The symbol of Kazan, shrouded in many rumors, secrets and legends is Lake Kaban. Actually, this is a water system consisting of three large lakes, stretching in length, from north to south, more than 10 kilometers and in width - about half a kilometer. The depth of the lake is from 1 to 3 meters, and in some places reaches 5-6 meters. Although it is very problematic to accurately measure the depth of the Boar, since its bottom is covered with a centuries-old layer of silt.
The water surface of the Near Boar (the northernmost, also called Lower) is 58 ha, the Middle - 112 ha, and the Upper - 25 ha.
Once Kaban Lake was famous for its crystal clear water, many people rested on its golden beaches. However, over time, enterprises were built on the banks of the reservoir that poured their waste directly into it.
In 1980, when the level of pollution of the Boar reached a critical value, treatment works began, as a result of which it was significantly reduced. However, the water of the lake is still not able to cleanse itself, since it is devoid of plankton.
Middle Boar is famous for having a rowing sports center on its shore. Competitions were held here as part of the 2013 Universiade.
Lower Kaban is famous for its high-rise water fountain, built near the Kamal Theater and which is one of the attractions of the city, as well as a popular walking boat station among the townspeople.
The history of the lake
Several legends are associated with the way Lake Kaban was formed . One of them tells of an old man named Kasyim-sheikh, who brought the people here. People who came with him began to murmur, because the area was completely overgrown with reeds and sedge, covered with dense shrubs and completely devoid of drinking water. Then, after praying, Kassim-sheikh took up the beshmet and dragged him along the ground behind him. In the place where he passed, a lake was formed with pure drinking water.
No matter how beautiful the legend, scientists have a different opinion. It is believed that the lake is nothing but the remains of the ancient Volga channel, which during the period of rapid melting of glaciers flowed in these places and was many times wider. Subsequently, the river laid a new channel for itself, several kilometers trap, and on the site of the former formed Lake Kaban. Photos of this area from space are a vivid confirmation of this. According to scientists, the age of the lake system is about 25-30 thousand years.
Name History
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the lake - both related to myths and legends, and quite ordinary.
According to one of them, the lake got its name from the name of the last Kazan khan, Kaban-Bek, who, fleeing from enemies, arrived in these places, having made his way through dense forests and marshy swamps. The healing waters of the lake helped the wounded to recover, and then a village subsequently appeared here. The nearby water body got its name in honor of the Kaban-Bek.
According to another version, they began to call Lake Kaban from the Turkic “cab-cube”, meaning “reservoir” or “excavation in the ground”. It is believed that the word “wild boar” also appeared, which means wild pigs digging holes.
There is also a version that the lake got its name for the reason that many wild boars were found in the oak forests that once surrounded it.
City's legends
Many secrets and legends envelop Lake Kaban. Kazan, as you know, in the XVI century was captured by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. On the night before the assault on the city, the Khan’s treasury, which included countless treasures, was secretly lowered to the bottom of the lake, where it is still located. In support of this version, examples are given that allegedly at the beginning of the 20th century a certain foreign company offered its services to clean the bottom of the lake, asking for its work only the opportunity to take all the garbage at the bottom. And in the second half of the same century, they allegedly even found a small, but heavy barrel, which could not be pulled into the boat - slipping out of hands, it again plunged into the muddy bottom of the Boar.
According to another legend, a sorceress lived on the lake, who fed homeless cats. When one day she suddenly began to drown her pets, indignant people killed her. Rescued animals, oddly enough, rushed into the water and drowned. Since then, the souls of cats have taken revenge on humans, grinding their ice with their claws to lure another victim.
There is also a legend that a part of the city founded by Kaban-Bek, after conquering, sank to the bottom along with its inhabitants, houses, palaces and mosques. And if in calm clear weather you can take a boat to the middle of the lake, you can see this ancient city and hear the call to prayer from the underwater minaret ...