Swan Lake

Swans ... Fairy birds. Eternal symbol of purity, loyalty, romance and love. The legends say that the supreme Altai god Ulgen flew on a white swan, creating this beautiful land. In perfect forms of these birds there is something fascinating, forcing a person, at one glance, to feel involvement in sublime matter and the desire to become better, purer and nobler.

Everyone saw the swans in photos and drawings. In the city ponds and on artificial lakes of zoos - very many. In the wild nature - just lucky ones. Not every lake is suitable for swans to stay for the winter; in huge Russia there are only two such places, chosen by magic birds! And it is not at all surprising that one of them is located on the bright and clean Altai.

The non-freezing lake, where whooping swans spend winter from December to March every year, is called Swan. It lies near the village Sovetskoye in the same area, in the left bank of the Katun; next to the famous resort Belokurikha. The road ends 2 km before the lake, then you can only go on foot. It already seemed a blue mirror, not freezing in any cold: at the bottom, through the transparent, iridescent thickness of the water, the warm keys are tirelessly beating. But what is it there on the shore, maybe covered with fluffy snow icicles? No: a graceful long neck rises from a snow-white pile, huge wings are straightened ... Swans! Lots of them!

At Swan Lake, relatively small - just a little more than a kilometer in length and 400 meters in width - at the beginning of winter 300-500 swans arrive. A beautiful picture: a huge flock of proud birds in the purest water, bright blue in clear weather, golden at dawn, pearly gray on a gloomy day. In the frosts over the lake white steam is smoking, and through its light veil the swans seem to be an impossible fairy tale, a wonderful mirage given to people for a rest of the soul.

For guests who want to see the amazing birds, a special observation deck is set up on the shore: from here everyone can admire the swans without interfering with their normal life. Even on the Swan Lake spend winter several thousand ducks, during a flight to the south here stop geese and cranes. These places are declared precious, here the nature sanctuary «Swan» is created. In March - early April, the swans rise to the wing and fly to the Salekhard tundra to make the breed there, and with the first frosts to return together with the grown-up chicks to the light key lake, which became native.

Does Swan Lake belong to the Places of Altai Power? In traditional lists, this wonderful pond is rarely mentioned. But for a long time it is known: swans choose places with special energy, not without reason there is an old belief that white birds attract luck, happiness, health. Probably, to answer the question, it is necessary to come here, on a date with a snow-white dream. To stand on the shore, look at the trees in the fluffy hoarfrost, on hundreds of beautiful birds on a mirror of water. Listen to the tubal voices of swans - and your heart, which will unmistakably determine the truth.