The village of Vladimir lake Svetloyar. The mystery of Lake Svetloyar

Svetloyar is one of the most mysterious lakes in the Russian Federation. Despite the fact that for more than 40 years researchers have been trying to understand how this body of water came into being, they have not yet come to a consensus. We can say with confidence that the Nizhny Novgorod region is famous for this source of strength and health. Lake Svetloyar causes a lot of discussions about its origin, the usefulness of the water and legends that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

The Legend of the City of Kitezh

One of the most ancient legends is based on the fact that even before the Tatars came here, the city of Kitezh stood near the shore. It was a small town with six churches in the center. At this time, near the city of Maly Kitezh, a battle took place between Khan Batu and Prince Vsevolodich. In an unequal battle, the Russian heroes were forced to retreat into the depths of the forests, where Greater Kitezh stood. After the Tatars reached Svetloyar, the final battle took place, as a result of which the Russian commander died. But the enemies did not get the city; it disappeared under the overflowing waters of the lake. The Nizhny Novgorod region is known for this glorious place. Lake Svetloyar, whose history is so mysterious, still hides in its depths the city of Kitezh, which, they say, can be seen in the crystal clear waters.

Legends of the lake and reviews from tourists

The most fantastic stories about this reservoir can be heard from local residents. They claim that there is some kind of underground bottom connecting Svetloyar with Baikal. It’s hard to believe, but to date there are no refutations or confirmations. This, of course, does not take into account that quite recently a group of divers dived to explore the bottom of Svetloyar. But there is no data on this matter. Reviews from tourists indicate that the water here is crystal clear and healing. After swimming in a pond, your health improves and your mood improves.

There was a lot of talk about the fact that the scuba divers never reached the bottom, which scared them very much. There is another ancient belief, according to which the depths of the lake are guarded by a miracle fish, which protects Kitezh from uninvited guests. Local residents claim that Svetloyar, a lake whose legends are simply amazing, has miraculous powers, but whether you believe it or not is up to you to decide. However, today there are rumors about cases of incredible healing from various diseases at this reservoir. For example, tourists have repeatedly said that after visiting the lake, all their ailments disappeared.

When and under what circumstances did Svetloyar appear?

According to many researchers, the reservoir appeared approximately 14 thousand years ago. This time can be attributed to the end of the Ice Age. But in practice it turns out that all glacial lakes in this area have long disappeared. This confirms the version that Svetloyar, the lake whose legends attract tourists, is of karst origin. As an argument, facts are cited, if you can call them that, from as far back as 1903. One of the local newspapers wrote that the residents of the nearest village called Shary, not far from Svetloyar, were very alarmed. One day in the middle of the night there was a loud noise and crash. But it was not thunder, since the sounds came from underground. All the residents of the village ran towards the sounds and, to their surprise, saw a huge failure, on which Svetloyar was formed. The lake, a photo of which you can see in this article, according to eyewitnesses, appeared in an instant. It was so deep that not a single tree that had grown in this place before was visible.

Expert opinions on anomalous phenomena

But many researchers and scientists reject the version of karst origin. This is due to several factors. Firstly, there are no easily soluble rocks on the shore that are washed away by the waters of Svetloyar. Secondly, according to research data, the center of the European part of the Russian Federation lies on very strong rocks. In some places, cracks form under the influence of shear. According to Nikishin, it is at the intersection of two similar faults that the lake is located today. This is quite logical, especially considering that failure in such a place can happen very quickly. As for healing waters, experts do not deny this. The fact is that high energy coming from the depths of planet Earth can have a variety of effects on the human body. Hence the mirages, the sounds of bells, and periodically appearing UFOs. But the most interesting thing is that if you take some water from this reservoir home with you, it will stand for several years and will not deteriorate at all.

Are there pagan temples at the bottom of the lake?

