Yalchik Lake
Encyclopedia
Lake Yalchik is the largest lake
in Mari El
, Russia
, located in the Marii Chodra national park
. Lake Yalchik plays a major role in tourism in region and several tourist centres are located here. It is renowned locally for its clean and warm water.
processes that shape the area. Legend says that the lake appeared after the major collapse of a meadow, which was originally in the location of the lake. The last major collapse occurred in 1914 and it generated a tsunami
-like wave. At the bottom of the lake there are two series of karst
caves, 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) and 1200 metres (3,937 ft) long, and up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) deep.
Greater Yalchik has a complex shape and many bay
s, whereas Smaller Yalchik has an elongated shape. Smaller Yalchik has two little brooks as inflows, but the Greater Yalchik has none.
There is also a specualative version that the name of the lake has Turkic
roots. It's based on supposition that the word Yalchik itself is a rendering of the Chuvash
word Елчěк (Yälçek), which means a 'little village'. Nevertheless, the real tranlsation of 'little village' into Chuvash language is 'пĕчĕк ял' (pechek yal). The most of the lakes in Marii Chodra have the Mari names
, and often have jär/yer endings, Mari for a lake, that's why Turkic version is doubtful.
. However, there are no beaches at the lake, and the most of its coastline is covered with reed. Many tourists reach Yalchik by own car
s, but a significant number of them use a railway. The closest station
to Yalchik is in the settlement of Yalchevsky.
Some Mari and Tatarstan
universities sometimes arrange science conference
s at the Yalchik's rest home.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Mari El
Mari El
The Mari El Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Population: -Geography:The republic is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain of Russia, along the Volga River. The swampy Mari Depression is located in the west of the republic...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, located in the Marii Chodra national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. Lake Yalchik plays a major role in tourism in region and several tourist centres are located here. It is renowned locally for its clean and warm water.
Hydrology
Lake Yalchik is a system of two lakes, the Greater and Smaller Yalchiks, which are linked by a channel which periodically dries up in summer. The elevation of Smaller Yalchik is higher than that of Greater Yalchik, but flow from Smaller Yalchik can only be observed at spring tide. The area of the lake is increasing due to the karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
processes that shape the area. Legend says that the lake appeared after the major collapse of a meadow, which was originally in the location of the lake. The last major collapse occurred in 1914 and it generated a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
-like wave. At the bottom of the lake there are two series of karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
caves, 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft) and 1200 metres (3,937 ft) long, and up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) deep.
Greater Yalchik has a complex shape and many bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
s, whereas Smaller Yalchik has an elongated shape. Smaller Yalchik has two little brooks as inflows, but the Greater Yalchik has none.
Etymology
According to a local Mari legend the lake is named in honour of national hero Yalche.There is also a specualative version that the name of the lake has Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
roots. It's based on supposition that the word Yalchik itself is a rendering of the Chuvash
Chuvash language
Chuvash is a Turkic language spoken in central Russia, primarily in the Chuvash Republic and adjacent areas. It is the only surviving member of the Oghur branch of Turkic languages....
word Елчěк (Yälçek), which means a 'little village'. Nevertheless, the real tranlsation of 'little village' into Chuvash language is 'пĕчĕк ял' (pechek yal). The most of the lakes in Marii Chodra have the Mari names
Mari language
The Mari language , spoken by more than 600,000 people, belongs to the Uralic language family. It is spoken primarily in the Mari Republic of the Russian Federation as well as in the area along the Vyatka river basin and eastwards to the Urals...
, and often have jär/yer endings, Mari for a lake, that's why Turkic version is doubtful.
Recreation
Being popular for its unique nature, Yalchik attracts many tourists, mostly from KazanKazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. However, there are no beaches at the lake, and the most of its coastline is covered with reed. Many tourists reach Yalchik by own car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s, but a significant number of them use a railway. The closest station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
to Yalchik is in the settlement of Yalchevsky.
Some Mari and Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
universities sometimes arrange science conference
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
s at the Yalchik's rest home.