Lake Onega is the second largest lake in all of Europe. This lake is 2 times smaller than Lake Ladoga and contains three times less water. However, at the same time, the water in Lake Onega highest quality: it is much cleaner than Ladoga water, and even water in Baikal.

The length of Lake Onega from north to south is 248 kilometers, and from west to east - 96 kilometers. There are a large number of capes, islands, bays and bays. The total number of all islands is 1500.

The shores of the lake are mostly sandy and pebbly, but at the same time, rock outcrops can also be found. The shores of the northern region of Lake Onega consist of crystalline rocks, they are rugged and elevated. The relief of the bottom of the lake is quite simple, especially in its northern part. Almost all types of fish that are known in the reservoirs of Karelia are found in Lake Onega. More than 110 tributaries flow into this lake.

Onega lake. general characteristics

Lake Onega is one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in Karelia, which is located in its southeastern part. The total area of ​​the water surface of Lake Onega is 10,050 km2, and the total area, together with the islands, is 10,340 km2. The maximum width of the lake is 248 kilometers, and the maximum width is 83 kilometers. The total number of islands is 1650, with an area of ​​290 km2. Whole length coastline is 1542 kilometers, and together with the islands - 2699 kilometers. The total volume of water masses is 295 km3. The height of Lake Onega above sea level is 33 m2.

The lake has an elongated oblong shape from the northwestern to the southeastern part. Lake Onega is divided into several large bays and reaches. It is divided into 3 main parts:

1. The main part is the Central Onego.
2. North-western region - Big Onego.
3. The northeastern region, which consists of Small Onego, Kuzaransky Onego, Pyalemsky Onego, Tolvuysky Onego, Povenets Onego, Big Bay and a number of small bays.

Basically, sandy and rocky shores prevail here. Rocky shores are common in the northern part of the lake and along the western coast. Sandy banks stretch from the mouth of the Vodla River to the source of the Svir River.

The area of ​​the river basin of Lake Onega is 51,540 km2. From it, about 16 km3 of water enters the lake every year.

The water level in the lake changes every year. This is mainly due to the amount of precipitation. A constant current is expressed only in some parts of Lake Onega and is weak.

Lake Onega is one of the deepest reservoirs in Karelia (after Lake Ladoga). Its average depth is 29.4 meters and the maximum depth is 120 meters. Approximately 26 percent of the total area of ​​the lake is located at a depth of up to 10 meters, 42 percent at a depth of up to 20 meters, 69 percent at a depth of up to 40 meters, and 92 percent at a depth of up to 60 meters.

The relief of the bottom of Lake Onega is quite complex. This is especially true for the northern part of the lake. This lake is characterized by depressions and elevations of the bottom. Typical landforms for the lake are selgas, luds, underwater ridges and thefts, pits and depressions. In addition, there are also some areas with a flat bottom in the lake. The soils of Lake Onega are very diverse. There are rocky, rocky-sandy, sandy and sandy-gravel soils. The colors of the water in Lake Onega range from light yellow to yellow or orange-brown.

Onega lake. Flora and fauna

Higher aquatic vegetation is the least common in Lake Onega. Its thickets can be found only in the northern part, in small bays and other places that are protected from waves.

The total length of thickets is approximately 1 percent of the length of the entire coastline. Basically, these thickets consist of reeds, and in some places you can find pondweeds, reeds, water lilies, horsetails, villains, egg capsules, sedge and other types of vegetation.

The fauna of the lake is quite diverse, if we talk about its quality. Here you can see aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans, water mites, worms, bryozoans, sponges and others. There are only 350 different forms and species of benthic fauna in Lake Onega, however, only 30 percent of them have a significant distribution in the lake itself, while the rest are quite rare.

The richest and most diverse is the population of the thickets of the littoral, which make up about half of the forms and species known for this lake.

The average biomass volume of the bottom mass of the lake in summer and autumn is 11.5 kg/ha, with an average abundance of 5.72 million ind./ha.

