Sut khol kozhuun. Lake Sut-Khol (milk lake)
Lake Sut-Khol is located in the Sut-Kholsky kozhuun of the Republic of Tyva in the spurs of the Western Sayan Mountains near the stormy Khemchik at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level.
The length of the lake from west to east is 7-8 kilometers, width - 2-2.5 kilometers.
On the shores of the lake there are spreading larches, slender spruces, and beautiful cedars. On the green moss there are pink flowers of round-leaved wintergreens, lingonberries, and bergenia. In the vicinity of Sut-Khol there is a round, forest-covered mountain, Bora-Taiga, whose rocky peak is crowned by a wooden pyramid built by topographers. From the south, the dome of Mount Kyzyl-Taiga rose above the lake, offering a magnificent view of the Khemchik Basin.
Sut-Khol is remembered by everyone who has ever seen it. The bizarre shape of the peninsula juts deep into the surface of the lake; wild rocks and white clouds are reflected in the water, like in a mirror.
Small streams flow into the lake from the west. Their banks serve as a common stopping place for shepherds. In the southeast, the Khol-Ozhu River rapidly flows from Sut-Khol through a picturesque gorge surrounded by yellowish rocks with trails of scree, forming small waterfalls in places. Red and black currant bushes hang over the river, irises, bells, lilies bloom, and wild gooseberries are found in the crevices of the rocks.
Not far from Sut-Khol the arzhaan Ulug-Dorgun beats. The water temperature in the source is +4.2 degrees. The trees near it, according to the old Tuvan custom, are hung with offerings to the spirit of the mountains. In the summer, near the arzhaan there are tents of vacationers who not only drink the spring water, but also take a shower.
The lake is very rich in plankton. It contains a lot of amphipods, which omuls feed on. Ichthyologists released juveniles of Baikal omul, Mongolian grayling, peled, ripus, and vendace into Sut-Khol. Scientists believe that Sut-Khol is an ideal place for breeding these fish.
The lake is very fresh air and absolute silence. Since ancient times, Sut-Khol has been considered sacred; its lake name means " milk lake", and among the Tuvans milk symbolizes purity. To this day, no one can swim in the sacred lake. It is believed that if anyone disturbs the peace of the lake, clouds will immediately roll in and hail will begin. Perhaps that is why the purity of the lake water is comparable only to Lake Baikal , after all, no one dares not only to pollute the water, but also to leave garbage on its shores. No one really disturbs the peace on the lake, this is - sacred place.
And Sut-Khol is the birthplace of the most famous storytellers and the strongest Tuvan wrestlers, which is also attributed to the influence of the sacred lake.
There is a legend among the people. In ancient times, an old witch settled by the lake. She brewed healing decoctions from Sut-Khol herbs, repeated spells, and sent thunderstorms across the taiga. One day a sorceress threw a large vat of milk into the waters of Sut-Khol. In the morning, people did not even recognize the lake: it became snow-white, as if filled with milk. Since then, people began to notice that cows on Sut-Khol pastures produce a lot of milk, thick as cream. It’s not for nothing that Sut-Khol translated into Russian means Lake of Milk.
One of the most good places For tourist recreation in the Republic of Tyva can be called Lake Sut-Khol, located on the territory of the Sut-Kholsky kozhuun. This picturesque body of water is hidden from prying eyes in the spurs mountain range Western Sayan, at an altitude of 1.8 kilometers above sea level, surrounded by spreading spruce, larches and cedars. The beauty of these places is simply mesmerizing. Not far from the lake rises Mount Bora-Taiga, the top of which is crowned by a man-made wooden pyramid installed here by topographers. The surrounding forests abound in currants and lingonberries, which can be collected in whole baskets, and in open areas grow bergenia, wintergreens and other flowers, pleasing the eye with their diversity. IN close proximity from Lake Sut-Khol there is a tourist base of the same name, which has been welcoming guests for more than 10 years. Here you can stay in a yurt camp, equipped with all the benefits of civilization, and taste Tuvan cuisine, which will be delivered directly to your yurt. Alternative options are three meals a day in the dining room, and cooking kebabs on the grill.
Peculiarities
Even Baikal can envy the purity of the water of Lake Sut-Khol, but, unfortunately, you cannot swim in it. The fact is that this reservoir is considered sacred among local residents, and bathing in it is punishable by terrible curses. Whether to believe in these legends or not is a personal matter for everyone, but they clearly should not be neglected, at least out of respect for the traditions of the Tuvans. It is noteworthy that next to the lake there is mineral spring Ulug-Dorgun, whose water can be used not only for drinking, but also for bathing. However, its temperature barely reaches 5 degrees, and only real “walruses” can handle such a test. Recently, Sut-Khol began to be used for fish farming. The fry of grayling, ripus, peled and omul were brought here, which took root well in the new place and already managed to give birth. The main food source for these fish are small crustaceans, which are found in the lake in huge quantities. On this moment Fishing on Sut-Khol is prohibited, and vacationers come here only for relaxation and recovery. The beautiful landscapes of these places often become the backdrop for photographs, and the best angles can be caught on the southeastern coast, at the source of the Khol-Ozhu River, which forms a gorge with waterfalls and bizarre rocks.
