Aside from the automobile roads, in the inaccessible gorges of the Sayan and Hamar-Daban mountains, there are unique exotic places with sheer and noisy falling water. The voice here is drowned out by the roar of water, and a wonderful rainbow soars in suspension of water. Here reign virgin shores with lush rich vegetation. The powerful streams of water falling on rocky ledges from a height of many meters fascinate with their beauty and grandeur.
Ukovsky waterfall also belongs to such miracles - one of those in the Sayan Mountains, which are ranked as natural monuments.
General information about Sayan Falls
The names of such natural wonders in the Sayan Mountains are comparable to beautiful lines from poems: Emerald, Fairy Tale, Grandiose, Silver Ribbon ... This mountainous area is often called the “country of waterfalls”, but many of them are not very well known, since not every waterfall can be reached , and even more so by car. Most often, to see them, you have to go along forest paths for tens of kilometers, and even with a tent and a backpack. But this is not about Ukovsky Falls, to which anyone can reach.
Photos of many of the waterfalls cannot be found even on computer networks. In general, they belong to such rare natural phenomena, for the sake of which many make special trips in order to get in touch with the real miracle of nature or even just take a picture against them.
Ukovsky waterfall in Nizhneudinsk
This is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Baikal region. It is located at the Moscow highway, 505 kilometers from Irkutsk. From the city of Nizhneudinsk (Irkutsk Oblast) it is located 18 kilometers downstream of the Uda River. At this point, the river Uk, at the confluence with Uda, formed a basalt gorge. Its walls are about 50 meters high. Here powerful waters fall from a 16-meter height. The width of the waterfall is approximately 10 meters.
Water cascades in six crashes with noise down the ledges of rocks to the bottom of a narrow gorge, which is cluttered with huge stone blocks. The picture is complemented by a high tower-shaped rock located to the right of the waterfall. You can drive to this natural wonder from Uk station by car.
The gorge of the Ukovsky waterfall is replete with a variety of inscriptions. He himself is shrouded in mysterious traditions and legends.
Settlements Uk and Vodopadny
The path to the natural monument passes through the village of Uk and the village of Vodopadny. It is worth paying attention to them separately.
The history of the village of Uk dates back more than two centuries and originates from the construction of the tract. Unlike the modern highway M-53, located one kilometer from the village. Most importantly, the Siberian tract in those days passed through the village itself. The hallmark in pre-revolutionary times was a stone store, owned by the local merchant Alexei Fedorov at the beginning of the last century . The building, where the store is now located, is still the only stone building in Uka. The famous wooden church, which was considered the most beautiful in the province among similar structures made of wood, was here in the 19th century.
Today, this roadside ancient village is the central estate of the Ukovsky municipality.
The village of Vodopadny, which is part of the same entity, is small. The population is only 221 people. Most of them are residents of a neuropsychiatric boarding school. The history of this settlement begins from the time of the Stalinist repressions, when there were camps.
How to get there
Ukovsky waterfall in Nizhneudinsk is quite accessible. It is far from the largest in Siberia, but the most affordable, and therefore the most famous in the region.
The path to the waterfall starts from Uk station. On a bumpy road you should go or walk about 10 kilometers to the banks of the Uda River, then 500 meters should drive or go with the stream. Then the path goes up the narrow gorge of the river Uk. For this trip, it is not necessary to stock up on provisions and a tent, as you can make a stop at the Waterfall Rest House.
You can take a trip on a motor boat to Ukovsky Falls. How to get this way? Take a boat down the Uda River. Such a boat trip from the city of Nizhneudinsk to the mouth of the river will take less than an hour.
There is another convenient option - travel by road. The beginning of the journey is the regional center of Nizhneudinsk. The road runs through Uk to the village of Vodopadny. Then you should walk on foot for about five kilometers to the waterfall.
Finally
Ukovsky Falls is an amazing natural monument of all-Russian significance, which travelers and tourists from all over the country seek.
The word "uk" in translation from the Buryat language means "arrow". On the map of the Nizhneudinsky district, three points are named: river, village and waterfall.