Of all the benthic fauna of Lake Onega, crustaceans, including pontoporea, are the most valuable food for fish. Oligochaetes, in turn, are rarely used by fish as food. The most significant accumulation of food objects is found in pits and depressions with a depth of up to 50 meters.

If we talk about the crustacean plankton of the lake, then it is distinguished by a significant species diversity of composition. In general, 37 species of lower crayfish live in the lake.

In the coastal shallow waters of Lake Onega, one can find various forms of planktonic crayfish. Planktonic crustaceans reach the greatest quantitative development in summer period in the surface layer of water.

By the abundance of crayfish, as well as by their biomass in the horizon up to 2 meters, Lake Onega is a medium-productive reservoir in the entire republic. However, individual sections of this lake are not equivalent in terms of food resources in shallow, most heated areas.

In addition, if we talk about the feed ratio, then here the composition of the crustacean plankton of Lake Onega has a number of positive features. The plankton of the lake is dominated by cladocerans, most of which are valuable food substances, which include holopedium and bosmins.

Onega lake. Fish

In Lake Onega, you can find almost all types of fish that are known for the reservoirs of Karelia. This lake is inhabited by sturgeon (sterlet), salmon (salmon, trout, brook trout, ludny char, pit char, vendace, whitefish), chorius (grayling), smelt (smelt), pike (pike), cyprinids (roach, dace, silver bream, sabrefish, bream, golden carp), loaches), catfish (catfish), eels (eels), perch (perch, perch, ruffs), gobies (Onega slingshots, lops, sculpins), sticklebacks (nine-spined sticklebacks, three-spined sticklebacks), cod (lake burbot and lake-river burbot). Of the minigas, the river lamprey and stream lamprey are the most common.

In general, 47 varieties and species of fish live in Lake Onega, which belong to 13 families and 34 species. It is possible to find a chub in the lake.

17 species of fish are endowed with the greatest fishing value in the lake, namely vendace, whitefish, ruffs, roach, pike, char, pike perch, smelt, salmon, bream and perch, and the smallest - crucian carp, ide, dace, bleak and grayling. Other fish species in Lake Onega are quite rare.

The main commercial fish of this lake is the vendace. It is widespread in almost all places. The vendace feeds only on crustacean plankton. In turn, kilets is a large form of vendace. It is mainly found in the southern part of the lake. Smelt is an object of mass fishing. But at the same time, it will also happen as food for fish such as pike perch, salmon, burbot and char. If we talk about whitefish, then in Lake Onega they are noted in 9 different forms. In addition, all whitefish are divided into 2 large groups- these are lake-river whitefish and lake whitefish. Also in Lake Onega there is also burbot, or rather its two forms - lake-river and lake burbot. Burbot as well as vendace is ubiquitous. Pike perch is one of the most valuable fishery objects on the lake, but its catch is rather small. However, the most common and numerous fish in Lake Onega is the ruff, which is found at a depth of up to 70 meters. Perch can be found mainly in coastal areas, as well as in shallow water. open lake. Breams are found here in the area of ​​estuaries and sources of rivers. But the pike is not of significant importance in the fishing of the lake. It lives in shallow, vegetated areas. If we talk about salmon, then in Lake Onega there are several herds of this fish. Now the most numerous is the herd of Shuya salmon.

But one of the most valuable fish of the salmon family is char, which is common in the area adjacent to the deepest parts of the lake. The ide in this lake has little commercial value, but the grayling can be found almost everywhere. Very rarely in Lake Onega there are golden carp, unlike bleak and dace.

Lake Onega is a lake in the northwest of the European part Russian Federation, located on the territory of Karelia, Leningrad and Vologda regions. The second largest lake in Europe after Ladoga. Belongs to the Baltic Sea basin Atlantic Ocean. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lake without islands is 9690 km 2, and with islands - 9720 km 2; the volume of water mass - 285 km 3; length from south to north - 245 km, maximum width - 91.6 km. The average depth is 30 m, and the maximum depth is 127 m. The cities of Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga and Medvezhyegorsk are located on the shores of Lake Onega. About 50 rivers flow into Lake Onega, and only one flows out - the Svir.

