Baltic Canal and the Solovetsky camps.
In the nearby chapel there is a book that lists the names of the people who were shot. Birds do not sing here, there are no traces of animals. Now steles and crosses are installed here.

Places of petroglyphs - The eastern shores of Lake Onega are mainly represented by rocky capes that keep the monuments of the stone chronicle - petroglyphs, represented by signs, drawings of animals, birds and transmitting the consciousness of those people who lived here in the millennium BC. Until now, the meaning of many has not been unraveled by scientists.

Cape Besov nose is the richest in petroglyphs. Of this abundance, the most famous drawing in the form of a demon is more than 2 meters in length. A lighthouse that is no longer active rises on the cape. The rocky island "Besikha" stretches 200 meters to the east of the cape. It is worth noting that Besov's nose is a landmark in the Onega regatta.

Cape Peri Nos is located a kilometer north of Besov Cape. Of all the petroglyphs in the Onega complex, half are on this cape. Some of the petroglyphs are located at the bottom of the lake. The edges of the cape are heavily indented with seven promontories of various sizes with rock carvings near the water, between which bays and bays are concentrated.

West bank

Shoksha - an old Vepsian village 60 km. from Petrozavodsk. The history of the village began with the mining and processing of raspberry quartzite. This is the only deposit of the royal and time-tested stone. It was used in the decoration of the Kazan Cathedral, the Mausoleum, the Winter Palace, and was also supplied to France for the tombstone of Napoleon.
16 km from Shoksha, you will see the ruins of one of the oldest in Karelia, the Annunciation Ion-Yashezersky monastery (the village of Sheltozero, surrounded by forest lambushki lakes), already mentioned in sources during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The monastery was founded by a student of Alexander Svirsky - Iona. Now the monastery is being restored.

Kolgostrov is one of the largest islands of Lake Onega, with an area of \u200b\u200babout 7 sq. Km. An interesting object on the rock "Bell" is located in the southwestern part of the island - a "ringing stone" in the form of a boulder, when hitting the top of which with a small cobblestone, the stone emits a melodic sound, reminiscent of the ringing of a church bell.

Where to stay

Rest away from civilization on the shores of the picturesque Onega Lake can be not only serene, but also comfortable accommodation, each version of which is equipped with all the conveniences of modern life. From the variety offered, any guest will find accommodation to their liking and taste.
At the recreation center "Zaonego.Ru" there are cottages with a high level of comfort (7 km from the object), a house with amenities in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kizhi skerries. Services: hunting (1000 rubles / person / day), fishing (500 rubles / 8 hours), boat trips (from 700 rubles / day), excursions (from 2000 rubles), sauna, barbecue.
The tourist base "Senoval" (village Garnitsy, 7 km. From Kizhi), guest houses with a bathhouse, kitchen, smokehouse and barbecue, shop 3 km. The cost of living is from 2800 rubles per day.
Tourist base "Big Bear" (М18, 27th km. From Medvezhyegorsk), a guest complex for 2 people. - from 1800, VIP-cottage - from 3000, cottage for a fisherman for 6 people - from 4200 rubles / day.

Fishing

IN Lake Onega there are about 50 species of fish, among them: pike, perch, bream, pike perch, catfish, burbot, sterlet and even salmon and trout. This diversity is due to the complexity of the bottom relief due to alternating depressions and increases in depths, which creates favorable conditions for its expansion.
The most common fishing method that even a beginner can master is trolling (using a boat under a motor), in which a downrigger can also be used to catch deep-sea fish. Spinning fishing is also used - throwing bait into the water, which then begins to slowly pull itself up, imitating movement to the shore.

Fishing pier, Kvartsitny village (70 km. From Petrozavodsk). Services: boats, echo sounders, brazier, smokehouse. Renting a boat for 4-5 people for 8 hours will cost about 10 thousand rubles, including the cost of fuel and fishing gear.

Country club "Silver Onega". Services: licenses for catching salmon - 500 rubles, instructor, tackle, storage of the catch - 50 rubles / piece / day. A boat for 3 people for 5 hours will be 12,000, a catamaran for 6 people for the same time - 15,000 rubles.

White nights in Karelia are considered one of the attractions of this region, and in comparison with St. Petersburg, here they are longer, starting from may holidays, and ending in August. This phenomenon is of particular interest to lovers of picturesque landscapes, when all nature is filled with magical colors. At this time of day it is quite light, almost like during the day. It was during this period that lovers extreme species recreation annually collects on the rally "White Nights".

Discover your corner in Lake Onega! Enjoy the silence of the Karelian nature and the beauty of local landscapes, get an unforgettable experience of a great vacation!

The idea to write this post was long ago. As a child, together with my parents, I regularly went to rest on Lake Onega. We went first on an inflatable boat, and then on a sailing tourist catamaran "Albatross" a significant part of it. You can read about how and what we went on in the article.

In 2017 and early 2018, we visited Lake Onega again. In this article I want to talk about some interesting places on Lake Onega and in its vicinity. Of course, this is only a small part of the natural and historical beauty of Obonezhie.

If you want to see mainly the natural beauty of Obonezhie, then some disappointment may await you on a road trip. At least I had it. Karelian beauty is visible mainly from the water: lamb's foreheads and curly rocks, miniature lakes in the rocks, along the banks of which miniature trees grow - natural "bonsai", untouched nature. And, of course, the endless Onega Lake itself. However, from time to time there are very picturesque landscapes along the road.

The logging road goes deep into the forest

Those places on Lake Onega, where you can get by car (especially if you are not an off-road enthusiast), are often very uninteresting and dirty meadows, from where all the beauty can be seen only through serious optics. But, on the other hand, you have the opportunity to visit many ancient villages, where large northern houses of the 19th century and wooden churches have been preserved. After all, the peasants, first of all, were interested in the wealth of the land and the convenience of communication, and not at all rocks and other natural beauty.

In my opinion, in order to get a complete impression of Obonezhie, you need to combine all the options for movement: on water and on land.

