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Svetloyar

Svetloyar, historically Lake Svetly Yar — a lake 147 km from Nizhny Novgorod, and 70 km from the town of Semyonov. It lies on the outskirts of the village of Vladimirskoye in Voskresensky District.

The seventh "Wonder of the Volga Region", according to the website of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation.

It is a deep basin with two encircling underwater terraces: one at a depth of 6-8 m, the other at 18-20 m. The remains of a spruce forest have been found on the upper terrace. The water temperature in the lower layers is 3-4 degrees Celsius. Svetloyar's twin is considered to be the lake near the village of Ozerskoye — it is similar in shape, also very deep, and has the same water level. Both lakes lie in the same fault of the earth's crust and may be connected by underground waters. The water is very clear, and swimming is said to be very pleasant.


Ichalkovsky Forest

Ichalkovsky Forest — a relict forest tract in Perevozsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region.

It belongs to the Perevozsky forestry district of the Buturlino forestry enterprise.

A remarkable, almost fairy-tale view opens up in one of the winding bends of the The Piana River, one and a half kilometers east of the village of Ichalki (village). Amid the steppe, mountain massifs unexpectedly rise up, their slopes covered by a relict montane-taiga pine forest. The forest thicket is cut through by rocky limestone outcrops and karst formations shaped like funnels, sinkholes, and grottoes, some of which resemble the ruins of medieval castles.

According to one hypothesis, this "island" formed in pre-glacial times. During the ice age, part of the massif rose significantly above the ice cover, and later subsided. In support of this version, it should be noted that the bedrock massif on which Ichalkovsky Bor stands is elevated 20-40 meters above the level of the Pyana.


Gore-More

The Gorky Reservoir, the "Gorky Sea" (Gore-More, lit. "Grief-Sea") — the main reservoir in Nizhny Novgorod Region. The Soviet press dubbed it the Gorky Sea, while the people shortened this to "Gore-More" — "Grief-Sea."

Area — 1,590 km², volume — 8.71 km³, average depth — 3.65 m, maximum depth — 22 m, length — 427 km, width — up to 16 km.

Average ice thickness — 65 centimeters.

Interesting facts

  • Construction of the sea was overseen by a party official whom the press of the time called "Comrade Grey."
  • Two Moscows would fit within the area of the Gorky Sea.
  • At its greatest depth of 22 meters, the Gorky Sea holds nearly 9 cubic kilometers of water.
  • There is more water in the Gorky Sea than there was in the entire Volga before reservoirs were built on it.


The Kerzhenets River

The Kerzhenets River — one of the finest rivers of central Russia, and the most mysterious river of Nizhny Novgorod Region. The river rises in dense forests in the north of Nizhny Novgorod Region and flows into the Volga by the walls of the famous Makaryevsky Monastery.

The Kerzhenets River is a fairly well-known destination among tourists, located in the south-eastern part of Nizhny Novgorod Region. It is a river that combines all the typical features of Russia's central-belt rafting rivers. The banks of the Kerzhenets are mysterious and shady. At times they form an unbroken spruce forest, but may suddenly give way to a sunlit sandy beach of remarkable cleanliness at the edge of a pine grove. Tourist companies draw numerous visitors with its unusually beautiful nature, exceptionally clear water, striking beaches, and boundless oak and pine forests. Here one can also find monuments of antiquity and of the Old Believer tradition.


Lake Vad

Vadskoye (Mordovian) Lake, Lake Vad — a karst lake located in the village of Vad, a district center of Nizhny Novgorod Region. Its water surface covers 56 hectares.

It lies in the channel of the Vadok River (a tributary of the Pyana), which disappears underground before flowing into the lake. The lake belongs to the Volga basin. The nearest city, Arzamas, lies 30 kilometers to the southwest of the lake. A road runs from Arzamas to the village of Vad.

The lake is fed by powerful upwelling karst springs; a jet of water surges intensely from the central vent. In the 19th century there were two springs, but by the start of the 21st century only one remained — the second outlet had closed. In winter the water above the vents does not freeze. The strong pressure of the underground water jet creates the impression of a convex lens on the surface of the lake. The intense current extends 15-20 meters from the vent, and the boundary between the clear water from the karst funnel and the murkier lake water, laden with plant debris, is clearly visible. For this reason, water clarity ranges from 1.5-2 meters at the lake's surface to 50 meters within the cave.