Shores, bottom topography and hydrography of the lake The area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mirror of Lake Onega is 9.7 thousand km 2 (without islands), the length is 245 km, the width is about 90 km. The northern shores are rocky, strongly indented, the southern ones are mostly low, undivided. In the northern part, numerous lips extend deeply into the mainland, stretched out like cancer mites. Here, far into the lake, the huge Zaonezhie peninsula juts out, to the south of which lies Bolshoi Klimenetsky Island. To the west of them is the deepest (up to 100 m or more) part of the lake - Bolshoye Onego with Kondopoga bays (with depths up to 78 m), Ilem-Gorskaya (42 m), Lizhemskaya (82 m) and Unitskaya (44 m). Petrozavodsk Onego extends to the south-west of Bolshoi Onego with its bays, the Petrozavodsk Bay and small Yalguba and Pinguba. To the east of Zaonezhye, a bay stretched to the north, the northern part of which is called Povenetsky, and the southern - Zaonezhsky Gulf. Deep areas alternate here with shoals and groups of islands, which divide the bay into several parts. The southernmost of these sites is Small Onego with depths of 40-50 m. There are many stones near the shores of the lake.

The average depth of the lake is 31 m, the maximum depth in the deepest northern part of the lake reaches 127 m. The average depth in the central part is 50-60 m, closer to the south the bottom rises to 20-30 m. Lake Onega is characterized by numerous pronounced rises and falls of the bottom. In the northern part of the lake there are many troughs, alternating with high bottom rises, forming banks, on which industrial trawlers often fish. Much of the bottom is covered with silt. Typical forms are luds (shallow stony shoals), selgas (deep-water elevations of the bottom with stony and sandy soils, in the southern part of the lake), underwater ridges and ridges, as well as depressions and pits. Such a relief creates favorable conditions for the life of fish. The regime of Lake Onega is characterized by a spring rise in water, which lasts 1.5-2 months, with an annual water level amplitude of up to 0.9-1 m. The flow from the lake is regulated by the Verkhnesvirskaya hydroelectric power station. Rivers bring up to 74% of the incoming part of the water balance (15.6 km 3 per year), 25% falls on precipitation. 84% of the expenditure part of the water balance falls on the runoff from the lake along the Svir River (an average of 17.6 km 3 per year), 16% - on evaporation from the water surface. The highest water levels of the lake are in June - August, the lowest - in March - April. There are frequent unrest, storm waves reach up to 2.5 m in height. The lake freezes in the central part in mid-January, in the coastal part and in the bays - in late November - December. At the end of April, the mouths of the tributaries are opened, the open part of the lake - in May. The water in the open deep parts of the lake is transparent, with visibility up to 7-8 m. In the bays it is slightly less, up to one meter or less. The water is fresh, with a mineralization of 10 mg/l.

Animal and plant world The low shores of Lake Onega are swamped and flooded when the water level rises. On the shores of the lake and on its islands, in reed and reed thickets, ducks, geese and swans nest. The coastal area is covered with dense taiga forests in a virgin state. Lake Onega is distinguished by a significant variety of fish and aquatic invertebrates, including a significant number of relics of the Ice Age. In the lake there are sterlet, lake salmon, lake trout, brook trout, ludnaya char, pit char, vendace, vendace-kilets, whitefish, grayling, smelt, pike, roach, dace, silver bream, bream, sabrefish, golden carp, char, loach, catfish, eel, pike perch, perch , ruff, Onega slingshot, sculpin, burbot, river and stream lampreys. In total, 47 species and varieties of fish belonging to 13 families and 34 species are found in Lake Onega.