This place can only be reached by water: Lizhemskaya Bay. Digitized slide

A little about the geological history of Lake Onega

Lake Onega is the second largest in Europe after Ladoga Lake. It, like the rest of Fennoscandia, is distinguished by its special beauty. Here you can find some of oldest rocks on earth the age of which exceeds 3-3.5 billion years, the remains of ancient volcanoes and products of their eruptions.

Recent glaciations , the last of which (Valdai) ended about 10 thousand years ago, highlighted the ancient structure of the region. The map shows that many lakes, bays, hills - selgi and others are elongated in the direction from northwest to southeast. On the "Lamb foreheads" you can often find long parallel strokes - traces of a glacier. Boulders brought by a glacier from Scandinavia are common.

Picturesque rocks can be seen in the Unitskaya Bay. They are a veritable textbook on geology. Digitized slide

After the glacier melted, a man came to these places. Archaeological sites of world importance are located on Lake Onega: Onega petroglyphs , Oleneostrovsky burial ground of the Mesolithic era and etc.

Finds from the burial ground on the South Deer Island of Lake Onega (VI millennium BC). National Museum of the Republic of Karelia

Interesting places on Lake Onega for traveling by water

The northern part of Lake Onega is dissected by narrow long bays - "lips", which are comfortable and safe for sailing on small tourist boats - inflatable boats, kayaks, sailing tourist ships, etc. Unlike skerries, it is much less crowded here.

The most picturesque places, in my opinion, are Unitskaya and Lizhemskaya (Chorga) lips , with numerous rocky outcrops. Unitskaya Bay is very winding, with a large number of islands, the most interesting of which are sandy Transverse islands , Kolgostrov where an ancient pagan sanctuary has been preserved. There is also an abandoned pegrema village , in the vicinity of which there is a cultural and historical complex. Lizhemskaya lip is straight. There are many beautiful places, eg, sonya island , Pai-lip (or rather, its southern part, facing towards the Deer Islands). To the south, Unitskaya and Lizhemskaya lips are united into big Onego Bay whose shores are mostly sandy.

It is convenient to get to Lizhma Bay from lizhma station , located a couple of kilometers from it. Convenient descent to the water. To Unitskaya lip - from käppeselga station , then by car to the village of Unitsa, where there is a recreation center and you can leave the car. Further - only by water.

Pine on the shore. Unitskaya lip. Digitized website

Excitement in the Lizhemskaya Bay. Digitized slide

In the Lizhma Bay. Digitized slide

Happy childhood on the shores of Lake Onega. Digitized slide

Our catamaran "Albatross", on which we sailed on Lake Onega. Digitized slide

On the peninsula Zaonezhie there are a lot of beautiful small lakes, where you can get, basically, on foot along the swampy forest roads. Lovers of off-road driving can try to drive over them in cars. Especially picturesque, in my opinion, Ladmozero ... At its southern end is an old cherkasy village ... Interesting and "Hanging lakes" (for example, Tyutozero), which are located above the level of the Unitskaya Bay of Lake Onega.

A completely different beauty Great Lips and Povenets Bay ... There are forb meadows with huge boulders scattered here. People have long settled in these places, built villages and churches. An ancient trade route to the White Sea passed through these lands.

Many archaeological sites are located here, for example, the burial ground of the Mesolithic era in South Deer Island , a sanctuary on island Radkolje and others. Huge houses of the 19th century, churches and chapels have survived to this day in ancient villages. Some of them, unfortunately, drag out a miserable existence, others have already been abandoned and plundered. Therefore, it is worth taking the opportunity to see what will be irretrievably lost in a few decades. Worth visiting Kizhi skerries and themselves Kizhah ... There are many lodging islands here. However, vipers are common in the grass.

A few more years will pass, and such houses will disappear forever. Digitized slide

Ruins of the Paleostrovsky Monastery in the 1980s. Now the monastery is being restored. Digitized slide

Timber rafting in Velikaya Guba. Digitized slide

Many places on Lake Onega are associated with our recent history - the repressions of the 1930s, the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal, the Great Patriotic War. All this can be seen in Povenetsky Gulf .

If you are an experienced sailor, you can take a trip through the open part of Lake Onega to Besov Nose where ancient petroglyphs are preserved, Murom monastery and to Andoma grief , from where a magnificent panorama of the lake opens. But remember that the weather on Onego changes very quickly and in the eastern part of the lake the waves are usually especially strong.

The shores in the southern part of Lake Onega are very swampy.

Condition of roads around Lake Onega

In general, the A-119 highway in the section from Vytegra to Medvezhyegorsk is of excellent quality, but there are separate repair areas (data for 2017). There are few cars. Route P-21 "Kola" in the section from Medvezhyegorsk to Petrozavodsk is also of excellent quality, but there are much more cars.

Kola highway between Medvezhyegorsk and Petrozavodsk

More problematic, according to reviews, is the southern detour around Lake Onega between Vytegra and Petrozavodsk (highway K-224 Petrozavodsk - Oshta and 19K-038 (P37) Oshta-Vytegra and further Kargopol and Arkhangelsk). There are areas with unpaved surface here. In addition, you will have to cross the Svir River by ferry (Ascension) or make a big detour across.

The quality of smaller, local roads is much worse. Very often, dirt roads lead to the villages, on which only a car with a high ground clearance can drive. Often there are those that only a very well-prepared SUV or tractor can pass. So remember the golden rule that works great in Karelia: "The cooler the jeep, the further away the tractor."

A hut for travelers on Paliy Island (Paley Island). It is not possible to get here by car with all the desire. Digitized slide

When is the best time to go to Lake Onega?

The best time to visit Lake Onega is traditionally considered July and early August, when the weather is warmest and the white nights continue. But this is also the most mosquito time. Berries ripen - blueberries, then lingonberries. True, in the past few years the climate in these parts has changed somewhat: it is cold and it often rains. If you are traveling by car and are not afraid of the cold, then the auto travel season can start in May and end by early October.

In the rocks, you can often find such miniature lakes with decorative miniature gardens. Digitized slide

Attractions of Lake Onega and Obonezhie

For convenience, I have tried to group the landmarks by territorial basis. These are both natural attractions and cultural and historical ones. If you travel by SUV, then, of course, the geography of your trips will expand significantly. And if you still have a boat, then you can get almost anywhere.

