The largest region of Russia is Yakutia. The Vilyui River, located just in this territory, is considered one of the most mysterious. It has many tributaries that flow into the huge Siberian river Lena. Today we will find out what Vilyui is, how big and important this object of nature is. And we will also admire the beauty of this region, because it is not in vain that the flow of Russian tourists to this area is increasing every year.
Rivers of Russia: Vilyuy or Buluu
These are two names for the same river. Only Buluu is a Yakut name, and Vilyuy is a geographical one. However, both words refer to the same object.
Vilyui is the second largest (after the Aldan) tributary of the Lena. This current watercourse is located in Yakutia. The length of the Vilyui River is almost 3 thousand kilometers. It is characterized by a very fast flow. It has many rapids, especially in the upper reaches, where mountain ranges predominate. On the rapids of Ulakhan-Khan and Kuchuguy-Khan, the river narrows strongly and rushes with incredible speed into a stone gorge. The inhabitants of Yakutia consider this place sacred. In their opinion, a special spirit lives here, so the Yakuts often sacrifice horse hair, coppercoins and other things.
Human settlements
People began to explore the territory of the Vilyui River basin since the 13th century. Then this area was chosen by the Tungus tribes, but some scientists believe that there were settlements here before them. Today Vilyuy is a river, the rightful owners of which are the Yakuts. These are Turkic tribes that came here in the 14th century. But the Russian Cossacks appeared here only in the 17th century, and it was then that the first winter hut was built, which is now called the city of Vilyuisky.
What does the river look like in summer and winter?
In May ice breaks here. This is a very beautiful and mesmerizing sight. In summer, the Vilyui River is full-flowing, however, by autumn the water level drops here. In winter, everything is completely covered with ice. The average annual temperature in the river basin is about -8 degrees Celsius. In spring, the water level in the lower reaches reaches 15 meters, so ice jams are not uncommon at this time.
The river is rich in a variety of fish: sturgeon, pike, ruff, vendace, gerbil, etc.
Nature
Locals know that there are deposits of coal, diamonds, s alt, phosphorites and even gold near the Vilyui River. Therefore, Yakuts often come here in search of treasure.
The river bank is rather stony and rocky. Vilyui flows through the taiga. Both coniferous and deciduous forests grow here. Vilyui is a river near which you can meet such animals as a bear, a wolf, a deer, an elk, a sable, a hare. Often animals come here to quenchthirsty.
A blow to the environment
In summer, a waterway opens along the river. Steamships and boats transport passengers, and barges deliver goods. Unfortunately, all these vehicles pollute the water. In addition, the people themselves have ceased to take care of the river: they do not clean up after themselves garbage after a picnic, throw all sorts of garbage into the water, and even wash their cars here. But all this is killing the ecosystem of the river. Vilyui has long been considered a dirty place. The media draw the attention of the authorities to such a negligent attitude towards nature. However, so far, officials have not reacted to this in any way. Therefore, the residents themselves must be conscious and protect the places where they live.
But not only indigenous Yakuts litter the river. Underground nuclear explosions that began at the end of 1978, the impact of toxic substances contained in space rockets launched from the Svobodny cosmodrome in the Amur Region, the construction of hydroelectric power plants in the upper reaches of the Vilyuy River - all this deals a catastrophic blow to the environment.
Main tributaries of the Vilyui River
- Ulakhan-Vava.
- Chona.
- Chirquo.
- Ulakhan-Botuobuya.
- Marha.
- Chybyda.
- Tyung.
- Tyukyan.
- Olguidah
- Ochchugui-Botuobuya.
- Ballagay.
Reservoir
In 1967, a significant event took place - the Vilyui reservoir was formed. During its creation, more than 2 thousand hectares of agricultural land were flooded, and 50 buildings were also demolished. Vilyuy- a river that endures a lot, including the appearance of a reservoir in its water area. Its area is more than 2 thousand square kilometers. The Vilyui Reservoir serves for seasonal management of the river runoff and supplies water to nearby villages.
Strange legend
The Yakuts believe in a fiction that there is an anomalous zone along the right tributary of the Vilyui Olguydakh River, which they called the "Valley of Death". Locals believe that there is a large copper cauldron dug into the ground in that place. People believe that in ancient times, from a metal pipe located underground (it is strange what she did there), fire breaks out from time to time. The Yakuts believe that a giant lived there, who threw these fiery balls. This fictitious giant was nicknamed Wat Usumu Tong Duurai, which in translation into Russian means "a villain who made a hole in the ground, lurking in a hole and liquidating everything around."
Curious students and their discovery
The Vilyui River, the photo of which can be seen in this article, attracts attention not only for its beauty, but also for its mystery. The legend of the "Valley of Death" even inspired three Yakut students to visit the place where the giant lives during their summer holidays.
On the first day of their stay in this mysterious place, the boys felt unwell. They were overcome by weakness, dizzy, they were even a little nauseous. Approaching the river, the guys saw a strange structure that really stuck out of the ground, as in the legend. The students wanted to break it with a hammer, an ax, but this did not lead to anything. Not even any dents or scratches left in the place where the guys knocked.
The boys also noticed that large burdocks and grass grow near that valley, which is 2 times taller than a person. It was out of character for the nature of the place. There was some warmth coming from the building that the students discovered, so the boys made a h alt there. They pitched a tent and stayed overnight. And upon returning home, one of the guys noticed that bald patches began to appear on his head. And after 2 weeks he went bald completely. And on one side of the face, small warts appeared, which to this day cannot be removed. Curious students are sure that such troubles with one of their friends are connected with the very place near which they visited, where they spent the night. It was that mysterious structure, according to them, that could cause such harm to a comrade. Be that as it may, no one can provide scientific evidence of this phenomenon to this day. Therefore, many believe that such an incident with students is only a figment of their imagination.
Vilyui is a majestic and mysterious river. It has many tributaries, the main of which have been listed in this article. Every year the number of people who want to look at the beauty of this river, its nature is growing. Perhaps soon Vilyui and its environs will receive tourists from other countries.
