Pustynskie Ozera — a group of karst lakes in the northern part of Arzamassky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region, located near the historic selo of Staraya Pustyn on the right bank of the Seryozha River.
Nature and Location
The lakes lie amid forests in the floodplain landscape of the Seryozha River — a tributary of the Tyosha, which belongs to the Oka basin. Their karst origin accounts for the characteristic terrain: karst fissures and caves are known in the surrounding area. The water in the lakes has a distinctive reddish-yellow tint; the surrounding landscape — pine forests, karst sinkholes and collapses, and scattered bogs with carnivorous sundew — is often compared to that of Karelia.[3] Pustynskie Ozera are located 24 kilometres northwest of Arzamas; they cannot be reached by public transport — visitors arrive exclusively by private car, and the final stretch of road is in poor condition.[3] Pustynskie Ozera comprise eight bodies of water: Velikoye, Svyato, Glubokoye, Kruglenkoye, Parovoye, Dolgoye, Narbus, and Karasevo; all are connected by waterways into a single system covering roughly 300 hectares, with a maximum depth of 14 metres.[1] Pustynskie Ozera rank among the natural sites that attract both tourists and researchers.
In 2024, most of the Pustynsky nature reserve was incorporated into the Pustynsky section of the V. A. Lebedev Nizhegorodskoye Povolzhye National Park, and from that point on visiting the area has required a permit obtained in advance through the directorate's official system or the Gosuslugi portal. Applications are accepted by the directorate in Nizhny Novgorod on weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00 (for recreation areas — until 16:00); a separate visitor centre in the selo of Pustyn handles enquiries about the Pustynsky section, and the application must be confirmed one or two days before arrival.[3][2]
Facilities on the Shoreline
Several institutions are situated on the shores of Pustynskie Ozera. The biological research station of Lobachevsky University (UNN) uses the lakes as a base for scientific fieldwork. Also operating here are the Dzhungli children's ecology camp and a cardiology sanatorium. Open fires on the territory of the park are prohibited; the only permitted place to cook over fire is the gazebo with a barbecue grill at Lake Glubokoye, though visitors must bring their own charcoal.[3] Within the boundaries of the Pustynsky section of the national park, designated camping areas have been established: at Lake Shirokoye, at Cape Likhutin, and at Lake Kirkideyevo — each with 50 places; a toilet has been installed at Lake Shirokoye; setting up camp at arbitrary points along the shore is not permitted under the park's regulations.[3]
Connection with Staraya Pustyn
The selo of Staraya Pustyn adjoins the lakes directly and is administratively subordinate to the Chernukhinsky rural council of Arzamassky District. Historically, this area is associated with Erzya settlement: the basin of the Seryozha River, on whose banks the lakes lie, falls within the historic zone of Erzya settlement.
Sources
- travelbelka.ru — The Pustyn Lakes are located 24 kilometers northwest of Arzamas; they cannot be reached by public transport — tourists arrive exclusively
- kerzhenskiy.ru — The Pustyn Lakes comprise eight bodies of water: Velikoye, Svyato, Glubokoye, Kruglenkoye, Parovoye, Dolgoye, Narbus, and Karasevo. All of them are connected by waterways into a single sys (archive)
- goremore.net — In 2024, the greater part of the Pustyn Wildlife Sanctuary became part of the Pustyn section of the V. A. Lebedev Nizhegorodskoye Povolzhye National Park. From that moment