The Aktash failure is an amazing natural monument located on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan, near the village of Kaleikino (Almetyevsk district). If you look at it from above or look at pictures taken from space, you get the full impression that this is a volcano crater filled with water of an unusual "sea" color.
Description
According to 1966, the depth of the dip is 20 m (average 11 m), the depth of the lake is 28 m, its mirror area is 0.1 hectares, and the volume of water is 3 thousand cubic meters. m. The object has repeatedly changed its shape, although over the past few decades its condition has been stable.
At the lake, located at the bottom of the Aktash failure, underground sustainable nutrition. The water in it is odorless and colorless. It is characterized by increased mineralization and high transparency, it belongs to the calcium-carbonate chemical type.
History
If the formation of the Aktash failure had occurred today, then this event would surely have become a world sensation, and hundreds of television people and journalists would have rushed in the vicinity of the village of Kaleikino. Following this, sites and print media would be full of articles and photographs with catchy headlines announcing the end of the world or an attack by aliens. However, in August 1939, when the Aktash failure was formed, everything was completely different, and this event was much more than idle onlookers, the relevant state authorities became interested.
So, on the 7th day of 1939, the STZ tractor worked on the collective farm field. Suddenly the ground fell beneath him . As the descendants of the witnesses of the event recall, the parents told them that the tractor driver had time to jump out of the cab, and the formed funnel, in which the “people's property” had fallen, quickly began to fill up with water. Fearing accusations of sabotage, those present did everything to save the tractor, but they did not succeed. There is also an opinion that the man who was in the cockpit was not able to get out, and he became the only one who died as a result of a natural cataclysm of karst origin on the territory of the USSR.
Origin version
According to some Tatarstan scientists, the lake (Aktash dip) arose as a result of the dissolution of limestone cement, which was accompanied by the removal of sand material to the surface. At the same time, groundwater acted as a driving force. Most likely, at some point in the sandstone there were 2 foci (at a height of 771-866 cm and 530-657.5 cm) of the karst-suffusion process. The resulting cavity (shaft) due to gravitational processes over a long period of time shifted to the surface. Thus, the appearance of a failure was inevitable, and the movement of the tractor over the "roof" of the shaft only slightly accelerated the occurrence of the failure.
Research
Initially, the Aktash dip had a depth of 52 m and a diameter of 5 m. In the early 1950s, the situation changed. Scientists have found that its depth decreased to 35 m, and the level of the lake located at its bottom was 28 m. At the same time, the diameter of the “funnel” increased significantly - reaching 25 m.
A little later, an attempt was made to lower the divers into the lake. They found out that there was a very strong current at a depth of about 25 meters, so the expedition leaders decided to stop work. In order to determine the place where the underground flow exited to the surface, a special dye was dropped into the water column, but the experiment did not give any results.
How to get there
To inspect the Aktash failure, the photo of which is presented above, you need to come by car to the village of Kaleikino, which is accessible from the Almetyevsk-Kazan highway or from Naberezhnye Chelny. If you do not have your own transport, then use the services of the railway. In this case, you need to get off at the Almetyevskaya station, where trains stop from Moscow, Naberezhnye Chelny and Perm. Despite the name, it is located in the village of Kaleikino, on the outskirts of which you will see metal fences. Behind them is the famous Aktash failure. Object coordinates: 54 ° 54 ′ 54 ″ north latitude, 52 ° 08 ′ 52 ″ east longitude.
Friendship oil pipeline
The surroundings of Kaleikino are also interesting for another reason: next to the failure there is a group of noteworthy industrial structures that are simply impossible to ignore. This equipment is the starting point of the well-known Druzhba pipeline. From there, “black gold” is transported through Almetyevsk and Samara to European countries. In the Russian Federation, an oil pipeline crosses 32 regions of 8 regions. Almost ½ part of all Russian oil exported to the countries of far and near abroad is sent through the oil pipeline.
Points of interest in the area
People who want to see the Aktash failure go to Kaleikino from all over Russia and even from some CIS countries. Especially often there are diving enthusiasts who dive in the hope of unraveling the secrets of this reservoir. In particular, they recently discovered a small grotto at the bottom.
Locals claim that the Aktash failure is not the only interesting natural site in the vicinity of Kaleikino. In particular, in the village of Kichuchatovo, east of the failure, there is a well from which the sounds of the underground current are clearly audible. Moreover, it seems that large stones are rolling down below.
Nearby there is another miraculous attraction - a river, through which a small bridge is thrown. Under it, it is divided into 2 sleeves, and when viewed from above, it is clear that they flow in different directions, in a circle!
Now you know why the Aktash failure is interesting. Tatarstan, with the exception of the capital and 2-3 large cities, is a real "incognito terra" for tourists. But there are many interesting natural, cultural and historical attractions that are worth seeing. Therefore, at the first opportunity, visit the Aktash failure. It is quite difficult to meet a natural monument of such beauty and mystery in our country, and do not miss your chance, especially since no one knows if it will disappear in a few years as suddenly as it appeared.