Islands The total number of islands in Lake Onega reaches 1650, and their area is 224 km 2. One of the most famous islands on the lake is the island of Kizhi, on which the museum-reserve of the same name is located with wooden churches built in the 18th century: Spaso-Preobrazhensky and Pokrovsky. The largest island is Bolshoi Klimenetsky (147 km 2). There are several settlements on it, there is a school. Other islands: Bolshoy Lelikovsky, Suysari.

Attractions

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Onego - so in ancient times they called a vast body of water in the north-west of Russia. Lake Onega, fascinating with its beauty, spreads over the expanses of Karelia, the Leningrad and Vologda regions. This is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe, inferior in scale only to its neighbor - the majestic Ladoga. The area of ​​Lake Onega is slightly less than 10,000 sq. km, and its length from south to north reaches about 250 km. The environs of Onego amaze with their diversity: the northern shores are rocky, indented by deep bays; the southern half, on the contrary, is solid, with low-lying and swampy areas; the eastern shore is formed by sandy deposits. The lake is famous for its numerous reserved places, unusually clean and transparent water, and excellent fishing. On the banks of the Onego, inhabited since ancient times, many historical monuments have been preserved. All together - magnificent nature and rich historical and cultural heritage - make this amazing northern edge incredibly attractive for tourists at any time of the year.

Museum, Landmark, Monument

The lands adjacent to Lake Onega were called Obonezhie in the old days. From time immemorial, the names of its individual territories have also arisen. Thus, the region, which includes a huge peninsula in the north of the lake and the islands adjacent to it, became widely known as Zaonezhye. This is one of the most beautiful places Karelia, a unique historical, cultural and natural landscape space.

The Kizhi skerries are rightfully considered the pearl, or rather the pearls of Zaonezhie. This is the name of the archipelago, which includes about 500 islands with a total area of ​​​​560 square meters. km. Here the lake branches into many narrow and long bays, surrounding islands of various shapes and sizes, and together forming a complex unique labyrinth. The entire space of the archipelago is a protected area. About 700 species of plants grow on the islands, which is almost 2/3 of the entire flora of Karelia. Various waterfowl, including rare species, live on the territory of the Kizhi skerries.

The largest island of the natural complex is Bolshoi Klimetsky, its area is 147 sq. km. The Kizhi skerries system also includes tiny islands, which are flat stones that barely rise above the water. But the island of Kizhi has become a world celebrity of the archipelago, on the territory of which the most valuable historical and architectural ensemble is located, including monuments of Russian ancient wooden architecture. visiting this protected area planets is comparable to traveling in a time machine

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Sight

Another exceptional object of the Kizhi archipelago is the South Oleniy Island, located 12 km from the Kizhi pier. The area of ​​the island is only 75 hectares. However, it was here that the largest Mesolithic cemetery in Northern Europe was discovered - over 170 burial places of deer islanders who lived about 7.5 thousand years BC. As a result of archaeological research of the ancient "necropolis", the richest material was collected, revealing the culture of primitive tribes. Unique artifacts - ancient tools and household implements, cult objects and amulets - today are presented in National Museum Republic of Karelia in the city of Petrozavodsk.

South Oleniy Island is also a geological natural monument of Karelia. Here, Precambrian rocks (limestones and dolomites) come to the surface with fossilized remains of the most ancient organisms that existed on the globe.

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Rep. Karelia, Medvezhyegorsk region

Sight

Near Bolshoi Klimenetsky Island there is a rock about 500 m long and almost 160 m wide. This small piece of land towering above the surface of the lake is of great interest to lovers ancient history. The cult nature of the monuments located on its territory is reflected in the very name of the island. "Radkolje" in translation from the Baltic-Finnish languages ​​means "rock of a dead animal". Thus, there is reason to believe that this place is associated with sacrifices. Witnesses of the ancient pagan cult are the temples that have survived to this day, dispersed throughout the island: masonry, oval or spiral in shape.

