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Lake Teletskoye

Lake Teletskoye is also called Altyn Kyol (Golden Lake). It is the largest lake in the Altai mountain system and the Altai Republic, Russia. Situated at the height of 434 m above sea level, the lake stretches like an 78 km long and 5 km wide strip between the mountain ridges Korbu and Al-tyntu. The average depth of the west-northern part is 10 to 40 m, and of the main lake part is 100-325 m. Its width area is 233 km2, however, due to its considerable depth, the lake contains no less than 40 km3 of fresh water.

About 70 rivers and 150 temporary streams flow into the lake, the largest of them Tchulyshman River, supplying more than half of the whole water. The lake is drained through the single outlet, the Biya River, which, after its confluence with the Katun River, forms one of Siberia's largest rivers, the Ob River.

Teletskoye Lake is included into the Altaisky Nature Reserve. This reserve along with the Katun Natural Reserve near the mountain Belukha and Ukok Plateau Nature Refuge were listed as the UNESCO World Nature Heritage Sites in 1998.

The Teletskoye Lake is a beautiful natural memorial of Siberia surrounded by mountains and dark-coniferous - mostly cedar - taiga. In the whole the Reserve's flora and fauna contains 1270 plant species, 73 mammal species, about 300 bird species, 10 species of Amphibias and reptiles. The most specific animals are elk, brown bear, musk deer, sable, glutton, lynx, roe, squirrel, chipmunk, and snow leopard. The most frequent birds are wood grouse, hazel-grouse, eagle owl, willow grouse and ptarmigan, redstart and others. There are 13 fish species in Lake Teletskoye. Grayling is found in practically all rivers.

European travellers, who happened to be here last century, found striking resemblance between Altai and the Switzerland Alps. That's why no wonder that such names as Siberian Switzerland, North-Tchuya Alps, the Katun Alps appeared. The Swisses, who recently visited Altai, prove this resemblance and say with unconcealed envy that only here can one imagine the Alps as they were before tourist inroad. Today small hotels and roads to them are being built in Altai.