Petrozavodsk

You should not ignore the capital of the Republic of Karelia - petrozavodsk city... Petrozavodsk is the same age. Initially, it was a settlement around the Petrovsky plant, which produced various weapons for the needs of the Russian army. In the 1770s, the Alexandrovsky plant was established here, where they created weapons and decorative products from cast iron. After the revolution, the plant was redesigned several times, producing peaceful products, and then was reorganized into the Onega Tractor Plant.

The building of the former plant management of the Onega Tractor Plant, now the business center "Yamka"

There are many attractions and museums in Petrozavodsk that are worth visiting. These are Onega embankment and port, the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia, the Museum of Precambrian Geology and others. There are also several theaters - the National Theater of Karelia, the Musical Theater of the Republic of Karelia, the Puppet Theater, the House of the Actor, etc. Another interesting attraction of Petrozavodsk is Botanical Garden, located on the northern coast of Onega Bay, on the slopes of a relict volcano. Here you can see typical Karelian landscapes, a rich collection of plants.

The gaff sloop "Messenger" in the Maritime Museum "Polar Odysseus"

It is interesting to walk along the streets of the city, where beautiful buildings of the 18th - early 20th centuries have been preserved, some of which were built in the Finnish style. On the whole, Petrozavodsk makes a very favorable impression.

Lenin Square, the former Round Square

From Petrozavodsk you can get to the famous open-air museum, located on the Kizhi island in the Great Bay of Onega Lake. The heart of the Kizhi churchyard is wooden 22-domed Church of the Transfiguration (1714), church of the Intercession of the Virgin (1764) and hipped bell tower (1863), surrounded by a fence (1959, built on the model of the fences of the northern graveyards). Around there are residential houses, chapels and churches, transported to the Kizhi Museum from different parts of Obonezhie. In addition, there are also residential villages on the island.

"Rockets" and "Meteora" regularly go to Kizhi from Petrozavodsk, travel time is about 1.5 hours. Cruise ships also stop in Kizhi. You can get to Kizhi and from the village. Great Lip. In the event of a storm warning, flights are canceled. Therefore, if the weather forecast is unfavorable, it is better to refrain from traveling. There is a chance that even if you get to Kizhi, then back to Petrozavodsk - no longer.

Kizhi. Digitized slide

On the Kizhi island. Digitized slide

However, it should be borne in mind that on such a trip you will not feel all the beauty of this place, only from a distance you will see the picturesque Kizhi skerries. Therefore, if there is a financial opportunity, it is better to get to Kizhi either by renting a boat or on your own. And be sure to stay for the night on one of the islands of the Kizhi skerries. From my own experience, I will say that this is a fantastic feeling.

Kizhi Island, digitized slide

Kivach is one of the highest lowland waterfalls in Europe. Before the construction of the cascade of dams on the Suna River, it was higher and deeper. But even now it amazes with its size. The best time to visit Kivach is May and early June, when the river is at its fullest. The waterfall is located in the Kivach nature reserve. There is also an arboretum, a nature museum and a mass grave of Soviet soldiers. Ecological routes of various lengths have been laid through the reserve.

Ancient volcano Girvas, Palleozerskaya hydroelectric power station, Suna river

Another natural attraction of Karelia is paleovolcano Girvas, which is more than 2 billion years old. In the past, the territory of Karelia has repeatedly been a zone of intense volcanism. Not far from the ancient volcano Girvas, south of the village of Girvas, is located old bed of the Suna river - dammed reservoir, Girvas dam and spillway. Slightly downstream of the Suna - shallowed by the construction of a hydroelectric power station, and once very formidable Por-threshold... Here you can also find the ancient lavas of the Girvas eruption.

Mount Sampo

Mount Sampo It is a high selga - a narrow rocky ridge stretched from north-west to south-east, formed as a result of the activity of two forces: ancient tectonic processes and recent glaciation. It is located between lakes Konchezero and Ukshozero.

The mountain got its name from the magic mill Sampo from the Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala". In the 60s of the XX century, a joint Soviet-Finnish film "Sampo" was shot in these parts. The name of the fantastic mill, which produces all earthly goods, stuck to the mountain, which soon became a tourist attraction. There is an observation deck on the top of Sampo Mountain, from where beautiful panoramas of Konchezer open up.

Resort Marcial Waters

Another interesting place is located on the road between the Girvas volcano and the Sampo mountain - balneological and mud resort "Marcial waters"... The resort was founded at the beginning of the 18th century, and Peter I also visited here. In 1964, the Marcial Waters sanatorium was established, where diseases of the blood (iron-deficiency anemia), digestive organs, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, genitourinary systems and respiratory organs. In 2003, another sanatorium was built - "Palaces".

The Museum-Reserve "Marcial Waters" preserved a wooden church of St. Peter the Apostle , built in 1721 in the form of a Lutheran temple. According to legend, the project of the temple was carried out personally by Peter I. In 2005, a church was erected in the name of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Life-giving source".

Assumption Church in Kondopoga

In the city of Kondopoga there is a unique architectural object, the pinnacle of wooden architecture -. It was built in 1774 as a memorial church to those killed during the Kizhi uprising (the uprising of the workers of the Olonets mining plants). The church stands impressively on the shore of the Kondopoga Bay of Lake Onega. In the past, she was a reference point for sailors. At present, a museum is open in the Assumption Church, and divine services are held several times a year.

In Kondopoga itself, you can find other interesting buildings. But on the whole, the city makes rather a heavy impression due to the presence of a pulp and paper mill in it, poisoning the air and water of Lake Onega.

Shoksha village

Near the village of Shoksha is the world's only deposit of crimson quartzite (Shoksha porphyry), which was used as a finishing stone. He decorated the Winter Palace, St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals in St. Petersburg, Lenin's Mausoleum and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, the memorial complex on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Napoleon's sarcophagus in the House of Invalids in Paris, etc.

Sheltozersk Vepsian Ethnographic Museum

South of Petrozavodsk, in the village of Sheltozero, is the only museum in Russia dedicated to the culture and history of the Vepsians. This is the Sheltozero Vepsian Ethnographic Museum, a branch of the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia. The museum exposition is housed in a 19th century house that belonged to a wealthy peasant Melkin. The exposition of the museum has more than 7 thousand exhibits, collected mainly in the Veps villages of Karelia.

