When a person is faced with something amazing and beautiful, he wants this to remain with him forever. Most often this is impossible, but not in the case of the pristine nature of Altai, whose pearl is Chemal. The sights of this place are its nature, which constantly surprises. Apparently, that’s why every year there are rows of buses and cars with tourists eager to come into contact with it.
History of Chemal
Each settlement has its own biography, which indicates how it was created, how it developed and even how it disappeared from the face of the Earth, if this happened. The history of the village of Chemal, whose sights are now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, began in the late 18th century with runaway peasants who were looking for a better life.
Now it is not known how well they lived, but they definitely chose a unique place to build their houses. When missionaries and their families settled here in 1849, a new life began near the village. The unique properties of its air became widely known, and by the end of the 19th century celebrities, scientists and creative intelligentsia began to visit this distant land. P.N. Krylov, V.Ya. Shishkov, G.N. Potanin and other famous people.
Thanks to the missionaries, temples and churches were erected here, some of which have been restored and are operating today. The Church of St. John the Evangelist, for example, was built in 1850, but then moved from the village to the island of Patmos in 1915, and in 2001 it was completely restored.
The first sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was built in 1905 with the money of Bishop Makarii and with his blessing. In the 30s of the 20th century, the sanatorium became government, the wife of M. Kalinina Ekaterina was appointed its director. By this time, a bathhouse, a bakery and workshops were already operating in the village.
Today, in order to get to the sanatorium or to one of the Chemal camp sites, you need to book places in advance, this place has become so popular.
Nature
If you list the natural attractions of Chemal, the first on the list will be its air. There are several reasons for its uniqueness:
- Firstly, the climate in these places is very different from that characteristic of the Altai Republic. There is almost no snow, and the winter temperature rarely drops below -8 degrees, while only 10-15 km from the village it reaches -25. In summer it is warm and sunny, which is also not typical of other areas. By the number of sunny days it can be compared with the Crimean coast.
- Secondly, the air is filled not only with ozone, but also with essential oils. This is due to a nearby relict pine forest, the trees of which emit these very oils.
- Thirdly, moderate air dryness, which is facilitated by the absence of swamps. Many travelers who have been here know everything about Chemal, its sights, but are not aware of one amazing phenomenon. There are no mosquitoes, which is completely unusual for places near water and forests.
- Fourth, the mountains surrounding the village with their alpine meadows contribute to the cleanliness and ozonation of air.
The nature of Chemal has become the main reason for this popularity among tourists.
Church of St. John the Evangelist
If you make a list of the best attractions in Chemal created by human hands, then the Church of St. John the Evangelist will take first place in it.
The name of the island has its own interesting story. When the temple was still standing on the banks of the Katun River, the monks chose this piece of land as a place for solitary prayers. The nameless island at that time towered majestically almost in the middle of the river. This became the reason that in 1855 he was lit by Bishop Parthenius and named after him Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea, on which the Revelation of the Lord was given to John the Theologian. In his knowledge, the prophet saw not only the apocalypse, but also two islands floating above the water with temples on them. That is why the temple was later transferred to the illuminated island from the shore of Katun.
In Soviet times, the temple was destroyed, but today it is reborn again, and a nunnery was built on the banks of the Katun River, which is connected to the island by a suspension bridge. If someone is interested in the question of what to see in Chemal, then it is worth going over the rickety bridge for the sake of two icons. One of them miraculously self-healing, and the other began to myrrh-streaming after lighting the renovated temple. There is evidence that they are miraculous.
Chemal hydroelectric station
As was customary in Soviet times, the first in Siberia hydroelectric power station was built by prisoners. She worked for a long time, but today it is a museum and a place of entertainment. Entrance for an adult is 450 rubles, and for children - 250 rubles.
On the territory of the former hydroelectric station you can visit:
- in the cafe;
- in souvenir shops;
- In aquapark;
- in the dash and on the playground;
- visit the attraction "Adrenaline";
- jump from the dam into the water and much more.
Here you can get the most interesting and exciting entertainment experiences that Chemal offers. HPP attractions are suitable for both children and their parents.