Legends
One of the Tuvan legends says that the reservoir got its name thanks to an old witch who lived in these places in ancient times. While preparing the next decoction, she splashed a vat of milk into the water, and the entire lake turned white. Since then, the cows grazing on its banks began to produce thick, fatty milk, similar to cream, and the reservoir itself began to be called “Sut-Khol” - “Milk Lake”. Another legend tells about mythical creature- a bull that lives in the depths of the lake and helps people in their misfortunes. Every time the bull comes to the surface, the lake begins to boil and foam, and a thunderstorm begins in the sky and a gusty wind blows.
How to get there
Nearest locality to Lake Sut-Khol - the village of Sug-Aksy, which can be reached from the regional center along a good asphalt highway. A country road leads from the village to the shores of the reservoir, which is often washed away by rain, and even an SUV cannot always drive along it. Along the way you will have to overcome a steep pass, which is only possible under favorable weather conditions.
Sacred Sut-KholAmir Dulush, an employee of the Department of Culture of the Sut-Khol district, spoke about the unique Sut-Khol lake and the Sut-Khol tourist base.
“Sut-Khol is a fresh, high Mountain Lake. The height of the lake above sea level is 1814 meters. Since ancient times, Sut-Khol has been considered sacred, and the name of the lake means “milk lake”, and milk among the Tuvans symbolizes purity. The lake is considered sacred to this day; no one is allowed to swim there; if anyone disturbs the peace of the lake, clouds will immediately roll in and hail will begin. Maybe that’s why the purity of its waters is comparable only to Lake Baikal. And Sut-Khol is the birthplace of the most famous storytellers and the strongest fighters, and this is also considered the influence of the sacred lake.
No one really disturbs the peace on the lake; it is a sacred place. The guides tell all our tourists the legend of a sacred bull that came out of the lake to share its blood with people and save them from terrible diseases. The lake has very clean air and absolute silence. Therefore, we want to combine on the basis leisure with meditation.
Our project “Tourist base “Sut-Khol” has been working for more than 10 years. But for now only in the summer. Tourists live in a tent-yurt town. We can offer vacationers any cuisine, national or European. We can deliver food to the yurt, we can cook it outdoors, we also have a dining room. Of course, we wanted the camp site to operate year-round. To do this, it is necessary to build good winter houses, organize ski trips, and amateur ice fishing. The lake is inhabited by Mongolian grayling, peled, omul, and vendace.
We have developed several horse and walking routes to historical and sacred places. Sut-Khol is the territory of 60 heroes; in 2013 we will celebrate the 130th anniversary of this uprising. Tourists will be interested to see the unique monument of cultural and historical heritage of Ulug Ovaa. This is a sign of the border between Khakassia and Tuva. Ovaa is assembled from special stones on which letters and horoscopes are engraved in two languages. And of course, you cannot pass by the Arzhaans, who are located on Mount Kyzyl-Taiga. All three sources are radon. For example, the water in Arzhaan Shaarash (Dorgun) is + 4.2 degrees, and is very healing, treats diseases of the endocrine, musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. You can get to the lake in two ways, one of them is on foot, passing through the Shaarash spring. And another route can be covered by car through the village of Bora-Taiga, the road to the lake is mountain taiga and very beautiful.
In the summer, there are shepherds’ camps around Lake Sut-Khol, so the development of rural tourism seems to us the most promising direction: many people want to relax away from noisy cities, among the silence of pristine nature. The shepherd's camp combines scientific, cultural and ethnic tourism; this type of recreation is considered one of the accessible ones and does not require large expenses. In addition, rural tourism is an active holiday: tourists are invited to become participants in the traditional life of an Arat family, get acquainted with the life of shepherds and national cuisine.
Tourists from big cities will be very interested in immersing themselves in a completely different culture, milking goats and cows, learning how to tan hides, and sewing national clothes. Men will be taught how to lasso horses and national games. That is, you can keep people busy so that they definitely won’t get bored. And the holiday itself is like this picturesque place worth a lot.
