The embankment of the Izhevsk pond and the reservoir itself are the main attraction of the city. It should be noted that, in addition to the title of the main property of the city, the pond is the largest artificially created body of water in all of Europe among reservoirs that are not intended for the production of electricity.
Its length is about 12 km, its width varies from 0.5 to 2.5 km. This pond resembles a huge bowl. The area of Izhevsk Pond is 26 square meters. km, fits in it - 76 million cubic meters. m of water.
A bit of history
The initial purpose of the reservoir is to create the draft power of the water engines of the ironworks.
A pond was created on 04/10/1760, its construction was carried out by local serfs.
Initially, the dam looked like an earthen mound. In its design, cuts were provided. Through the main slot water was supplied to the workshop wheels, which are designed for filling. The second slot was much smaller, it was with its help that the water fell into the sawmill. In addition, a drain is provided in the dam structure.
Already in 1763, the pond was fully formed. The entire length of the dam in that period was about 280 fathoms, and the height was only 4 units. The legendary scientist Pallas himself, during a visit to the Izhevsk plant, appreciated the dam and its construction very worthily.
Izhevsk Pond was quite famous in those days. A photo of a modern city cannot fully reflect the atmosphere of the past.
In 1775, the dam was the target of arson. This was done by the Pugachevites, who seized the territory of the plant. Flames engulfed chests, wheels, dust mills, as well as equipment that stood near the dam. The restoration of the plant was carried out for a long 5 years.
Izhevsk Pond and Plant
Some time after the start of construction work at the arms factory, a need arose for a higher level of water in the pond. In this regard, the dam was increased to 646.6 m in length and up to 30 m in width. Also along the dam, from the side of the reservoir, piles were hammered, reinforced with longitudinal logs. In the interval between the built wall and the old dam, clay and river sand were laid for compaction. Near the "oyster mushrooms" a special safety fence was made from blocks of ice during the descent of water in the spring. These actions were carried out by the forces of urban wheelchair company soldiers, factory workers and mercenaries. For this they were paid mere pennies.
The difficulty of building a pond
The uppermost layer of the constructed dam was strengthened already in 1834, after which a stone highway with a drain and pedestrian walkways were erected next to the structure. Throughout the length of the shores of the reservoir, streets were arranged. The construction of houses and other infrastructure was carried out regarding the location of the pond.
One of the managers of the Izhevsk plant, Bilderling, proposed to build another dam of the reservoir. Thanks to his idea, water retained by a beixlot would evenly compensate for its seasonal deficiency. A place has already been determined for her, and calculations confirming the absence of damage have been performed. But the construction never began. A fundamental repair of waterworks was scheduled for 1885, after which the passage of carts and carriages across the dam itself was prohibited.
Due to the growing authority of the arms factory and the outbreak of the First World War, any movement on the dam was strictly forbidden during the time period from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Shipping and the pond
If in the 18th century only sailing vessels and boats that did not harm the environment sailed along the reservoir, in the middle of the 19th century simple tugboats and boats crossing the Izhevsk pond began to appear. Izhevsk has become a real shipping port. The Izh pyroscope, whose length is 12 m, became quite popular with the general public. This vessel had a wheel structure, and due to the presence of one cabin, people were often transported to it for picnics.
Passenger boats of Izhevsk Pond regularly run today. A steamer with a screw construction first appeared here in 1916, its name is “Storm”. Soon the most beautiful boats began to appear at the management of the plant and manufacturers. In the summer, systematic flights to the Volozhka were carried out through the reservoir, which lasted about 1 hour.
In the distant 1936, river trams were brought to Izhevsk, and 35 years later, high-speed motor ships that took 5 times less time to travel the same route. The depth of the Izhevsk pond allowed heavy ships with various cargoes to move along it.
Pond and residents of Izhevsk
Izhevsk Pond played a special role in the life of Izhevsk craftsmen and needlewomen. In their works, they often depicted a local landmark, which contributed to increased demand for their products. And this, in turn, led to the prosperity of the whole city.
Fish in Izhevsk pond was found in large numbers. The reservoir abounded with pike, crucian carp, bream, roach and perch. Fishing in these places was a very profitable activity. But soon the number of fish began to decline rapidly. This gave impetus to its artificial breeding. As part of the improvement of the reservoir, a silver carp was launched into the pond, but the conditions did not fit him, and the fish died. In the future, it was decided to breed those species that previously lived in the pond. This is mainly pike, perch and roach.
Politics and the Pond
Izhevsk pond has long been a popular destination for revolutionary events. It often organized firing, political studies, May Day. All these actions were very skillfully disguised as outdoor recreation and picnics on the picturesque shore.
1906 in the history of Izhevsk was marked by a kind of floating rally in which about 150 boats of socialists participated. In a particular case, city police were powerless.
Throughout its history, many such events have been seen by Izhevsk Pond. Unfortunately, the photo cannot fully convey the fact that the reservoir is a living organism and still retains the atmosphere of the past.
The mysterious history of the Izhevsk reservoir
The appearance of this wonderful pond is mystical enough. The vast majority of researchers and historians believe that in the north-west of Izhevsk there were ravines that were artificially deepened down. These depressions after the start of the construction of the famous Izhevsk Dam were flooded. The main version of what is happening suggests that the reservoir was dug up by serf workers, who died as a result of hard work. But the only true answer can be given only by thoroughly examining the bottom of the pond.