Sanatorium Chemala
Surprisingly, in the village, most of the local wonders are the only, if not the world, then throughout Eastern Siberia. Many patients at the local sanatorium have already had the opportunity to improve their health and learn what sights Chemal has prepared for them. Reviews about the treatment and the conditions of detention suggest that not only the climate in the vicinity is good, but the atmosphere in the sanatorium is very friendly and equally healing.
Active life in the sanatorium began when Ekaterina Kalinina became its director. Initially, it was a health resort for members of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, which also brought together many prominent figures of art and literature. Only in 1957 he was reassigned to a mountain climatic wellness clinic for tuberculosis patients with varying degrees of disease complexity.
To get into it, you need a referral from doctors to get a ticket. Those who have already been treated here, note the unusual effects of local air and its help in recovery.
Cultural Center "Ornygu"
For those who decide to relax and improve their health in Altai, it will be interesting to know what sights to see in Chemal, related to local traditions and people. One of such objects is the cultural center "Ornygu".
It consists of 4 yurts, each of which highlights the life and customs of the Altai people:
- the first yurt is devoted to national clothes and household items;
- the second provides information on the elders of the clan about whom materials and photographs have been collected;
- the third is a yurt for reflection on peace, religion and friendship, the attributes of faith are presented here;
- the fourth tells of the nomadic life of the Altai people.
The museum is young, but more than 12,000 people have already visited it, which indicates the interest of people in the history of Altai and its inhabitants.
sights
For active people, Chemal prepared the sights located at some distance from the village:
- Taldinsky caves, which are located near the village of Izvestkoe on the left bank of the Katun.
- Kamyshlinsky waterfall formed at the confluence of the Kamyshla River in Katun.
- If you look at the sights of Chemal in late autumn, interesting places are on the Blue Lakes. They appear only in the fall, when Katun is shallow. Their distinguishing feature is the stunning blueness of the water. Locals claim that it cures eye diseases.
Sights of Chemal are its natural monuments, which Altai was so generously awarded with.
Legends of Chemal
As often happens, legends are born in the place of real-life facts. This happened with the story of the great man’s love for a woman. A.V. Anokhin was a famous person in Altai, the local population composed songs about him and called him the name of the mountain and lake. His love for a girl named Agnia became the basis of the legend.
When his beloved Anokhin fell ill with consumption, he, knowing the healing properties of the air of Chemal, brought her to this land. They rode a lot, walked in the surrounding forests, and everything was fine until an accident occurred. During one of the walks, the girl fell into the water and drowned.
Her body was found on the shore near an unnamed rock. The most amazing thing was that the previously unremarkable steep hill suddenly became wet, as from tears. So people began to call her since the Cry-Mountain in honor of the deceased girl.
According to legend, Anokhin buried his beloved in Chemal - a place where they were so good together. He erected a beautiful monument with angels on her grave, and locals say that the man vowed never to marry anyone and fulfilled his promise.
Unfortunately, in Soviet times, the monument and the grave were destroyed, and in the memory of the people about this story there was only the Cry-Mountain, which is visited by lovers to ask the deceased girl for help in love.
Castles of Mountain Spirits
Another popular place that all tourists visit in Chemal is an amazing creation of nature, popularly called Castles of Mountain Spirits. The sight you see is truly mesmerizing: on a flat plateau there are vertical jagged rocks resembling castle towers from afar.
These rocks have long inspired mystical horror for the local population. They said that in them live spirits that make sounds that can kill a person. And these legends were confirmed by cases when dead travelers were found at the cliffs without signs of violent death, who decided to stay here for the night.
Scientists have found that the rocks are located so that the wind created sounds of a certain frequency in them, and they killed people with their vibration. Some of the rocks were blown up, the sounds disappeared, but interest and fear of a natural miracle remained. Therefore, tourists are constantly brought here.
Chalets
Modern camp sites in the village appeared recently, but they also offer guests to improve their health, and not just enjoy the appearance of the region. In each of them, not only a comfortable life is organized, but also rich excursion programs in the vicinity.
Many of them are located near the beaches on the Katun River in picturesque places, but whatever the sights of Chemal, the description will not be able to convey all the beauty and unique charm of this place. It is better to come and check everything personally, having experienced the healing air of Altai and the benevolence of its inhabitants.