From the very beginning it should be noted that the name Itkul has lakes in the Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk regions and in Khakassia. Apart from the name, common to them is freshwater. Itkul is a toponym, that is, the name of a geographical object. In Russia there are 10 of them - villages, villages, towns, railway stations. There are four lakes, one of which, Bolshoi Itkul, is located in the Chelyabinsk region. There are similar names that differ by just one letter, and also toponyms - in the Siberian Federal District there is a natural reservoir Utkul, and not Lake Itkul. Altai Krai has two more villages, a river and a recreation center called Utkul, and is completely devoid of any geographical feature known as Itkul.
Homeland of tens of thousands of lakes
"Blue Land" - as the Southern Urals is often called because of its lakes, the number of which is 3170, and their area reaches 2100 square meters. km 39 natural reservoirs are recognized as natural monuments of regional significance.
Among them, Itkul - a lake, which is one of the most beautiful places in the Chelyabinsk region, in the north of which it is located. The most beautiful reservoir occupies an area of approximately 30 square meters. km, it stretches for 7 km, in width for 5. The lake is completely a security object with a total border length of 31.04 km, 21.53 of which pass through the territory of the Verkhneufaleysky urban district.
Main attraction
Famous sights include the praised by P. P. Bazhov Shaitan-stone, a 10-meter-high rock-outlier, which is an independent natural monument. Naturally, the picturesque rock has many legends, one of which is called Golden Hair. According to the same legend, Shaitan-stone was the home of Poloz. After the years 1973-1976. due to the activity of a pumping station built on the west bank for transferring lake water to Chusovaya, the water level decreased by 2.5 m, a cave opened under the rock.
Geographic data
The deepest part of the reservoir reaches almost 17 m with an average depth of about 7. The total length of the coastline is 15 km. The height above sea level on which the lake is located is 273 meters. Itkul is a lake with a rocky and steep eastern shore and more or less gentle southwest. The opposite southeast has a section of rocks, very interesting in the composition of minerals - there are large crystals (up to 10 cm) of black hornblende.
Garnets and chrome spinels often come across. Particularly noteworthy are the beaches of the southeastern coast with white sand, in which sometimes quite large garnet crystals gleam, which is why they are called "pomegranate beaches". The lake is surrounded by mountains (the highest of them Kapabayka reaches 544 m above sea level) and beautiful dense forests. At the foot of the mountain runs a small river of the same name. Its name is translated from the Bashkir language as “black buy”, or rich. Itkul is a lake that feeds on the water of so many streams and streams, and only one follows - the Source.
Sights of Bashkir Lake
300 years ago, the Bashkirs have inhabited the shore of the reservoir, the same number of years ago the Itkul village of the same name Bashkir, located, like the village of Bautovo, on the northern shore of the lake. In this village there is a monument to the heroes of the war of 1812, the Bashkirs of the tribe of “tersyaka”, who reached Paris as part of the Russian troops. Even near the village of Bautovo there is a hill with a recently cut down forest. As a result, it offers a beautiful view of Lake Itkul (photo attached). A group of boulders located closer to the middle and resembling cows wandered into the water adds to the peculiarity of the reservoir. This nameless island, or simply “pebbles”, stretched for a length of 125 meters. In addition, there is also a coin beach, Korabliki rocks, a stone ridge Altash, on the outskirts of a village of the same name with a lake, there are the so-called Itkulsky gates - centuries-old poplars are standing in contact with the crowns.
The lake sung by P.P. Bazhov
This wonderful corner of nature was described by P. P. Bazhov in his work “Demidov's Kaftans”, in which the singer of the Urals gives his interpretation of the name “Meat Lake”. He writes that the water in the lake is of extraordinary clarity and transparency, but a little reddish, as if it were rinsed with meat. Others explain the name as fish wealth in the lake. Another “meat” story is connected with the breeder Demidov. For disobedience and rebellion of the Bashkir population against the construction of a plant on the shore of the plant, Demidov wanted to poison the lake, ordering to dump the chopped cow carcasses into it. Allegedly since then, the Sacred Lake was called Meat. This story was also told to the world by P.P. Bazhov.
Archaeological treasury
They also call it the "Second Turgoyak with the shores of Arkaim." Turgoyak is also a large freshwater lake located in the same area, near the city of Miass, and also a natural monument. Arkaim is a large archaeological center.