Kolgostrov Island

Kolgostrov is located in the Unitskaya bay of Lake Onega, therefore, it can only be reached by water. The Sami once lived here, then the Vepsians and Karelians. In the western part of the island there is a rock with an unusual boulder, which emits a bell-like sound when struck. In ancient times, a pagan sanctuary was located here. Nearby you can see old stone masonry and cave paintings.

Pegrem Cultural and Historical Center

The village of Pegrema is located in the Unitskaya Bay of Lake Onega, now abandoned. The wooden chapel of Varlaam Khutynsky from the second half of the 18th century has been preserved. In the vicinity of the village, a large cult complex of the III-II millennium BC was discovered, which is a cluster of boulders of unusual shapes, reminiscent of human and animal figures. More than 100 objects were discovered here. Currently, there is a cultural and historical center in Pegrem. You can only get there by water.

The village of Velikaya Guba

The village of Velikaya Guba is located on the eastern shore of the Great Bay of Lake Onega. It has the status of a historical settlement. The old wooden buildings have been preserved fragmentarily. In the village of Verkhovye there is kostin's house , an architectural monument of local importance. In the 1860s, a stone church of the Monk Alexy, the Man of God , which is now being restored.

In the Karelian village Kondoberezhskayalocated one and a half kilometers from Velikaya Guba, is wooden chapel in the name of Reverend Samson the Stranger , built around 1850. Its bell tower offers a beautiful view of Lake Onega.

Not far from Velikaya Guba there is spring "Salt Pit" , the water of which has a bitter-salty taste. According to legend, in the old days peasants boiled salt here.

You can get to Velikaya Guba by road, and during the navigation period - by motor ship from Petrozavodsk.

Shunga village

To the north of Petrozavodsk on the Zaonezh peninsula, at the northern end of Lake Putkozero, village Shunga... It is interesting in several aspects at once. Firstly, Shunga is one of the oldest settlements in the region, the first written mention of the Shungin churchyard dates back to 1375.

The way to the White Sea passed through Shunga. Since the 17th century it has become widely known Shunging Fair which existed until the 1930s. Since the 19th century, the art of embroiderers has spread, in Shunga there is factory "Karelian patterns “, In the past it was called“ Zaonezhskaya embroidery ”.

And finally, one of the few deposits is located in Shunga shungite - Precambrian rock, which is used in metallurgy, construction, for water filtration, as well as in alternative medicine. Shunga is the only place where a section with shungite veins comes to the surface; it has been assigned the status of a regional geological monument.

Talking

The ancient village of Tolvuya is located on the southwestern shore of Povenets Bay, the first written mention of which dates back to 1375. Zosima Solovetsky was born in Tolvuya (died in 1478) - one of the founders of the Solovetsky Monastery, a holy Russian Orthodox Church. In 1601, Nun Martha, the mother of Mikhail Fedorovich, the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty, was exiled to Tolvaya. Not far from the village near the shungite deposit is spring "Tsaritsyn key" ... The windmill from Tolvui, an architectural monument, was moved to the Kizhi nature reserve.

Zero kilometer. Filmed somewhere near Tolvui. Digitized slide

Paliy Island

On Paliy Island (Paley Island), located 7 kilometers from Tolvui, there is Kornilie-Paleostrovsky Nativity monastery , founded by the Valaam monk Cornelius at the end of the XIV century. At one time Zosima Solovetsky lived here in the monastery. At the end of the 17th century, the Old Believers captured the monastery and staged a "baptism of fire" in which from 2 to 3 thousand people died, mainly Old Believers, residents of nearby villages. You can get to the monastery only by water.

Paleostrovsky monastery in the 1980s. Digitized slide

Typinitsa

An interesting village with the status of a complex architectural monument. It is located near the picturesque Tipinitskaya Bay of the Povenets Bay of Lake Onega. The wooden chapel of the Descent of the Holy Spirit , cage type, built around 1870. The wooden chapel of Peter and Paul of the 18th century was moved to the Kizhi Museum-Reserve.

The wooden Ascension Church built in 1781 with an attached bell tower, which adorned Tipinitsa, burned down from a lightning strike in 1975. There is a project for transferring a wooden church of the Great Martyr Barbara from the village of Yandomozero ... At the moment, judging by the publications on the Internet, the disassembled church was transported to Tipinitsa, but not assembled.

The Onega peasants have long been collecting stones from the fields and stacking them in such heaps or walls. Digitized slide

South Deer Island

Located in the Kizhi archipelago. The largest Mesolithic burial ground in Europe was discovered here, with more than 170 burials. Preserved such ancient artifacts as tools, religious objects, household items, etc. Finds from the Oleneostrovsky burial ground can be seen in National Museum Republic of Karelia in Petrozavodsk. In addition, South Oleniy Island is a geological natural monument, where Precambrian rocks with fossilized remains of ancient organisms come to the surface.

Radkolje Island

Radkolye Island is located in the Kizhi archipelago. A huge number of archaeological sites have been discovered, including a pagan sanctuary, finds of the culture of comb-and-pit ceramics, etc. In the vicinity there are other archaeological sites of a later time.

Batova village

Located in Medvezhyegorsk district, about 50 km southeast of Medvezhyegorsk, on the eastern coast lakes Putkozero ... Preserved such architectural monuments as wooden chapel of Antipas, bishop of Pergamon 1880 built and dwelling house Kolobov 1898

Cusaranda village

Kuzaranda is located near the coast of the Zaonezhsky (Povenetsky) bay. In the past, it included almost three dozen small villages, but now it is gradually emptying. The village is located Museum of the folk storyteller Fedosova Irina Andreevna , born, lived and buried here.

Similar worship crosses can still be seen in Obonezhie. Digitized slide

Medvezhyegorsk

Interesting places related to recent history are located at the northern end of Lake Onega. These are Medvezhegorsk and Povenets. In Medvezhyegorsk, a building has been preserved where the Office of the White Sea Canal of the NKVD of the USSR was located. Now the offices of FBU "Belomorkanal" and Medvezhyegorsk Regional Museum.