The most popular object of the former sanctuary was the "Radkol God" - a remnant 2 m high on the edge of a sheer cliff. Natural indentations on the side of the boulder, facing the water, are shaped like a human face. A number of local rituals are associated with the mysterious stone idol. Thus, until the beginning of the 20th century, surrounding villages“Radkol Sunday” was celebrated: on the last Sunday before the day of Ivan Kupala, festivities were organized here. The memory of the sacred Radkol pine is alive among the people, preserved on the island after the Radkol forest was cut down in the early 16th century for the construction of the Klimenets Monastery. Today the rock is covered with shrubs and woodlands. high island serves as a natural observation deck: a delightful panorama of the Kizhi skerries opens from here.

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Resp, Karelia, Big Klimenetsky island

Sight

The Zaonezhsky peninsula, lying between the Povenetsky Bay and the Unitskaya Bay of Lake Onega, hides many mysteries. Here, on the bank of the Unitskaya Bay, there is an abandoned village of Pegrema, which was once a characteristic example of the wooden architecture of Zaonezhie. To date, of the ancient buildings in Pegrem, only the wooden chapel of Varlaam Khutynsky, erected in the second half of the 18th century, has survived.

In the 70s of the last century, the last inhabitants left the village. And in 1985 and in the early 1990s, the surroundings of Pegrema became the object of serious scientific research, as a result of which a large cult complex was discovered, revealing the richness of the spiritual culture of the ancient inhabitants of Zaonezhye. The complex is a cluster of boulders, whose structure resembles human and animal figures. Ancient monuments date back to 3-2 thousand BC. Among the stone idols of various shapes, there are very complex samples. Special attention attract such religious buildings as a circle-amulet, made of boulders in the form of a snail; the figure of a giant frog - one of the symbols of fertility; stone in the form of a human skull. In total, more than 100 stone objects are located on the territory of the former sanctuary.

Today there is a cultural and historical center in Pegrem, which helps a wide audience to get acquainted with the ancient cult complex - one of the most interesting sights of Karelia.

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Rep. Karelia, village Pegrema

Tourist attraction, Lake/pond

The surroundings of Lake Onega are full natural wonders, among which are rocky faults and "hanging lakes" on the shore of the Unitskaya Bay, not far from the legendary Pegrema. The lakes are located in the rocky ground and are located stepwise relative to each other. At the same time, the level of Onego is lower than the coastal lakes, which, as it were, “rise”, “hang” above it. The lakes are separated from the bay and from each other by narrow bridges; in many places the coast is almost vertical. Visitors to these protected areas admire the silence reigning here and the indescribable beauty of nature, reflected in the water surface of the lake cascade. Anglers often go to picturesque reservoirs, for whom not only the catch is important, but the impressions of the surrounding atmosphere.

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Rep. Karelia, Tyutozero

Sight

In the waters of the Unitskaya Bay there is the island of Kolgostrov, which until the 13th century was inhabited by Veps, Karelians, and even earlier by the Saami - the most ancient people of Northern Europe. Russian population, who arrived in this region from the Novgorod lands, gave the island its current name. "Kolgostrov" from the Baltic-Finnish languages ​​is translated as "Sounding Island". A similar name - "Sounding Slit" - was given to a rock located in the western part of the island. The origin of the epithet is associated with an unusual boulder stone resting here, which, according to legend, had an amazing property: when hit, it made a melodic sound resembling the ringing of a bell. Modern research explains this acoustic effect by the presence of a crack in the upper part of the boulder, which forms a resonating cavity. Unfamiliar with the laws of physics, the ancient inhabitants of Kolgostrov used a “ringing” stone in their pagan rites. The tradition of visiting this cult " musical instrument” existed among the Christian population until the beginning of the 20th century. Today it is one of the most interesting sightseeing objects for tourists.

On a steep cliff overgrown with forest, in addition to the famous stone, you can see the remains of ancient places of worship(stonework), rock paintings. The island also has a Christian building of the 18th century - a wooden chapel of the Ascension of the Lord.

