The largest region of Russia is Yakutia. The Vilyui River, located precisely in this territory, is considered one of the most mysterious. It has many tributaries that flow into the vast Siberian river Lena. Today we learn what Vilyuy is, how great and important this object of nature is. And we will also admire the beauty of this region, because it is not in vain that the flow of Russian tourists to this area is increasing every year.
Rivers of Russia: Vilyui, or Buluu
These are two names of the same river. Only Buluu is the Yakut name, and Vilyuy is geographical. However, both the word denotes the same object.
Vilyui is the second largest (after Aldan) tributary of the Lena. This current watercourse is located in Yakutia. The length of the Vilyui River is almost 3 thousand kilometers. It is characterized by a very fast flow. There are many rapids on it, especially in the upper reaches, where mountain ranges predominate. On the rapids of Ulakhan Khan and Kuchugui Khan, the river narrows sharply and rushes into the stone gorge with incredible speed. The inhabitants of Yakutia consider this place sacred. In their opinion, a special spirit lives here, so the Yakuts often sacrifice horse hair, copper coins and other things to him.
Human settlements
People began to explore the territory of the Vilyui river basin since the 13th century. Then the Tungus tribes chose this area, however, some scholars believe that before them there were settlements. Today Vilyui is a river, the full owners of which are the Yakuts. These are Turkic tribes who came here in the 14th century. But Russian Cossacks appeared here only in the XVII century, and it was then that the first winter hut, which is now called the city of Vilyuisk, was built.
What does a river look like in summer and winter?
In May, ice drift begins here. This is a very beautiful and bewitching sight. In the summer, the Vilyui River is full of water, however, by autumn, the water level falls here. In winter, everything is completely covered with ice. The average annual temperature in the river basin is about -8 degrees Celsius. In spring, the water level in the lower reaches 15 meters, so ice congestion at this time is not uncommon.
The river is rich in a variety of fish: sturgeon, pike, ruff, vendace, gerbil, etc.
Nature
Locals know that there are deposits of coal, diamonds, salt, phosphorites and even gold near the Vilyui River. Therefore, often the Yakuts go exactly here in search of treasure.
The riverbank is quite rocky and rocky. Vilyui flows through the taiga. Both coniferous and deciduous forests grow here. Vilyui is a river near which you can meet animals such as a bear, wolf, deer, elk, sable, hare. Often animals come here to quench their thirst.
Environmental impact
In summer, the river opens a waterway. Steamboats and boats carry passengers, and barges deliver cargo. Unfortunately, all of these vehicles pollute water. In addition, people themselves have ceased to be careful about the river: they do not remove garbage after a picnic, throw all kinds of garbage into the water, and even wash their cars here. But all this kills the ecosystem of the river. Vilyuy has long been considered a dirty place. The media draw the attention of the authorities to such neglect of nature. However, officials have not responded to this yet. Therefore, residents themselves must be conscious and protect the places where they live.
But not only the indigenous Yakuts clog the river. Underground nuclear explosions that began in late 1978, the effects of toxic substances contained in space rockets launched from the Svobodny cosmodrome in the Amur Region, the construction of hydroelectric power stations in the upper reaches of the Vilyui River, all this is a catastrophic blow to the environment.
The main tributaries of the Vilyui river
- Ulakhan Vava.
- Chona.
- Chirkuo.
- Ulakhan-Botuobuya.
- Markha.
- Chybyda.
- Tung.
- Tyukyan.
- Olguidah
- Ochchugui-Botuobuya.
- Ballagay.
Reservoir
In 1967, a significant event took place - the Vilyui reservoir was formed. When it was created, more than 2 thousand hectares of agricultural land were flooded, and 50 structures were demolished. Vilyui is a river that suffers a lot, including the appearance of a reservoir in its water area. Its area is more than 2 thousand square kilometers. Vilyui reservoir serves for seasonal management of river flows and supplies water to nearby villages.
Strange legend
The Yakuts believe in fiction that along the right tributary of the Vilyuy Olguydah river there is an anomalous zone, which was called the "Valley of Death". Locals believe that in that place there is a large copper boiler dug into the ground. People believe that in ancient times a fire exploded from a metal pipe underground (strange what she did there) from time to time. The Yakuts believe that there lived a giant, which metal and these fiery balls. This fictitious giant was nicknamed Wat Usuma Tong Duurai, which is translated into Russian as "Likhody, who has eaten the earth, hidden in a hole and eliminated everything around."
Curious students and their discovery
The Vilyui River, the photo of which can be seen in this article, attracts attention not only with its beauty, but also with its mystery. The legend of the "Death Valley" even encouraged three Yakut students to visit the place where the giant lives during the summer holidays.
On the first day of their stay in this mysterious place, the boys felt unwell. They were overcome by weakness, dizzy, they were even slightly nauseated. Going up to the river, the guys saw a strange structure that really stuck out from under the ground, as in a legend. Students wanted to break it with a hammer, an ax, but this did not lead to anything. Even no dents or scratches were left in the place where the guys knocked.
The boys also noticed that large burdocks and grass, which is 2 times higher than a person, grow near that valley. It was uncharacteristic of the nature of that place. From the building that the students discovered, it was going some kind of warmth, so the boys made a halt there. They set up a tent and stayed overnight. And upon returning home, one of the guys noticed that bald patches began to appear on his head. And already after 2 weeks he completely lost his brain. And on one side of the face appeared small warts, which to this day can not be removed. Curious students are sure that such troubles with one of their friends are connected with the exact place where they visited, where they spent the night. It was that mysterious building, they said, that could cause such harm to a comrade. Be that as it may, no one can give scientific evidence of this phenomenon to this day. Therefore, many believe that such an incident with students is only a figment of their imagination.
Vilyui is a magnificent and mysterious river. It has many tributaries, the main of which were listed in this article. Every year, the number of people who want to see the beauty of this river, its nature is growing. Perhaps soon Vilyui and its environs will receive tourists from other countries.