About 50 years ago, a complex scientific expedition visited Svetloyar. It was discovered that the underwater world of the reservoir was not created all at once, but in stages. This is due to the fact that the lake has a large number of ledges, which are located at a depth of 9 to 20 meters. The latter is only 700 years old. Around this time, Khan Batu came to these lands. Based on this, experts concluded that the monastery must be located almost at the very bottom, which is practically unexplored. In their opinion, there used to be a pagan temple here, which sank to the bottom when the waters flooded. In the center of the lake, a small island was formed, to which Christians came for the purpose of solitude. They created the temple, which also went into the abyss of the reservoir. It is these amazing legends that attract tourists that Lake Svetloyar always finds itself in the center of attention of visitors. Especially after a wooden fragment was found there, indicating that it was a building from ancient times, which was miraculously preserved.

Conclusion

Currently, recreation on Lake Svetloyar is very popular. Mostly tourists come here from all over Russia, but sometimes from other countries. Many people believe that the waters of the reservoir are healing and give vitality. In addition, almost everyone is not averse to taking “living” water from Svetloyar with them. A huge number of hypotheses that exist today suggest that there is something alluring about this place. Legends don't just happen. They may not always be reliable, but there is definitely some truth in them. In the end, faith matters a lot. According to local residents, only those who believe in the miracle of the reservoir will be able to discover all its secrets. By the way, ufologists say that Svetloyar) is the fourth dimension, or an energy column that is not visible to the naked eye. And only believers can see it. Despite the fact that this place is not a resort, those who have been here want to see Svetloyar again and advise others to visit this magical place.

LAKE SVETLOYAR (“Shambhala of Russia”) is a legendary body of water located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. According to local historian N.N. Khlopushin, the lake is of glacial-karst origin; a karst failure that followed a small earthquake increased the depth of the lake to 25.5 meters with a relatively small size - 454x344 meters. The usual epithet awarded to Svetloyar is “The pearl of the overturned sky in the green frame of the forest.” The surroundings of the lake are famous for their chronomirages; some see the reflection of the domes of the legendary Kitezh in the water and hear the ringing of bells.

The origin of Svetloyar is surrounded by an aura of legends. According to data collected by researchers Vladimir INKIN and Valeryan TURYGIN, their most ancient, pagan layer is associated with the evil goddess Turka. She rode on a dashing horse and whipped people for their sins until she fell underground and a lake appeared in this place... The second layer of legends dates back to the time of Batu’s invasion. One of the Russian prisoners could not stand the torture and showed the Tatars secret paths. But through the prayers of the residents of Kitezh, high powers hid it at the bottom of the lake... The third layer of legends is schismatic, in it the role of the Tatars is assigned to the Nikonians... The researchers themselves often call the lake “Shambhala of Russia”.

Various anomalous phenomena are observed quite often over the lake. For example, it was reported about the flight of a UFO of a pink-violet hue in the shape of a top, making movements like a “falling leaf” [“UFO” 1998, No. 4, p. 28]... The creator of a largely unique school local history museum, L.N. Zhebel in November 1996, I saw a huge luminous oblique cross over the lake, formed by two rays coming out from different ends of the lake... And in March 1996, unusual footprints appeared on the ice of the lake: they stretched in an even chain for several tens of meters with a step length of 1.5 meters and disappeared as suddenly as they began. There was no difference between the right and left legs. The heel of the first footprint was recessed deeper than the toe, and the last footprint had a deeper toe. The tracks remained for a long time until the ice melted.

The researchers also met with witnesses to the bell ringing of the city of Kitezh. As a rule, these people came to live in the Svetloyar area shortly before the ringing. A typical situation is this: an eyewitness is going somewhere about his business alone or with someone else and suddenly hears a bell ringing. Moreover, the partner does not always hear this ringing. The surprised eyewitness begins to find out from the priests what is happening and discovers that the church bells did not ring. It is not possible to localize the source of the sound, although in one case the ringing came from the center of the lake! On August 23, 1997, at 4.39, Inkin and Turygin, lying in a tent, clearly heard what sounded like hammer blows on a metal rail. The sound was exactly metallic, but without bell resonance. It came from afar and lasted about fifteen seconds.

Another mystery was brought by an eyewitness to a unique phenomenon passing by the researchers’ camp. Having arrived several years ago to live in the village of Vladimirskoye, she once walked past the lake at noon and saw the reflection of a church on the surface of the water! There are no churches on the shores of Svetloyar, and, nevertheless, a beautiful church of a golden hue was reflected in the lake, as if it really stood on the shore!.. By the way, flights of various luminous formations were repeatedly observed in that direction.