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Rep. Karelia, Pudozhsky district, Kolgostrov

Sight

Monuments of ancient world culture - the famous Onega petroglyphs - appeared 5-6 thousand years ago on the capes and islands of the eastern coast of Onego. A large number of works of rock art of the primitive era are concentrated on the coastal rocks of Cape Besov Nos. A piece of land jutting out into the lake for about 2 km, overgrown with a pine forest, has preserved on its granite shores more than 400 original engravings depicting animals, birds, fish, people, as well as containing symbolic signs of the sun and moon. The sizes of the figures range from a few centimeters to 3-4 meters. Among them stands out the image of a mystical nature, called the Christian monks of the XVI century "demon". It is an anthropomorphic figure about 2.3 m long, with splayed fingers and disproportionately small feet.

At the western end of the cape there is a lighthouse, which is now inactive. The untouched forests of Besov Nos are an ideal space for off-road lovers.

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Rep. Karelia, Cape Besov Nos

Landmark, Religion, Historical monument

In the 14th century, the first Orthodox monasteries appeared in Obonezhie. Among them is the Murom Assumption Monastery, founded by St. Lazar on the eastern shore of the Onego, on the previously uninhabited peninsula of Much, today known as Cape Murom. The monastery grew rapidly, and already in the first decades of its existence, several wooden churches were built here, including the first church in all of Pomorie in the name of the Assumption of the Most Pure Mother of God of the Caves. Until now, one of the oldest monastery buildings has been preserved - the chopped church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, built no later than the 16th century. This miniature building with a gable roof, crowned with a cupola with a cross, was dismantled in the middle of the 20th century and transported to the island of Kizhi. Thus, the restored church of the Murom Monastery took pride of place among the relics of the legendary museum-reserve.

On the territory of the monastery itself you can see the ruins of religious buildings 19th century- the white stone walls of the Assumption Cathedral and the skeleton of the Church of All Saints, as well as restored ancient buildings - the fraternal building and the bell tower. During its centuries-old history, the monastery was closed and revived more than once. Today the ancient monastery is active

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Rep. Karelia, Kizhi

Museum, Landmark

One of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North-West of Russia are the Veps, the earliest mention of which dates back to the 6th century AD. In ancient Russian chronicle sources, this Finno-Ugric tribe is called "vesy" or "chud". From the end of the 10th century, the Chud inhabited the territory between the Onega and Ladoga lakes, gradually migrating to the northeast and occupying Obonezhie. Later, ethnic settlements turned into small islands among numerous Russian villages. One of them is the village of Sheltozero, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Onega, about an hour and a half from Petrozavodsk. It is here that the only museum in Russia dedicated to the history and culture of this ancient ethnic group is located, the representatives of which are becoming less and less every year. The institution occupies a monument of wooden architecture of the early 19th century - the former home of the local wealthy peasant Melkin.

Lake Onega is the second largest freshwater reservoir in Europe. Its area is impressive, in terms of its size this reservoir is second only to the lake. The lake is located in the Republic of Karelia, as well as in the Leningrad and Vologda regions. But most of the lake is still located in the Republic of Karelia (80%), the other two regions account for only 20% of the area of ​​this reservoir.

Lake Onega: depth and area

To talk about this reservoir in more detail, you must first say about its size. The area of ​​Lake Onega is 9600 square kilometers, more precisely - 9690 square kilometers. km. This is an impressive number. And I must say that this area is taken without taking into account the islands. If we take into account the islands, then the area of ​​\u200b\u200bLake Onega in sq. km will reach the figure 9720. To better understand the scale of the lake, let's say that its area is equal to the area of ​​​​Cyprus, and this is not at all a small republic.

The average depth of Onega is about 30 meters, and the greatest depth is 127 meters. Note that these are very impressive numbers for lakes. About 50 different rivers (and about 1000 different watercourses) flow into Lake Onega, and only one river flows out of the lake - the Svir.

Dimensions of Lake Onega: length and width

The length of the reservoir from north to south reaches 245 kilometers. The largest width of the lake is 92 kilometers. There are three Karelian cities on the banks (Petrozavodsk, which is also Medvezhyegorsk and Kondopoga).