In the 1930s, there were many camps in and around Medvezhyegorsk, and in the village itself former prisoners lived, very often convicted of political offenses. This left a certain imprint on the appearance of the city.

The prince

In Povenets, located near Medvezhya Gora, you can see an interesting modern church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker , built in memory of those killed during the construction of the White Sea Canal. Next to her - locks of the White Sea-Baltic Canal , and a little further begins Povenchanskaya staircase of sluices ... A road has been laid along them at some distance.

Gateway No. 3 of the Belomorkanal and the beginning of the Povenchanskaya staircase

Sandarmokh

Between Povenets and Medvezhyegorsk there is a truly terrible place - the Sandarmokh tract, where in 1937-1938 almost 10 thousand people were shot and buried. Now a memorial complex has been built here in memory of the repressed.

Lake Suavjärvi

Lake Suavjarvi (Suvari) is located 56 km north-west of Medvezhyegorsk, which is meteorite crater that fell to Earth about 2.6 billion years ago. Thus, it is one of the oldest craters on our planet. However, not all geologists share the theory of the meteoric origin of the lake.

Cholmuzhi village

The village of Cholmuzhi is located on the eastern shore of the Povenets Bay of Onega Lake, in the Chelmuzhskaya Bay (Chelmoguba). The village has a unique architectural monument - a wooden church of Peter and Paul or Epiphany late XVI - early XVII century buildings, one of the oldest in Zaonezhie. It is a transitional type from the cage to the tent-roofed temple.

Located nearby Cholmuzhskaya spit , which has the status of a state regional geological natural monument. East Chelmuzhskaya Kasa is a sandy coast covered with pine forest. Western Chelmuzhskaya Spit is an island.

The village of Pyalma, which has the status of a historical settlement, is very picturesque (not to be confused with the village of Pyalma, located a few kilometers to the north). In Pälme, ancient wooden houses XIX - early XX centuries, Ilyinsky chapel 18th century, beautiful antique bridge across the Pyalma river. The river itself is also picturesque. In the past, it was rich in fish, pearl mussels were found in it. From Pyalma you can walk to the shore of Lake Onega.

Pudozh

Pudozh is a city, the center of the Pudozh region, located on the Vodla River, approximately 25 km from the place of its confluence with Lake Onega, on the A-119 highway. Known since at least the XIV century. The central part is preserved wooden and stone buildings of the 19th - early 20th centuries , including the stone house of the benefactor, merchant Alexander Petrovich Bazegsky. Restored church of St. Alexander Nevsky , built in 1903 by the architect S.V. Nyukhalov. Works Pudozh Museum of History and Local Lore them. AF Korableva, located in the historical building of the former Zemsky Council.

Lake Vodlozero

Lake Vodlozero is located 70 km east of Pudozh, which is part of Vodlozersky National Park ... In the past, more than 40 villages were located on the banks of Vodlozero. Several have survived, the largest of which is Kuganavolok, one of the visit centers of Vodlozersky National Park. In Kuganavolok there is a temple of St. Diodorus the Wonderworker of Yuryegorsk built in 2006 and the Peter and Paul Chapel.

On the island of Maly Kolgostrov on Vodlozero there is a male monastery Svyato-Ilyinsky Vodlozersky churchyard , where you can get only by water. According to legend, the churchyard was built on the site of an ancient pagan sanctuary. The main attraction is the wooden church of Elijah the Prophet built in 1798.

There are other sights on Vodlozero that can only be reached by water.

Cape Besov Nos

On the eastern shore of Lake Onega, there is perhaps the most mysterious place - Cape Besov Nos, where preserved petroglyphs , created by the inhabitants of these places approximately in the IV-III millennium BC. In addition, petroglyphs were found on the Kladovets, Gagazhiy, Peri Nos capes, on the Guriy island, on the Karetsky Nos and on the Kochkovnavolok peninsula near the Shalsky village.

An experienced driver can get to Besov Nose in a specially prepared off-road vehicle (this is a matter of honor for jeepers). For the rest, the best option is to rent a motorboat from Shalskoye or Karshevo, the local population of which is engaged in the delivery of tourists to the petroglyphs.

If you are traveling on water, then you can get to the Besov Nose only if you have a certain experience of navigation and flair. The fact is that the weather on Onego changes very quickly. The excitement is especially strong on the eastern coast. Perhaps the ancient people were precisely here that they carved the figure of the Bes, a bisexual creature expressing the dual unity of our world.

Relatively close to Besov Nos is located Murom Holy Dormition Monastery, founded in the XIV century. Getting to it is very problematic. Best of all by motorboat from the village of Gakugsa, located 15 km from the monastery. You can walk or by SUV. The place is very picturesque according to descriptions and photographs. But at the same time it is secluded - it is better for tourists not to disturb the monastic peace.

Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus from the Murom Monastery , built at the end of the XIV century and being the oldest surviving wooden building, was transported to the Kizhi Museum-Reserve.

Andoma Mountain (Cape Andomsky)

Andoma mountain - a high cliff above the lake, from which a magnificent panorama of the endless expanses of Lake Onega opens. It is a cut devonian deposits (360-420 million years ago). Absolute height Andoma Mountain is about 85 meters above the level of Lake Onega - about 45 meters. Here you can see multi-colored sandstones and sands: red, green, purple, the remains of fossilized trees and shell fish.

It is located in the Vologda Region, in the Vytegorsky District. It is necessary to leave the Vytegra-Medvezhyegorsk highway (A-119) shortly after Tudozero (which also deserves attention), a pointer to the base of the Ministry of Emergencies and Olkovo. The road is first asphalt, then a dirt road, passable for ordinary cars. Near the village of Gnevashevskaya there is an observation deck. Nearby there is a monument to those who fell during the Second World War and two wooden churches. Along the coast you can find places to spend the night.

