Lake Shira is a unique reservoir with healing properties. It is located in the Shirinsky district of Khakassia. Not far from it is the village of Pearl. Shira is a place where people come to rest from all over the country.
general information
The size of Lake Shira is very impressive, its water surface stretches for a length of 9.5 kilometers, and the width of this magnificent creation of nature is 5 kilometers. The pond is located in the steppe, on the horizon you can see small hills. Others are adjacent to Lake Shira: Itkul, Bele, Jirim, Utichye, Tus. Not far from here there are caves of Malaya Syya, attracting cavers, such as Pandora's Box and Tuimsky Failure, chosen by extremals.
This is a salt lake, on the coast of which there is a village with the beautiful name Pearl. Shira is a resort where there are many camp sites and resorts for children. In the southeast of the lake basin, the Khakassky Reserve begins . On this site, the reserve captures part of the lake and the river with the mysterious name Dream.
Discovery of the lake
The famous explorer Pallas mentioned this lake in the scientific literature. The discovery of the healing properties of this reservoir is associated with the gold miner Z.M. Tsibulsky. When he mistakenly shot his dog while hunting, her body was left in the sand by the splashing waters of the lake. His surprise was great when the animal returned home on its own.
It has been suggested that the dog entered the water and its wounds began to heal. After this incident, they began to say that the lake cures all diseases. Soon Tsibulsky rented a lake in the second half of the 19th century for 25 years, in the summer he stayed with his family. The healing properties and geological structure were investigated by the physician P. M. Popov and I. G. Savenkov. At the end of the 19th century, Shira Lake was at the disposal of the state, officials, nobles, merchants, other noble people and wealthy peasants came here to be treated.
Researches of medicinal properties
From the second half of the 19th century, the healing properties of Lake Shira were studied by doctors, pharmacists and professors from Tomsk universities. It was concluded that water, due to its composition and therapeutic effect, is close to the mineral waters of the Caucasus.
Over time, the resort developed, before the revolution, over 1000 people spent their summer wellness treatments here. A bathroom building was built, where 12 baths were located with water supply and heating. There was also a hospital, baths and guest houses. This resort was also loved by the famous artist V.I. Surikov. His watercolors depict the shores and expanse of Lake Shira.
After 1917, the resort was already of national importance. A doctor was in charge of him; for the summer, professors and associate professors from Tomsk universities constantly came. Even in the pre-war years, the resort gained popularity and fame.
Rest on the lake
People come to the Zhemchuzhny settlement to rest and be treated from different parts of the country. In Lake Shira, not only water has healing properties, but also mud, which is taken from the bottom of the reservoir. The beaches on the coast are quite suitable for swimming and sunbathing. The water in the lake is quite warm in the summer - from 24 degrees to 26.
The air of the steppes is clean and transparent; there are no enterprises nearby. You can get a camp or rent a house, an apartment in the village of Pearl. Shira is a few kilometers away. There is a cafe, souvenirs are sold, various attractions work.
How to get there
Pearl Village, Shira are located in Khakassia. The resort can be reached by road from different cities: Abakan, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo. You can get here both by bus and by train. At the Shira railway station, a train stops from Moscow to Abakan.