With a fortified settlement of the Middle Bronze Age, all located in the same Chelyabinsk region, Itkul is related by archaeological finds discovered in many places on the coastline. From them it can be judged that in the III millennium BC, blacksmithing, pottery and other types of crafts flourished here. And man lived on these shores in the 7th millennium BC. Not a single archaeological expedition returned empty-handed, the most valuable finds were always brought, and on the shore numerous traces of ancient settlements remain discovered.
Tourist paradise
Itkul is a lake that attracts thousands of tourists. Forests and hills, beaches and clear water, an abundance of fish and wonderful air - such beauty could not go unnoticed, and people came here. At first, the inhabitants of the city of Upper Ufaley, located 20 km away, came to rest, now the reservoir has turned into a tourist attraction. Without even describing the achievements in the service sector of vacationers, it can be argued that Itkul is a lake, the rest on which will be guaranteed unforgettable. The object is a nature reserve, and not all places are accessible for wild recreation.
It should be noted that entry into the territory is paid (350 rubles), and any person crossing the border of the reserve will be given a garbage bag. But there are many more places for lovers of rest in a tent, which Lake Itkul is rich in. A recreation center or sanatorium can provide a high level of civilized and cultural pastime. They are located in large numbers on the west bank. The most popular of them are Itkul, Uraelement, Depot, Vagonnik, Zheleznodorozhnik, Metelitsa. It should be noted a high level of amenities and service of recreational facilities.
Pearls of Khakassia
As noted above, in Siberia there are several similar toponyms - Itkul. The lake (Khakassia has its own reservoir with a similar name), which has an oval shape and stretches from the northwest to the southeast, is the first largest freshwater reservoir in Khakassia. It belongs to the Shirinsky district. This administrative-territorial unit got its name from the legendary meromictic inland lake Shira. Three kilometers from it eastward is Itkul. Meromictic is a term denoting deep chemically stratified two-layer lakes in which there is a complete absence of water circulation between the layers. Examples - Black Sea, Lake. Grave on the island of Kildin in the Barents Sea and Lake Shira. The water in it is bitter-salty to taste. This pond is 100 meters below the Itkul pond. The lake (Khakassia has 500 large natural reservoirs with a water surface area of more than 10 hectares, more than 100 of which are saline), is located higher in relief and provides fresh water to the Shira Lake resort and the Kolodezny village.
Some information about the lake
The mirror area of the lake is 23.5 square meters. km, the depth reaches 16 meters, the height above sea level - 456 m. Three rivers flow into it, the largest of them is Kartish. The banks in the area of the outflow and outflow of streams are swampy (western and southwestern). Here you can find small salted Spirinsky ponds in the amount of 5 pieces. In contrast, Itkul is a freshwater lake with clean and transparent (absolute transparency reaches 9 meters) water.
In addition to rivers, 50 underground sources feed it. A significant part of its territory, namely 6.2 square meters. km, located in the south, belongs to the Khakassky reserve of federal significance. On one of the hills surrounding the pond there is an observation deck with a magnificent view of Lake Itkul. The photo is attached and fully confirms what was said.
Places of civilized recreation
Of course, there are civilized places of rest here - separate cottages for rent, well-maintained private sector houses, sanatoriums and hotels. Itkul Lake fully possesses a lot of what is meant by the concept of modern cultural rest. The recreation center of the Siberian Society of Hunters and Fishers (any of the five - “Mnogoozernoye”, “Lake Petrovskoye”, “Gordeyaka”, “Klepikovo”, “Utkul”) can serve as an indicator and a visiting card of relaxation on this magnificent lake. Therefore, residents here go not only to the nearby settlements, but also everywhere, because the rest on such a reservoir as Lake Itkul has the most positive reviews.
Modern source of information
Naturally, in our time, advertising plays a huge role, and any institution for recreation, and not only, in order to attract visitors has its own website, where you can get all the information you need, which tells in detail what Itkul is like. The lake, the vacation on which you are going to spend, is widely known, there are comprehensive data on it.
There is information about the sights of the lake itself and the surrounding area, there are recommendations on how best and what kind of transport to get to the object, you can find out the approximate cost of the proposed trip, all about the history of the lake, about flora and fauna. So tourists can only choose the appropriate option. And the choice is more than good.