Lake Baikal Day

In 1999, Lake Baikal Day was established, celebrated not only throughout Russia, but also abroad The coordinator of this holiday was the organization “Baikal Ecological Wave” Since 2015, the date of honoring the ancient lake has been moved to the first Sunday in September Festivals, sporting events, flash mobs and quests are held throughout the country, allowing you to learn new things about the history of the lake Scientific communities studying the Baikal ecosystem organize exhibitions and lectures The festival coordinators organize exhibitions of photographs dedicated to the flora and fauna of the region Schools in the Baikal region teach geography lessons about the famous lake Volunteers conduct cleanup days on the shores of Lake Baikal It has become a good tradition to organize outdoor plein airs on the lake shore Whatever events are held, their goal is the same - to draw attention to the issues of pollution of the ancient Lake Baikal Lake Baikal, whose age is estimated at tens of millions of years, is sometimes called the sea This can easily be explained by the fact that it is the deepest in the world The lake was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 due to its outstanding freshwater ecosystem Controversy continues around it in the global scientific community Thus, the history of its appearance and name, the mechanism of the formation of special Baikal ice, remains in question But not only scientists strive to learn the secrets of the lake Dozens of ufologists and paranormal researchers flock to the shores of Lake Baikal in search of answers to the age-old mysteries of the mystical reservoir Since ancient times, Lake Baikal has been considered magical, sacred, capable of punishing its offenders The purity of lake waters depends entirely on the microscopic crustacean, which passes the liquid through itself and cleanses it of organic matter The natural diamond Baikal is also known for the fact that it has unique flora and fauna Humans are having a detrimental impact on this invaluable ecosystem Illegal harvesting of endemic species (species distributed only in this area), hunting, poaching, cutting down trees and shrubs is punishable by law However, even such drastic measures cannot stop the anthropogenic impact on the lake The Selenga River, which flows into the reservoir, contributes the largest share of pollution from Mongolia and Ulan-Ude Thousands of tourists leaving traces of their stay also affect the cleanliness of the lake and its coast The worst consequence of such guests for Lake Baikal is forest fires that destroy an already fragile ecosystem Activities to cleanse the reservoir and protect its ecosystem began quite recently, so Baikal Day should reach and educate more and more people every year