Recently, it has been thoroughly cleaned of bottom sludge for research.
Factory pond - the pride of the Udmurt people
The year of foundation of the factory pond is considered to be 1763, when the metal production plant began to function. The Udmurt people perceived this reservoir as a kind of miracle, thanks to the construction of wheels that rotated by the power of water. The real work of art was the embankment of Izhevsk Pond. Even before the construction of the hydroelectric station, it was this reservoir that was considered one of the largest artificial reservoirs.
Plant workers were associated with the reservoir both during working hours and during rest. Thanks to them, the pond received many names that characterize the surroundings and the surrounding area.
The shape and position of the shores of the reservoir predetermined the geography of the streets of the city and its environs. The pond made adjustments not only to the architectural buildings and memorials, but also to the character of Izhevsk residents. Thanks to the proximity to a huge, changeable and playful pond, all local residents are characterized by an immense breadth of soul, adventurism, a craving for everything new and a romantic mood.
Secret materials
It should be noted that, starting in 1811, there was another so-called reserve pond nearby the factory reservoir. It was used to start the mill. Created this pond F. Poppe.
The year 1919 in the history of Izhevsk Pond was marked by the fact that in a festive atmosphere, with a huge number of spectators, the double-headed eagle was removed from the tower of the plant and drowned in a reservoir.
37 years after this incident, under the heading “Top Secret”, a monument to Stalin himself was lowered to the bottom of the reservoir, located opposite the local palace of culture and recreation.
Treasure at the bottom of the pond
Truly mystical and unique is the Izhevsk Pond, about which legends circulate in modern times. One of the most popular is about the Devil's Pit, which has an incredible depth. Its depth is more than 15 meters. Geographically, it is located near the village. Volozhka. A huge number of people drowned in this place, but still not a single body has been found.
According to the fishermen, they regularly see huge dinosaurs, pikes and all kinds of monsters there. These tales are even more inspiring to visit Izhevsk Pond. Fishing, however, can be fraught with some danger.
There are rumors and legends about the double-headed eagle of bronze, which previously flaunted on top of one of the towers of the plant. Illumination illuminated this interesting statue in the dark and made the eagle stunningly beautiful. During the Bolshevik period, the eagle was repeatedly dropped and returned to its usual place. But after one of the attempts to dump to a great depth of the reservoir, they have not been able to find it for many decades.
Izhevsk Pond Disease
From the point of view of ecologists, methods for self-cleaning a natural reservoir of water began to work intermittently since 1960. At that time, they did not attach serious importance to this at all, and problems began to accumulate and worsen.
An alarm bell followed in 2003, when the water in the taps of the inhabitants began to emit an unpleasant odor. In turn, the water supply was closely connected with the local pond. The main problem was the decay of algae due to the huge number of organics of the same type.
Next year, to combat this problem, more than 5 tons of silver carp were released into the reservoir, which did not take root in this pond. After another year, for a positive way out of the situation, certain algae that struggled with flowering were planted in the pond. But, unfortunately, this method also proved to be ineffective.
The depth of the Izhevsk pond, which reaches 12 meters, prevents the full purification of the reservoir .
According to the calculations of the Izhevsk Vodokanal, in the summer of 2014, the amount of these algae exceeded the permissible norms by 2.5 times. According to ecologists, this year the unwanted parthenogenesis of algae was stopped by sediments, which updated and increased the water mark in the reservoir. Therefore, according to the plans of the water utility's management, it is planned to use manganese and carbohydrate to clean it.
Rescue plan
Because of the heat, the pond is colonized by harmful microorganisms. The temperature of Izhevsk pond reaches 30 degrees. The withdrawal of a reservoir from an environmental disaster begins this year and will be carried out for three years. This project was developed by the Udmurt Ministry of Natural Resources Protection. Great attention will be paid to vegetation and bottom cleaning. Thanks to these actions, the level of phosphorus compounds, which entail the development of destructive algae, will significantly decrease, which, in turn, will lead to the restoration of ecological balance. The cost of work will be about 500 million rubles. Udmurtia will be able to finance only a third of the amount, the remaining money will be allocated from the federal budget.
Also, one of the rescue projects for the Izhevsk reservoir is the creation of a reserve reservoir in the Volozhka region. This pond will also collect the water of the spring season, which will systematically be lowered into the main body of water in order to reduce the detrimental effect of algae.
In financial terms, the price of work will be about 1 billion rubles, but so far this project has been postponed until the necessary amount has been allocated. Meanwhile, Izhevsk Pond envelops the locals and visitors of the city with its warm embrace. The water temperature in it is only a few degrees below air temperature.
Beach holidays at Izhevsk Pond
Residents consider any reservoir in the city as a place for a beach holiday. The same fate befell the pond, which was originally created for industrial purposes. Today you can swim, sunbathe and even fish.
Despite the fact that water has long fallen short of sanitary standards, the beach of Izhevsk Pond does not empty. For people, swimming in a pond is not dangerous, since the acidity is slightly increased in water. This is not the reason for the closure of the pond.
Is it possible to swim in the Izhevsk pond today? Can. This is claimed by local authorities and sanitary services.