Several interesting cases were told by the oldest resident of the village, Sofya LETUNOVSKAYA. In the early 1920s, when the chapel, which was subsequently destroyed, still stood, she, passing by, saw light in the windows. It was late evening, and the woman thought that the priest had forgotten to turn it off. Imagine her surprise when, opening the doors, she saw that it was dark inside. By the way, according to her, the destroyers of the chapel suffered a sad fate, as did those who polluted the lake.

The water of Svetloyar, according to local residents, still really has healing properties. Every year in January, on Epiphany days, thousands of people flock here, who, after the rite of blessing the water (lowering the cross into the water through an ice hole three times), collect water for drinking (experts cannot explain the fact that this water does not spoil throughout the year). To cleanse the soul, brave souls plunge into ice water three times, and women do this in a new shirt (because too many old sins remain on the old one). They claim that no one has ever gotten sick after swimming in an ice hole...

In 2003-2004, several reconnaissance trips took place to Svetloyar, mapping the area and collecting information and testimony.

It is located 130 km from Nizhny Novgorod, near the village of Vladimirskoye, in the Nizhny Novgorod Trans-Volga region, in the interfluve of the Vetluga and Kerzhenets rivers. Recognized as a natural monument of federal significance. The lake has an oval shape (a thermonuclear explosion that wiped out another city from the face of the earth?), and is small in size - about 500 meters in length and width. But at the same time it differs from neighboring lakes in its great depth, reaching 34 meters.

The water in Svetloyar is crystal clear, transparent, coming from a deep fissure in its bottom. And due to the fact that the lake is fed by numerous bottom springs, the water is cold.

For several centuries now, the most incredible legends and rumors have been written about Svetloyar. After all, how many unprecedented miracles happen on its shores and how many secrets it keeps within itself!

So, let's look at what Svetloyar amazes and surprises with, what secrets and mysteries it keeps around itself:

It surprises with its unusual relief shapes: from a bird's eye view the lake looks like a round coin, and in cross section it resembles the profile of a huge diamond;

The amazing transparency of the water is amazing, and its mirror surface reflects the sky, trees and churches. The healing properties of water are also unique;

The flora here is interesting: about 30 species of plants grow on the shores, which in turn is not typical for this high latitude. Also here you can find such a rare species of flowers as the southern orchid;

An interesting fact is that until now scientists have not been able to come to a unanimous opinion about the history of Svetloyar. At different times, researchers have expressed various hypotheses of its origin: meteorite, karst, glacial, volcanic, oxbow, cosmic. And of all the hypotheses, the meteorite one was confirmed by a number of studies. What is most interesting is that there are thousands of such cities around the world in which a meteorite accidentally fell and formed a round and deep lake.

On old maps, the city of Kitezh stood in this place

The bottom of Lake Svetloyar. Part 1

like any strange place, it will always be protected by the state and will turn into a natural park or reserve where any archaeological excavations will be prohibited.

To summarize, Lake Svetloyar, Nizhny Novgorod region, is one of the most beautiful places on earth, a real pearl of Russian nature. It is considered one of the most legendary and mysterious lakes in our country. And it’s not for nothing that the lake is called the little Russian Atlantis! Its mystery and extraordinary beauty attract millions of tourists!

On the Volga River, not far from the city of Nizhny Novgorod, there is one of the deepest lakes in this region - Svetloyar. The dimensions of the lake are small - half a kilometer in length and a little more in width. The depth of Svetloyar is 39 meters. Water enters the lake from a deep fissure in its bottom. It is crystal clear and cold.
Svetloyar is sometimes called the Russian Atlantis for its legendary history. People say that sometimes the barely audible ringing of bells can be heard from under its waters, and in the depths you can see the ghostly walls of monasteries and church domes.