View from the water to the Andomsky cape. Digitized slide

Andoma mountain in winter (view to the south)

Andoma Mountain panorama (north view)

Finally, Vytegra herself. An interesting city located about 15 km from the coast of Lake Onega. Through Vytegra passes Volga-Baltic Canal ... Vytegra is very picturesque, it houses museums: "Submarine B-440" on the Vytegorsky reservoir, "Waterways of the North", the Vytegorsky museum of local lore, the museum of the poet Nikolai Klyuev. Preserved ancient stone buildings of the XVIII-XIX centuries and a large church of the Presentation of the Lord.

During our visit to Vytegra, we lived in. The highlight of the hotel is an observation deck in the form of a lighthouse, from where magnificent panoramas of Vytegra and the surrounding area open.

The surroundings of Vytegra are also interesting. You can, for example, see the system of locks and reservoirs of the Volga-Baltic Canal. Or go to Vytegorsky churchyard ... There used to be a wooden 25-domed Church of the Intercession, built in 1708. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1963 and was recreated according to old drawings in the early 2000s in the Nevsky forest park of the Vsevolzhsky district of the Leningrad region, on the territory of the Bogoslovka estate complex. The ruins of stone churches have survived: the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and All Saints.

The building of the former hydroelectric power station of the Mariinsky Canal, now the Museum "Waterways of the North"

I repeat that in this section I have listed only the most important, in my opinion, the sights of Obonezhie.

Where to live: hotels and recreation centers in the vicinity of Lake Onega

Until recently, the only available housing in Obonezhye was a tent and a hotel in Petrozavodsk. But now the situation has changed dramatically: in many villages or near them, guest houses and tourist centers with all conveniences have been built. If you are not a fan of spending the night in a tent and cooking on a fire or a gas burner, then such camp sites are the ideal solution. A boat can be rented at many camp sites. Then you can see those sights of Lake Onega, which can only be reached from the water.

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Excursions in Karelia

There are many interesting excursions in Karelia. Some of them you can book through our partner.

Attractions on the map

I hope this small guide will help you plan your trip to Lake Onega and see the most interesting places. If you know other picturesque places in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Onega, please write in the comments to the article.

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Among the forests, rocks and swamps of Karelia, a large lake of completely unusual shape spreads its vast expanses of water. Like an unknown monster, it stretched its tentacle-bays far to the north; one of them resembles a trunk in its shape, the other - a powerful claw of a huge crayfish. This is Lake Onega, or Onego, as it was called from ancient times by the Russian people, the second largest freshwater lake in Europe.

They say that in the ancient Finnish language the word "onego" means "smoking lake", and this name appeared due to the frequent fogs in this area. However, some geographers do not agree with this and believe that the name passed to the lake from the river flowing to the east of it (or, conversely, the river took its name from the lake). Onego is also called the younger sister of the great Ladoga. And although it is two times less, it is almost fifty kilometers longer. It is curious to find out: why lake scientists consider these giant reservoirs of Europe to be sisters?

It turns out that there are good reasons for this. The giant lakes are related not only by the fact that they are the largest on the continent and are located close to each other. The main thing is that they were born almost simultaneously after the retreat of the last glaciers. Large depressions, the bottoms of which are occupied by the Ladoga and Onega lakes, existed even in preglacial times. They arose in ancient geological eras during shifts and faults in the earth's crust. Glaciers, repeatedly advancing from the north to the territory of Europe, smoothed, or, as they say, "plowed", the bottom of the lake basins, made them smoother.

The southern and northern parts of Lake Onega differ sharply from each other, especially in the structure and outline of the shores. The southern part of the lake is a vast reach, Central Onega Lake. Most of the lake waters are concentrated in it, and the depth here is significant - in some places 100-110 meters. The shores are diverse - rocky, sandy, swampy. Completely different shores in the northern part of the lake. Here it is divided into two bays - Big and Small Onega lake. Crashing into the southern tip of the Baltic Crystalline Shield, they stretch far to the north.

The eastern bay from the Small Onega Lake reach extends to the north to the town of Medvezhyegorsk and is called Povenetsky in that area. From him the city of Povenets got its name, where one of the most important artificial waterways of our country begins - the White Sea-Baltic Canal, which connected the Volga with the White Sea. The Big Onega Lake is divided into bays, which are called lips here. There are three of them - Kondopozhskaya, Ilem-Gorskaya and Lizhemskaya. The shores of the inlets are very indented. They are covered with forest, rocky and often drop straight to the water with sheer cliffs.

Numerous small bays are separated by pillow capes. The ends of the promontories seemed to have been crushed by a giant hammer, and therefore stone deposits, or, in local terms, ludas, were formed here in abundance. When strong winds are raging, ludas protrude from the water. Between the large bays lies the vast Zaonezhie peninsula - the land of forests, rocks, swamps and ancient legends.

Lake Onega is rich in islands. There are more than one and a half thousand of them. Covered with dense forests, with shores, indented bays and coves, the islands give the lake a peculiar charm and picturesqueness. This was noted by the writer M. M. Prishvin: “The islands seemed to rise above the water and hung in the air, as it seems here in very calm weather ...” Indeed, the islands seem to be “hanging”, because in clear weather they are like in a mirror are reflected in the flat surface of the lake.

The largest islands among the islands are Klimetsky, Bolshoy Lelikovsky, Suisari. There are islands that are wild, uninhabited, where the foot of a person rarely steps, and there are also those that are famous and known to the whole world, such as, for example, Kizhi - a reserve famous for wooden monuments of folk architecture, or South Oleniy - the burial vault of the ancient inhabitants of this region. Numerous large and small rivers replenish Lake Onega with their waters.

Among them are Shuya, Suna, Vodla, Andoma, Vytegra. Some of them are stormy, with rapids and waterfalls, others are quiet and calm. The position of its level depends on how much water the rivers bring to the basin of the lake. In the spring, during the melting of the snow, the tributaries become abundant and intensively feed the lake. Its level rises until the end of June. The reserves of snow in the basins will run out - the river runoff will sharply decrease, the level of the lake will begin to gradually decrease.

Summer in Prionezhie is cool, breezes often blow. During the day they blow from the lake to the land, and at night - in the opposite direction. The lake is rarely calm - only on quiet summer white nights. Lake Onega is amazingly beautiful with its northern harsh beauty, especially when its motionless surface is painted with pinkish reflections of the morning dawn. Autumn is a rainy season with winds, storms, frosts. Storms are frequent. They swoop in suddenly, raise large waves, break the rafts of the forest, drive logs to the banks. Uncomfortable at this time on the lake.