In general, it must be said that the Republic is a large part of the lake, characterized big amount rocks. The shores of the lake are really rocky, sometimes it is very difficult to approach the reservoir precisely because of the rocks.

The meaning of the lake

Almost every local resident will always answer your question about the area of ​​Lake Onega, will be happy to tell you some stories about the reservoir or its sights. For the local population, the reservoir is pride. Dimensions of Lake Onega really impressive. For local residents have something to be proud of. As we have already said, the area Lake Onega in km 2 equivalent to entire countries! Let's get to know him in more detail.

Islands

The total number of islands in Onega is 1650, but not all of them are large. The total area of ​​all islands of the lake is 224 square kilometers. Most famous island- This is Kizhi. It houses a unique museum-reserve of the same name, in which wooden temples of the 18th century have been preserved and restored. Some of them are built without the use of nails or other metal fastening materials.

But Kizhi is not the most big Island lakes, the largest in Lake Onega is Bolshoy Klimenetsky, its area is 147 square kilometers (more than half the area of ​​all lakes of Lake Onega). Bolshoy Klimenetsky Island has its own settlement, there is even a school here.

If you call others major islands, then it is necessary to mention Bolshoy Lelikovsky, as well as the island of Suisar and South Deer. The nature on all the islands is very colorful, bright and special in its own way, like the entire Republic of Karelia, where most of the lake is located (we have already said this).

Flora and fauna of the island

Some shores of Lake Onega are very rocky, but most of the shores of the lake are low and often swampy. They also often flood when the water level in the lake rises. This can explain the fact that there are only three cities on the lake.

Along the banks of Onega, as well as on almost all of its islands, ducks, geese, swans and other water birds often nest in reeds and reed beds. Almost the entire coastal area of ​​the lake is occupied by dense coniferous forests, some of which are still untouched by human hands and are in a virgin state.

There is evidence that seals are sometimes observed in Lake Onega. In general, it must be said that fish, as well as various invertebrates, are represented in the lake in a wide variety. We emphasize that among the invertebrates there are a significant number of relics of the ancient ice age.

Returning to the fish of the lake, we note that they are found here:

• sterlet;
• lake salmon;
• trout (lake and stream);
• palia (ludnaya and pit);
• zander;
• pike;
• perch;
• vendace (including vendace-kilets);
• grayling;
• smelt;
• roach;
• lamprey (river and stream).

And that's not all, because in the lake there are no less than 47 species and varieties of freshwater fish, which belong to 13 families. Fishing on the Onega is a special chic and a way to find inner harmony with nature. Moreover, fishing is possible on the lake at any time of the year.

Ecology

In today's world with outdated wastewater treatment systems, nothing good can be expected in terms of ecology. In the last decade, the impact on the lake ecosystem has only increased. Special damage is inflicted on the northwestern and northern parts lakes. Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga and Medvezhyegorsk industrial centers are located in this area. It should also be said that about 80% of the population lives in this area, the industrial potential of the basin here generally reaches 90%.

But recently there has been a tendency to modernize treatment facilities and invest serious investments in this business (both from the local budget and from federal funds). I would like to believe that this unique lake will not be left to the mercy of fate and will not become the center of man's neglect of nature.

Economic importance

The lake is navigable, and it is a large part of the waterway, which is included in the Volga-Baltic waterway, as well as the White Sea-Baltic Canal. Also, the lake is a link for the basins of the Baltic, Caspian and northern seas.

The system of canals and rivers makes it possible to send any cargo from the capital of the republic (the city of Petrozavodsk) to any countries located in the coastal sea zone. These are countries from Germany to Iran. We also mention that there is an artificially dug channel, which is located along south coast Onega (from the Svir River to the river called Vytegra).

There are two ports on the shores of Lake Onega (Petrozavodsk capital port and the city of Medvezhyegorsk), in addition, there are five marinas and several small stopping points for ships.