This is the city of Kitezh, which, as legend has it, disappeared between 1236 and 1242 during the first Mongol Tatar invasion of Russia. At the border of the third and fourth decades of the 13th century, the ancient Russian state was fragmented into dozens of principalities, princes fought among themselves for power and new lands, and entered into military alliances.
The name of Lake Svetloyar comes from a combination of ancient Russian words: “bright”, also meaning pure and righteous, and “yar” - not only known to everyone as a ravine, or beam, but in this case being the root of the name of the ancient Russian solar deity Yarila, who in pre-Christian Rus' was worshiped by ancient Slavic tribes. Many legends of the pre-Christian period of Rus' are also associated with Lake Svetloyar. The city of Kitezh is also mentioned in the sacred book of the ancient Russian faith - the “Star Book of Kolyada”.

In the area of ​​Lake Svetloyar, as an ancient Russian legend tells, Kitovras, a magical half-horse, half-man, was born. He was a powerful wizard and helped the Slavs build cities and temples. Kvasura, the ancient god of wisdom and hops, also lived there. It is believed that their names gave the name to the city of Kitezh.
In ancient times, a Slavic tribe of Berendeys lived near Lake Svetloyar. To this day, their descendants have preserved the legends about the city of Kitezh and the religious center of worship of the god Yaril located in it. In ancient times, during the pre-Christian period of Rus', Kitezh was considered a sacred place among the Slavs.
After the baptism of Rus', the Slavic faith with its temples and wise men gave way to Christianity, but places sacred to people remained. Traditionally, Orthodox churches began to be built on the site of the temples, since it was believed that these places were special and were strong sources of positive energy. The names of the ancient Slavic gods gradually changed to the names of saints, but the places of worship of higher powers remained the same. Such places include Lake Svetloyar, which since ancient times has been shrouded in legends and mysticism.

On the shore of this lake, Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri (George) Vsevolodovich, (November 26, 1188 - March 4, 1238), son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, built the City of Big Kitezh. In addition to him, there was also Small Kitezh (presumably modern Gorodets), built during the time of his grandfather, Yuri Dolgoruky. Big Kitezh was built of white stone with six temples in the center of the city, which at that time was a sign of wealth. It seems that legends united these two cities into the mystical and mysterious Kitezh City.

In 1238, Batu Khan defeated the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich remained at that time the only military leader with an army that could resist the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Khan camped on the City River. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich defended himself against him in Maly Kitezh. Khan Batu took the city by storm, but the prince and the remnants of the army managed to escape from Small Kitezh and take refuge in Big Kitezh.
Batu intended to continue his campaign to the Mediterranean Sea, but it was impossible to leave the Russian prince and his army in his rear. The path to the city lay among impassable swamps and forests. And then he began to torture all the captured Slavs on how to get to Kitezh. To hand over a city sacred to the Slavs meant dooming oneself and one’s family to eternal damnation. According to legend, only one was afraid of torment and death - Grishka Kuterma. He agreed to lead Batu’s army to Kitezh.

When the troops approached it, they saw that the city was not fortified and rejoiced at the upcoming easy victory. But at the sight of the enemy, fountains of water began to flow from underground and the city of Kitezh disappeared under water. According to legend, the water did not enter the city itself, it only hid it from enemies and the townspeople did not drown. So God saved the people of Kitezh for their prayers and piety.
The legend of Kitezh is still alive today. People living in this area talk about strangely dressed people suddenly appearing, and the disappearances of those who come to look for Kitezh. The lake has long been of interest to archaeologists and geologists - employees of research institutes, as well as numerous people independently investigating the mystery of Lake Svetloyar. Among them there are both those who explain everything by the laws of physics, and those who believe in the secret nature of things. They all strive to unravel the mystery of Lake Svetloyar and the city of Kitezh that has sunk into it.

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Svetloyar is a lake with which the legend of the sunken city of Kitezh is associated.

It is located in the Nizhny Novgorod Trans-Volga region, approximately 130 km northeast of the regional center and 1-1.5 km west of the village of Vladimirskoye, Voskresensky district. Natural monument of federal significance. The lake is planned to be made a cultural heritage site.

The lake is located in the interfluve of the Kerzhenets and Vetluga rivers, the left tributaries of the Volga. It has the shape of an oval with dimensions of 470×350 m with a long axis in the north-south direction, differs from neighboring lakes in its great depth, reaching 33.4 m.