From November to mid-April, a cold winter with blizzards and snowstorms reigns in Prionezhie, frosts reach -30-40 degrees. At the beginning of winter, shallow bays and bays in the northern part of the lake, sheltered from wind gusts, are primarily covered with ice. Freezing up gradually spreads to the south, covering all new parts of the lake. Central Lake Onega does not freeze for a long time. A large mass of its waters still contains a lot of heat, and the winds walking over the lake help fight freeze-up, breaking freezing areas.

Only in mid-January does the frost conquer the water element, calms it down, and puts ice armor on. Under the ice cover, Lake Onega sleeps until the beginning of spring. In May, the ice melts.

The northern nature of Prionezhie is beautiful. It is a truly forested land with rich timber resources. Long-fiber Karelian spruce grows here, from which excellent quality paper is produced; from the famous Karelian birch, beautiful furniture, famous all over the world, is made. There are protected groves here, which Peter the Great bequeathed to his descendants. Elk, bears, wolves, wild boars, lynx, marten, otter, squirrel are found in the dense forests of the Onega. The local reservoirs became the second homeland of the North American muskrat. There are a great many birds here, including waterfowl; only about 200 species. The master of the forest jungle is a regal wood grouse.

The forests of Prionezhie are a huge natural berry plantation, where all types of berries of the northern region are presented in abundance - lingonberries, strawberries, cranberries, cloudberries, blueberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries. Lake Onega is also famous for its fish wealth. It is home to all types of fish characteristic of the lakes of Karelia. Perch, whitefish, grayling, smelt, vendace, roach are the most common fish, they can be found in any corner of the lake. The lamprey is found; for spawning, it rises up the tributaries of the lake. Valuable commercial fish - salmon and trout - also live here.

By the way, trout has never been found in the lake before. She is a gift from Sevan, a guest from sunny Armenia. From there, millions of eggs of this fish were delivered by plane. The famous Sevan trout (ishkhan) took root, and Lake Onega became its second homeland. The Baikal omul has also mastered here. The lake has always played a big role in human life. It is sung in ancient epics and ancient legends. Over the millennia, man has created an original culture here, the material traces of which have survived to our time.

In one of the most famous museums in the world - the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg - you can see exhibits telling about the culture and art of the ancient inhabitants of our Motherland. In the center of one of the halls is a huge dark red stone slab; its polished surface is dotted with images of deer, swans, fish, people; here you can also see some mysterious signs in the form of circles and lines. This granite block is a part of Lake Onega. It was broken out on the rocky promontory of Peri Nos and brought to the Hermitage for public viewing. The exhibit weighs tens of tons.

The drawings, carved on the rock, which were brought from the shore of Lake Onega, are about four thousand years old. A man of the Neolithic era lived in many areas of the European North. Apparently, he was not very afraid of the winter cold, as evidenced by the remains of ancient settlements found even on the shores of the White and Barents Seas. The collected information made it possible for scientists to draw up a map of the settlement of Neolithic man. It clearly shows that in some places the settlements are closely grouped, forming, as it were, a kind of "cities" or densely populated areas.

These include the areas of the middle reaches of the Sukhona River, the shores of Beloye, Bozh, Lachi, Onega lakes, the coast of the Onega Peninsula and the Kandalaksha Bay. And yet, of all such places, the most inhabited were the shores of Lake Onega.

The ancient Onega Lake obviously played a special role in the life of the Neolithic man. It was here that two of the greatest monuments of antiquity were discovered: the Onega sanctuary and the City of the Dead - the Oleneostrovsky burial ground. Several rocky headlands jut into the lake from the eastern shore. Some of them are poorly marked and do not have names, but five other capes are the most famous. These are Karetsky Nose, Peri Nose, Besov Nose, Kladovets and Gazhiy Nose. The capes are composed of dark red granite. Over the centuries, the wind and waves have polished the surface of the coastal cliffs, it became even and smooth. On the rocks, right next to the water itself, you can see some images, carved on the surface of the granite. They are invisible and are somewhat reminiscent of children's drawings. There are many primitive images of men, deer, birds, frogs, lizards, boats, tools.

Drawings are arranged in groups and one by one. Hunting and fishing episodes are common. There are images of fantastic animals and birds, and next to them are drawings of real animals. These are petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings), the creations of Stone Age artists, for whom polished coastal rocks served as a canvas and a flint chisel as a brush. On the shores of Lake Onega, about six hundred such petroglyphs have been discovered. Especially many of them, and the most diverse, are located at the Besov Nos Cape. Locals called these drawings "demonic tracks". The rock carvings area was a natural temple of the ancients, where religious rites and ceremonies were performed. Ancient people were adherents of the space cult, especially the cult of the Sun, as evidenced by numerous images of this luminary. The ancient inhabitants of the Onega shores had not only a sanctuary for worshiping, but also a family tomb where the dead were buried. It is known in the scientific world as the Oleneostrovsky burial ground and is located on the South Deer Island. It is curious how the burial was carried out.

A hole was dug to a depth of about one and a half meters. Its bottom was abundantly strewed with red ocher. She was identified with fire and had to scare away the demons of evil. Together with the deceased, objects belonging to him during his lifetime were placed in the pit, including stone axes and knives, spears and arrows. Found various amulets made of stone and bone - figures of people and animals; these were the owner's friends: they had to protect from danger, disease, the evil eye, help in hunting and fishing.

Lake Onega has long served people with faith and truth. On the shores, he built a dwelling for himself, hunted in the coastal forests, and fished in its waters. But the importance of the lake has increased even more in our era, when the paths leading to near and distant seas - the White, Baltic, Caspian, Azov and Black seas - cross. Three great waterways lead from Lake Onega to the north, west and south; The White Sea-Baltic Canal connects it with the White Sea, and the Volgo-Balt (as the Volga-Baltic waterway is called) - with the Baltic Sea and the Volga. Glide along its watery expanses passenger liners, motor ships, boats and, like giant snow-white birds, "meteors" and "rockets" rush.