No regular year-round passenger service in this moment no on the lake. But there is a regular service several times a day during navigation between Petrozavodsk and Kizhi Island, as well as between Petrozavodsk and the Great Bay. Tourist boats and the so-called "meteors" are involved here. Also, according to the latest information, there is a connection between Petrozavodsk and Shala.

Of some interesting events of the lake, we note that since the distant 1972 Lake Onega annually (in summer, in July) hosts the country's largest Onega Sailing Regatta. This is an open national sailing championship among yachts (cruising). There are no other organized competitions, although the area of ​​Lake Onega allows it. This is explained by the weak development of tourism in the region.

Kizhi Island

The main attraction of Lake Onega is Kizhi Island, more precisely, the museum-reserve of the same name, which is located here. On the territory of the museum island, there are currently almost 90 monuments of wooden architecture from the 15th-20th centuries.

The center of Kizhi Island is architecture (built in the 18th century), it is a 20-domed Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, as well as a 9-domed Church of the Intercession of the Virgin and a bell tower. In 1990, Kizhi Island was included in the List world heritage UNESCO. This is the pride of our entire country!

Onega petroglyphs

Rock carvings, which are called Onega petroglyphs, are located on the eastern shores of Lake Onega. Scientists believe that their age is in the range of 4-2 thousand years BC. Petroglyphs are arranged in groups. In total, they occupy a stretch of coast approximately 21 km long or even more. Their total number is approximately 1200 different figures and signs. Petroglyphs have not been fully studied and from time to time new rock paintings are discovered. It seems that many more secrets are hidden by the shores of Lake Onega. Its area allows it to do so.

To understand the scale of Lake Onega, you need to see it with your own eyes. Come fishing in Karelia or just relax here from the hustle and bustle of megacities, breathe in the clean northern air. You will fall in love with these places forever, and you will come back here again and again. Lake Onega will captivate and enchant. Photographers will also like Karelia. It's incredible here beautiful landscapes that will not leave indifferent a creative person. Tourists will also appreciate the lake, especially those who love beautiful open spaces. Rest in Karelia is also a great pastime, clean air, beautiful nature.

Lake Onega can be attributed to the treasures of Karelia, which attracts thousands of tourists from different cities.

Lake Onega is the second largest freshwater lake in Europe. Its other name sounds like Onego, which is no coincidence. There are several opinions about the reasons for the appearance of the name. From the point of view of scientists, the reservoir got its name from the river flowing next to it. Another opinion is due to the fact that in the area where the reservoir is located, there are often fogs, and therefore, it received the name Onego - translated from the ancient Finnish, smoking lake. About 1000 rivers flow into Lake Onega, and only one flows out - the Svir.

Its area is approximately 9.9 thousand square meters. km. Depth varies in different areas. In the northern part, the depth is 127 m, and closer to the south it is only 20-30 m. In the spring, Lake Onega is characterized by a rise in water, which lasts for 1.5-2 months. Storms are frequent. The weather is unpredictable, calm can instantly change into a storm. In some parts of the lake, the water is so clear that it can be seen to a depth of 8 m. The water is of high quality.

Lake Onega is especially popular among fishermen. Which is not at all surprising, because it is famous for its fish wealth. Various fish live in it, including valuable commercial ones, such as trout, salmon. In total, 47 species of fish live in the reservoir. In addition, in the mouths of some tributaries of Lake Onega, there is a bivalve mollusk that forms pearls the size of a pea. In search of a precious ball, pearl divers come to the pond, but finding a pearl is not a small effort.

Lake Onega is very surprising with its shape, shore structure, complex bottom topography, water quality, picturesque bays, mesmerizing sunsets and dawns. Sunsets and sunrises are especially mesmerizing. The shores are mostly sandy, but there are also rocky and even swampy shores. In the middle of the lake there are a lot of islands, in total there are about 1500 islands, among which there are wild ones, covered with dense forests, some of the islands are inhabited by people.