The Republic of Mari El has long been famous for its crystal clear and beautiful lakes. The Sea Eye (one of the many lakes of the republic) is considered to be its pearl.
Mari El Republic
The republic was formed in 1920. It is located in the eastern part of European Russia. It has the Republic of Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod Regions as its neighbors. The capital is the city of Yoshkar-Ola.
Mari El has always attracted tourists with the beauty of its landscape. In the republic there are over 200 lakes. They are all different in size - from the smallest to the largest and most magnificent. The origin of the lakes is also different. Some of them are shrouded in a fleur of mysterious legends and ancient legends. Each of the lakes has some useful properties. One of the most attractive for tourists is the Sea Eye.
Lake location
The lake is located in a coniferous forest near the city of Volzhsk (Mari El). Tourists are best to stay in the village of Shariboksad. From here you can walk to the lake (about 200 meters). On the territory of the lake there is a guest house, a bathhouse and a cafe.
Description of the lake
The Sea Eye is a relatively small lake. Its area is 2000 square meters (40 by 50 meters). In the deepest place, the water column reaches 50 meters. The Sea Eye feeds on underground sources and precipitation. The lake has an unusual color of water: it has a greenish tint. In general, water transparency is high. The bottom can be seen up to a depth of 6 meters. A stream flows out of the lake. The water quality in it, as in the lake itself, is very high. Therefore, local residents use it for both domestic and food purposes. The water temperature is low, but you can swim. Many tourists note that, having plunged into the lake, you do not feel the cold, but on the contrary, the body quickly warms up. The Republic of Maria El in this respect pleases tourists: there is where to swim.
As for the lake bottom, it is covered with tree trunks (mainly firs and firs), which crawled from the slopes of the mountains. Water at the bottom is opaque. Scuba divers discovered a cave under water on a mountainside next to the lake. On this mountain many streams flow into the lake, which meander with fancy ribbons and shimmer in the sun, creating a delightful sight.
The Sea Eye is located in a cool place, in the shade of thick firs and firs. Due to the rather low temperatures and a small amount of sunlight, the lake shore is not full of various plants. Here you can find lichens, mosses, mushrooms, arrowhead and the like shade-loving plants. There are many inhabitants in the water: first of all, plankton and fish (perch, crucian carp, roach, pike, tench).
The meaning of the name
Like many other lakes of Mari El, the Sea Eye has a name in the local language - Mushyl, which means "cavity", "failure".
Why is it called the Sea Eye in Russian? If you look at the lake from the Sharinskaya Mountain, it really resembles a giant green eye with fluffy eyelashes, the role of which is played by pine, spruce and fir.
Origin of the lake
According to scientists, it was formed on the site of the karst failure. This failure is relatively young - 20 thousand years (the time of the Ice Age). Near this failure there is a high ledge (its height reaches 90 meters). Just at its foot, the Sea of Eye Lake is the deepest.
Legends of the lake
As noted above, about the majority of lakes many legends are formed by the peoples of the Mari El Republic. The Sea Eye is no exception.
The first legend says that once there was a hill, and there was a village on it. In that village there lived a guy and a girl who were passionately in love with each other. But on the eve of their wedding, the healer told them that they are brother and sister. The young were miserable, but love was stronger. We played a wedding. Spirits were angry with the people of the village and flooded it. There was thunder, rain poured, and all the houses went under water. And Lake Mushyl was formed (as the locals call it).
According to the second legend, once a wedding carriage passed here. A groom from a neighboring area married a local girl. The merry people did not notice how the earth fell in their path. Together they went down. And now in the evenings you can hear quiet wedding songs that are heard right from the water column.
The third legend tells that once local residents (peasants) found in the lake the remains of an ancient sea ship. Allegedly there was a sea in time immemorial. Therefore, at the bottom of the lake, the water is salty, marine.
The fourth legend is also associated with the wedding ceremony. They say that in the very place of the lake there was once a mighty and dense coniferous forest. A spring with clear spring water beat in the forest. And often the travelers walking along the forest road stopped here to drink water, to rest. And the dense branches of the forest served as a good shelter for the robbers. And once, a carriage with a bride and her dowry rode along this road, and was accompanied by a motorcade known in those parts as a sorcerer. But the robbers were not afraid of him, they killed the bride and took away the treasures. Then cursed their sorcerer. And the earth fell in this place and was filled with water. And the sorcerer remained to guard the local places. They say that at night you can see its silhouette in the place where streams run down the ledge into the lake.
How to get to the lake?
By car, drive along the Yoshkar-Ola-Kazan highway. Upon reaching the village of Pomar, turn to the village of Sotnur. Already here, pointers to the Sea of Eye Lake will be placed. Follow to the village of Shariboksad.
What else can you see in the Republic of Mari El?
In order to have a good rest in this republic and see many interesting places, you will need three things: a car, a map of Mari El and a good mood. There really is something to see here. All areas of the Mari El Republic are interesting in their own way. There are 14 in total. There is a movement along the Yoshkar-Ola-Kazan highway towards Sea Eye Lake, then you cross the urban district of Yoshkar-Ola, Zvenigovsky district and directly Volzhsky.
Yalchik Lake and Mari Chodra Park
At a distance of 75 kilometers from the capital of the republic, its largest lake is located in the Mari Chodra National Park . The shore is well equipped with all the items necessary for recreation: camping places, tables, benches, campfire sites. Yalchik is a favorite vacation spot for residents of the republics of Mari El and Tatarstan. Here you can get in boarding houses and sanatoriums (sanatorium "Maple Mountain", recreation complex "Yalchik").
In general, the resorts of Mari El are famous for their therapeutic procedures. In addition, even the local air is healing. The lake is surrounded by coniferous trees, thanks to which the air is especially clean.
In the Mari Chodra park, tourists can admire the old oak tree, named after Emelyan Pugachev. Its height is 26 meters and a diameter of 160 centimeters. Only 5-6 people can hold him, holding hands. The approximate age of the plant is 500 years. According to legend, it was near this oak that Emelyan Pugachev stayed with his army on the night before the last attack on Kazan, and from its top he looked at the blazing posad of Kazan.
Another interesting place in the park is the Semiozerka Valley. This is the place where seven karst lakes are located, interconnected by isthmuses. In the center of the valley is a hill, from which 4 lakes diverge at once. In Semiozerka there are several parking lots for recreation.
The village of New Paraty
In the area of the village of Pomar we make a left turn and follow the signs for New Paraty. There are very picturesque open spaces. There is also a rather old church of St. Demetrius of Solunsky, built in 1861. The stone building looks bewitching. From a hill in the village of New Paraty, the expanses of the Volga region are clearly visible.
Azal Temple
The next settlement on the way is Karay. Already at the entrance to the village you can see the makovka of the Azyal temple. The beautiful river Pizhanka flows here. After crossing the bridge over it, we find ourselves in the village of Azyal. The Azyal Temple of St. Guriy is known for its healing springs: the source of the Mother of God of Smolensk and Seraphim of Sarov. Infertile women, having bathed in this water and climbed independently on the linden mountain leading to the temple, soon gave birth to children. Many pilgrims come here from all over the country, so the road is pretty crowded with cars and pedestrians.
Having descended from the temple of St. Guria through the villages of Petyaly and Yaromor, we find ourselves in Sotnur. And from here you can easily reach one of the most beautiful lakes in the Republic of Mari El (Sea Eye).
Hotels near Sea Eye Lake
For those who prefer an organized vacation, locals offer a number of good hotels. This country club "Manor", the hotel "Ak Bars" and the rest house "Deep Lake".