On the shores of the lake there are several dozen ports and piers, and among them the largest are Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Medvezhyegorsk, Povenets. Millions of tons of cargo and tens of thousands of passengers are transported annually on the lake. Vessels going from the Volga or the Baltic to the North cross Lake Onega and approach the town of Povenets. Here the lake path ends. Then they go along an artificial water road - the White Sea-Baltic Canal. Lake Onega is located in the center of another waterway - the Volgo-Balta. This path starts from the shores of the Baltic Sea, from St. Petersburg, goes along the Neva, Ladoga canals, Svir, Lake Onega and the Volga-Baltic canal.

This is how great is the role of Lake Onega, which lies at the crossroads of large waterways of the most important national economic importance! This does not exhaust the value of the lake; there are many sectors of the economy that make extensive use of its natural resources, and primarily fish resources.

Did you know that pearls are found on the shores of Lake Onega? In the estuarine areas of some tributaries, a bivalve mollusk is found, which forms small nacreous balls ranging in size from a millet grain to a large pea. Pearl divers need to work hard to find a pearl in which the cherished pearl has grown among the shells on the silted bottom of the river. The waters of Lake Onega are used to supply settlements and industrial enterprises - timber processing plants, shipyards, machine-building plants, pulp and paper mills. The shore of the lake is a natural storehouse of wonderful stone.

Multicolored building materials are mined here: red, pink, white and other color shades of marble, black and greenish diabase, the famous Shoksha quartzite of crimson color, red, dark red and gray granite. On the island of Kizhi, a museum-reserve of wooden architecture has been created, where many monuments of folk art are collected. There is something to see, something to be sincerely surprised at on the famous Onega Lake. Everything here is unusual - ancient cave paintings, immortal creations of Russian architects of past centuries, and monumental monuments of the modern era - settlements that arose from the ashes of fires after the Great Patriotic War - and completely new cities created in recent years.

No wonder Lake Onega attracts thousands of visitors from different countries of the world to its shores.



Lake Onega, a rather popular place for recreation and tourism in Russia, but we'll talk and look at all sides of this paradise. Lake Onega is located in the northwest of Russia, in the Republic of Karelia. Lake Onega can be safely called the pearl of Karelia, because all tourists and visitors to Karelia immediately rush to visit exactly Lake Onega and tourist places near the lake. ( 11 beautiful photos)

In length, Lake Onega stretches for 245 km, Lake Onega is one of the largest lakes in Europe, in size it is second only to Lake Ladoga. And its width is 91 km. As you can see, the lake is very large in size. total area the water surface of the lake is 9690 km². A number of islands are located almost in the center of the lake: the Kizhi island, the big Kliminetsky island, etc. ( Lake map below)

About 50 rivers flow into the lake, and one flows out - the Svir River. A hydroelectric power station is installed on the river. In general, Lake Onega is of great importance for the country as a whole. One of the main advantages of Lake Onega is that it is one of the most important navigable arteries of such important waterways of the country as the Volga-Baltic waterway and the White Sea-Baltic canal. Lake Onega has always been fully used by the state, thanks to which we can receive cargo from Germany to Iran in the shortest possible time.

At the present time, fishing is fully established on Lake Onega. Here are the main types of fish caught in the local waters: vendace, smelt, whitefish, burbot, pike perch, roach, ruff, perch, bream, pike, salmon, if you are very lucky you can catch Yaz here. Probably most of the fishermen know about the local fishing places, and what kind of tales go about fishing. Really fishing on Lake Onegawill be one of the best in the country.

The waters of the lake are inhabited by about 30 species of various types of fish, mainly predatory fish: pike perch, salmon, pike, perch, etc. The fact is that the relief bottom of Lake Onega is very suitable for the habitation of aquatic inhabitants, and where there is food there there is also fish. There were rumors about glorious fishing in Lake Onega since ancient times. The bottom is mostly muddy, with various types of ridges, depressions and pits.

The average depth of the lake is 30 meters, the deepest point is 107 meters, near the shores and capes the depth does not exceed 8-9 meters. It is worth noting the unique purity of the lake, it can only be compared with, the transparency of the water allows you to see up to 8 meters in depth, in the bays you will not see this because of the strong current, there the bottom is visible only to a depth of 1 meter. As for the shore of Lake Onega, it can be noted that the entire shore is cut by small capes, this is the result of the action of the ice age.

As you yourself have noticed, Lake Onega is unusually beautiful, every day there are water excursions on motor ships, few people can remain inspired by such unearthly beauty, it seems the sky here smoothly sinks into the water. Lake Onega has served as an object for his works and inspiration for many writers, poets and artists. Tourist walks have recently become more and more popular both among foreigners and Russians.

Also, tourists will be pleasantly surprised by architectural sights, for example, Ilyinsky Pogost, made of wooden log cabins. Also on the territory of the lake is the largest national park Europe, its area is 500 thousand hectares. Of course, the park includes not only a lake but also a picturesque taiga. In total national park "Vodlozersky" has 187 species of birds, 39 species of mammals, 5 species of amphibians and 21 species of fish, the park includes about 100 different lakes.

Unfortunately, at this time we can state the intensive pollution of the environment, namely the local waters. The fact is that large enterprises located on the shore of the lake, violating all laws, abundantly throw out pesticides into the environment, about 190 million m³ of wastewater are thrown into the lake's waters annually, but of course the main damage to nature is caused by oil products, if this continues then, in the end, instead of the indescribable beauty of the "fresh sea", the lake will turn into a dirty oil puddle.

On the shore of the lake there are some large cities - the City of Petrozavodsk, which in particular is the capital of Karelia; the city of Kondopoga is famous for its unique churches; Medvezhyegorsk is the capital of the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. The cities are actively developing, including thanks to the lake. There are two large ports on the lake, located in the cities of Petrozavodsk and Medvezhyegorsk.

As for recreation in these places, the lake is suitable only for lovers of travel around the homeland, you will not find here colorful beaches and large entertainment centers, the city is rather industrial in nature. I wish you a vivid travel experience.