The deepest point is in the southern part of the lake, where the bottom depression has the shape of a funnel, which is a continuation of the steep southern shores. To the north of this depression at the bottom there is a flat area with a depth of 22-24 m. In the northern, relatively shallow part of the lake, the depth changes are smoother compared to the southern part. The height of the lake surface above sea level is 109 m.

The shores of the lake are somewhat elevated, and the lake itself is located in a basin; the hills surrounding the lake are most clearly visible from the south, where they form an arc. The height of the hills reaches 122–124 m above sea level (13–15 m above the lake’s water line), the hills are separated by deep (7–8 m) ravines. The unusually clear water is of the hydrocarbonate-calcium type, transparent to a depth of more than 5 m. The lake is cold and is fed by numerous bottom springs. The banks are slightly swampy.

0.5 km to the northeast flows the small shallow river Lunda, with which the lake is connected by a stream. The flow from the lake through the stream, partially disrupted by the construction of a road during the Soviet era (as a result of which the lake began to become swampy), was restored in the 1990s.

The volume of the lake basin (not the lake itself) is about 1.5 km3, the area of ​​the water surface is 14.83 hectares. The thickness of bottom sediments is about 8 m.

The lake is located on the territory of the Voskresenskoye Povetluzhye natural park (protected zone of the Nizhny Novgorod Povetluzhye region, a natural park of regional significance), created in 2008.

An attentive reader has noticed that on our website the concepts of Mari El and Mari Region are different!

Actually, Mari El is a well-known republic, with its own geographical borders, administrative regions and settlements.

And the Mari region includes much more!

Historically, the territory of settlement of the Mari people extended west to Kerzhenets River and further to the Nizhny Novgorod region, everyone also knows the rivers and Mari sanctuaries on the territory of the Kirov region, the Mari occupied large territories in the south - to the Kazanka and Kama rivers. And in the east, the borders of the Mari region reached Vyatka. There are still places where Eastern Mari live compactly, but that will be a different story.

(13th century handwritten map of the settlement of peoples in the Nizhny Novgorod region)

In this article we will focus on the most famous lake of the interfluve Vetlugi And Kerzhents, and on the most famous lake in central Russia - on legendary Svetloyar!!!

Every person has heard more than once the legend about the hidden city of Kitezh and the wonderful lake Svetloyar!

But even a thousand years ago, the Mari lived in the dense forests of this region, and in the north of present-day Rus': from the Baltic to the Ural Mountains stretched the Finno-Ugric belt of related peoples: Komi, Karelians, Chud, Mer, Meshchera, Berendeys, Mari, Mordovians, Udmurts , Permyaks, Khanty, Mansi, etc.

Many geographical names of central Russia testify to this, including the end of the lakes: -Yar, -Er, which are clearly of Mari origin. It is among the Western Mari that the lake is called: yar, for example, the lakes located near Svetloyar are Nestiyar, Patyar, Kuzmiyar, Izyar, Ardinskoe, Shorskoye, Moryar, Yuronskoye, etc.

It is impossible not to mention the names of rivers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which very often have Finno-Ugric roots, and also a direct origin from the Mari language.

Here is just a short selection of the most obvious examples:

Vadok(the left tributary of the Piana in the Vad region of the same name flows through a heavily karstified area full of sinkholes), or Vatka (as Vadok was called on maps of the 18th century). This name is obviously of Finno-Ugric origin, preserved since then (until the 10th-11th centuries), when ancient tribes of this group of peoples lived in these places. The name is based on the word vad (vyut), meaning water, as indicated by its modern name in Mari (vud). The village of Vad was named after this river.

Vezloma(the left tributary of the Volga, flowing in the Bor region) is a name of Finno-Ugric origin, preserved from the 10th-11th centuries. when the ancient tribes of this group of peoples (in particular, the Meshchera) lived along the banks of the river. It consists of two words: vez (water) and loma (lake) and in semantic translation means “a river flowing through lakes” (indeed, Vezloma forms several lakes on its way).