Today, the main problem of tourism development in the area is the lack of investment resources and infrastructure. It would be nice to build cable car, in this case it will be possible to get from the regional center to the foot of the mountain in half an hour. Ideally, the construction of a roadway would allow any tourist to reach the lake by personal vehicle. But on the other hand, tourists who come to Sut-Khol expect to see a unique place. And the uniqueness of Sut-Khol, first of all, lies in its pristine perfection and untouched nature. It's like getting into fairy tale, so vacationers honor our lake and follow all the rules. Many tourists come to us not for the first time, for example, participants of the Ustuu-Khuree festival, and simply enjoy such an amazing vacation. And horseback riding is exotic for many.”
Scientific supervisor, Ph.D.
The Republic of Tyva has enough a large number of unique, unique places on their territory, which are rich not only natural resources, but also historical monuments. One of such places is Sut-Kholsky kozhuun (district). It was officially created only in 1983; before that, the territory of the Sut-Kholsky district was part of the Dzun-Khemchiksky district. The total territory of the district covers an area of 669,125 hectares. It consists of 7 sumons: Aldan-Maadyr, Ak-Dash, Bora-Taiga, Sug-Aksy, Kara-Chyraa, Kyzyl-Taiga and Ishkin. The district center is the village of Sug-Aksy, which is located in the middle part of the Sut-Kholsky district. The district itself is located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Tyva. It borders in the south with Dzun-Khemchiksky, in the west with Barun-Khemchiksky, in the east with the Chaa-Kholsky kozhuuns of the Republic of Tyva, and in the north with Khakassia.
On the territory of Sut-Kholsky kozhuun there is a beautiful mountain lake Sut-Khol, which is located next to the Kyzyl-Taiga mountain (the height of the mountain is 2400 meters above sea level). The area of the lake is 1400 hectares, length - 8 km, width - 3.5 km, depth - 35 m, the lake is located at 1814 m above sea level, the lake is inhabited by Mongolian grayling, peled, omul, vendace. Kozhuun got its name precisely in honor of the lake - Sut-Kholsky.
In Tuva there is a national wrestling sport “Khuresh”. At the traditional festival of livestock breeders (Naadym), wrestling competitions are held annually. All the great wrestlers of the national wrestling "Khuresh" come from Sut-Khol, and this is considered by the locals to be the influence of the sacred lake Sut-Khol. The purity of the water in the lake is comparable only to Lake Baikal. Since ancient times the lake. Sut-Khol is considered sacred; it is not for nothing that all Tuvan fairy tales and legends begin with the words: “A long time ago, when Lake Sut-Khol was a small puddle, and Mount Sumber-Uula (the mountain on which the lake is currently located) was a hummock...”. In the area of the lake, shamanic rituals are performed annually, during which the owner of the lake is appeased so that he helps in obtaining a good harvest, prosperity and protects the local population from diseases, jut (poverty, hunger and loss of livestock).
The territory of Kozhuun is inhabited by wild animals: red deer, roe deer, wild boar, musk deer, hare, etc. Birds: black grouse, wood grouse, partridge, duck, goose, snowcock, eagle, kite, etc. The rivers Khemchik, Sep, Ak, Alash are rich in various species fish
Ulug-Ovaa is a unique monument of cultural and historical heritage. Ovaa is a traditional place for Tuvans to worship various spirits of nature, where a mound of stones with dry branches protruding is formed, to which ribbons are tied as a sign of worship. Ulug-Ovaa is located on the border between Khakassia and Tuva. It is assembled from special stones, on which are carved in two languages (Tibetan and Tuvan) writings and horoscopes compiled by lamas. Since ancient times, Ulug-Ovaa has been a place of worship for local residents. Today it is mostly abandoned. And before, the road to Tuva passed by it because of the Sayans.
In Tuva the holy spring is called Arzhaan. On the territory of Sut-Khol there is arzhaan Shaarash (Dorgun) - a radon source, which is located on the territory of the village of Kyzyl-Taiga. The water temperature in Arzhaan is + 4.2 degrees. It treats diseases of the endocrine, musculoskeletal, and respiratory systems. People come here for treatment not only from Tuva, but also from other regions of Russia.
In the village of Aldan-Maadyr there is a monument dedicated to the uprising of 60 heroes. The author and maker of the monument is Saryglar Ortun Ertineevich. In the area of the village in 1883 - 1885 there was an uprising of 60 heroes - this was the largest uprising of the Arats against Manchu oppression and local feudal lords. The monument was erected in 1993, made in the form of a huge quiver for arrows, with 68 names of the rebels inscribed in metal. The monument is a landmark of the village.
