«Glorious Golden Lake!
You are like a deep sea laced with tall taiga.
Your waters mirror the beautiful endless sky.
Your trees and flying birds are a true feast for the eyes and senses.
Glorious and kind Golden Lake…».
«A Kind Wish» written by a historian V.A. Anokhin
In late March 2012, Yailu settlement www.yailu.ru, the central manor of the Altaiskiy Biosphere Reserve, welcomed a military-patriotic young seamen club “Nord-Ost” from the Novosibirisk science campus in the framework of the Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism “Guardians of the Lake” www.hraniteliozera.ru.
On arrival, following the long-standing tradition of the club, the club members visited the Monument to Altaiskiy Reserve employees and Yailu residents who died in the World War II, laid flowers to the monument and observed a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for peace.
In the course of their visit to the Altaiskiy Reserve, the club members learned the specifics of staying in a specially protected nature territory with the biosphere status and scheduled the time and place for the Nord-Ost’s summer research expedition targeted at setting the boat itinerary “Teletskoe Lake circumnavigation” that will trigger the large-scale redefining of the Altaiskiy Reserve’s Environmental and Health Programs for children and youth.
Young seamen also visited Chachilgan Cope, the monument to the first steamboat of Lake Teletskoye, Grandfather Alchi’s sacred cedar and the Poklonnaya (Bow) Pine. Traditional Teletskoye Lake plunge pool strengthening body and soul and evening bonfires on the shores of the lake with a guitar brought a lot of joy to the participants.
The highlight of the club’s stay in the Reserve was the ascent to Vas’kina Mountain offering a stunningly beautiful view of the Teletskoye Lake. Marina Guseva, a member of the club, forwarded a kind wish to Lake Teletskoye from the mountain’s viewing point using semaphore signals, saying: “Glorious Golden Lake! You are like a deep sea laced with tall taiga. Your waters mirror the beautiful endless sky.Your trees and flying birds are a true feast for the eyes and senses. Glorious and kind Golden Lake…”.
Yevgeniy Veselovskiy,
Coordinator for the Teletskaya school of youth ecotourism “Guardians of the Lake” of the Altaiskiy Biosphere Reserve
Photo by Y.D. Veselovskiy