Mount Kizhi-Unmes is located near the village of Ishkin. Translated, Kizhi-Unmes means a mountain that humans should not climb. Kizhi-Unmes is the most high point Ishkinskaya Khor-Taiga, 2650 meters above sea level. According to observations of local residents, it is on this mountain that the weather is born. Local residents believe that if clouds gather over the top of a mountain and a snowstorm begins, expect bad weather. It is always windy at the top, so you can climb there only in clear weather. Before climbing, it is considered obligatory to perform a ritual of worshiping the mountain. It has been noticed that if a person climbs a mountain, then after that it rains or snows for several days, it is believed that the mountain is angry. In 1953, a plane carrying an expedition of geologists crashed here. The plane crashed into a mountain due to fog. One of the passengers on the plane remained alive and crawled through the taiga for several days to the shepherd's camp, where he was given help. In light of this event and various signs of the local population, a special attitude towards Mount Kizhi-Unmes is developing.
In the picturesque town of Nizhny Ishkin there is a stone stele of Dash Kozhee, about 2.5 meters long. As he says local village of Ishkin Koshkar-ool Ondar: “The oldest residents of these places said that once two brothers lived here - Borbak-Sat and Churek-Sat. During the war with neighboring tribes they died. In place of their yurts, the wives of these fighters erected a stone statue of Dash Kozhee.” However, Koshkar-ool Ondar claims that the stele was originally twice as high. Apparently it couldn't withstand the weight of time and broke off. Although this fact, as well as the names of those for whom, according to old-timers, it was erected, speaks of the comparative youth of the monument. Stone sculptures Scythian times look different. Not far from the stele there are several mounds, each with a diameter of 15 - 20 meters. They have not been looted, as they are located in a hard-to-reach place.
Sut-Kholsky kozhuun is one of the beautiful regions of the Republic of Tyva; in kozhuun there is not only unique places nature, but also historical monuments, around many of them, tales and legends have been formed since ancient times. The residents of Kozhuun themselves are proud to live in Sut-Khol. Must be saved historical heritage, cultural monuments, and traditions of the region.
Bibliography
1. Tuva. Guide “LE PTI FUTET” - Moscow: Avangard. – 2001. – P. 148-149.
2. Aldan-Maadyr. In memory of ancestors. – Kyzyl: 1997. – P. 12.
3. Biche-ool V.L., Shaktarzhik dugainda chugaalar. – Kyzyl: 2C. 139
Sut-Khol district located in the northwestern part of the republic. He borders in the south with Dzun-Khemchiksky, in the west with Barun-Khemchiksky, in the east with Chaa-Kholsky kozhuuns of the Republic of Tyva, in the north with the Republic of Khakassia.
District center- the village of Sug-Aksy - located in the middle part of the Sut-Kholsky district (kozhuun). Population Kozhuun - 7933 people (2016)
A peculiarity of the economic and geographical position of the Sut-Kholsky district (kozhuun) is its remoteness from central regions and the capital of the republic. The distance from the district (kozhuun) center to the capital of the Republic of Tyva - Kyzyl is 286 km, and to the nearest railway stations- respectively: 323 km (Abaza) and 730 km (Abakan). The main means of communication connecting kozhuun with other kozhuuns of the republic is motor transport.
In the central part of Kozhuun there is the Khemchik depression; in the north of Kozhuun there are high mountains. Most of the kozhuun (51.0%) is occupied by forests in which cedar, poplar, larch, birch, bird cherry, aspen, as well as sea buckthorn, currants, blueberries and others grow. In terms of area occupied by sea buckthorn, the fruits of which contain a large amount of vitamin C, kozhuun occupies one of the leading places in the republic.
The Khemchik River flows from west to east with tributaries Alash, Ak, Ustuu-Ishkin, Aldyy-Ishkin, Shele, Terektig, Shom-Shum.
On the territory of Kozhuun, at an altitude of 1814 meters above sea level, there is a mountain freshwater lake “Sut-Khol”, in which peled, omul, and Mongolian grayling are bred.
The main direction of kozhuun is agricultural.
Climate sharply continental. The lowest temperature observed in winter is 50°C, the average temperature in January is 30 degrees below zero. The winter period lasts about 180 days. The basin-like nature of the area's relief, with the general predominance of the anticyclonic regime in winter, contributes to the accumulation of cold air in the basin and its additional cooling.
Hot and dry summer begins at the end of May and lasts 85 days. The average July temperature is +20 degrees, maximum +38 degrees. There are no frosts observed during the summer. Spring frosts usually end at the end of the second ten days of May, but in some years they are observed at the beginning of June. Autumn frosts begin in the third ten days of September, and in some years at the end of August. The duration of the warm period (temperature above +10 degrees) is about 125 days. Generally, climatic conditions This area is harsh.
On the territory of the region (kozhuun), from explored mineral deposits, lime burning in the village is involved in economic turnover. Aldan-Maadyr, and the deposit of brick clays in the village. Ak-Dash is planned to gain momentum in the coming years.