The embankment of the Izhevsk pond and the pond itself are the main attraction of the city. It should be noted that, in addition to the title of the main property of the city, the pond is the largest artificially created reservoir in all of Europe among reservoirs that are not designed to produce electricity.
Its length is about 12 km, the width varies from 0.5 to 2.5 km. This pond resembles a huge bowl. The area of the Izhevsk pond - 26 square meters. km, fits in it - 76 million cubic meters. m of water.
A bit of history
The original purpose of the reservoir was to create the draft power of the water engines of the ironworks.
A pond was created on 1760-10-04, its construction was carried out by local serfs.
Initially, the dam looked like an earth embankment. Slots were provided in its design. Through the main slot, water was supplied to the shop wheels, which are designed for filling. The second slot had a much smaller size, it was with its help that water got to the sawmill. Besides, inthe design of the dam provides for a drain.
Already in 1763 the pond was completely formed. The entire length of the dam at that time was about 280 fathoms, and the height was only 4 units. The legendary scientist Pallas himself appreciated the dam and its design during a visit to the plant in Izhevsk.
Izhevsk Pond was quite famous in those days. A photo of a modern city cannot fully reflect the atmosphere of the past.
In 1775, the dam was set on fire. This was done by the Pugachevites, who seized the territory of the plant. The flames engulfed chests, wheels, dust mills, as well as equipment that stood near the dam. The restoration of the plant took 5 long years.
Izhevsk pond and factory
Some time after the start of construction work at the weapons factory, it became necessary to increase the water level in the pond. In this regard, the dam was increased to 646.6 m in length and up to 30 m in width. Also along the dam, from the side of the reservoir, piles were driven, reinforced with longitudinal logs. In the gap between the built wall and the ancient dam, clay and river sand were laid for compaction. Near the "veshnyakov" a special safety barrier was made to prevent blocks of ice during the descent of water in the spring. These actions were carried out by the soldiers of the city invalid companies, factory workers and mercenaries. For this they were paid mere pennies.
Difficulties in building a pond
The topmost layer of the constructed dam was reinforced already in 1834year, after which a stone highway with a drain and footpaths were erected next to the structure. Streets were built along the entire length of the banks of the reservoir. The construction of houses and other infrastructure was carried out in relation to the location of the pond.
One of the managers of the Izhevsk plant, Bilderling, proposed to build another dam of the reservoir. Thanks to his idea, the water retained by the beyshlot would evenly make up for its seasonal deficiency. A place has already been determined for it, and calculations confirming the absence of damage have been made. But construction never started. A fundamental repair of water structures was scheduled for 1885, after which the crossing of wagons and carriages along the dam itself was prohibited for a long period.
Due to the growing authority of the arms factory and the outbreak of the First World War, any movement on the dam was strictly prohibited during the time period from 6 pm to 6 am.
Navigation and pond
If in the 18th century only sailing ships and boats that did not harm the environment floated on the reservoir, then already in the middle of the 19th century simple tugboats and boats began to appear crossing the Izhevsk pond. Izhevsk has turned into a real shipping port. The Izh pyroscaphe, 12 m long, became quite popular with the general public. This ship had a wheeled structure, and due to the presence of one cabin, people were often transported to picnics on it.
Passenger boats on the Izhevsk pond run regularly today. Steamer with screwdesign first appeared here in 1916, its name is "Storm". Soon, the most beautiful boats began to appear at the plant management and manufacturers. In the summer, systematic trips to the Volozhka were made through the reservoir, which lasted about 1 hour.
Back in 1936, river trams were brought to Izhevsk, 35 years later - high-speed motor ships, which spent 5 times less time on the same journey. The depth of the Izhevsk pond allowed heavy ships with various cargoes to move along it.
The pond and the inhabitants of Izhevsk
Izhevsk pond played a special role in the life of Izhevsk craftsmen and needlewomen. In their works, they often depicted a local landmark, which contributed to the increase in demand for their products. And this, in turn, led to the prosperity of the entire city.
Fish in the Izhevsk pond was found in large numbers. The reservoir abounded with pike, crucian carp, bream, roach and perch. Fishing in these places was a very profitable occupation. But soon the number of fish began to decrease rapidly. This gave impetus to its artificial breeding. As part of the improvement of the reservoir, a silver carp was introduced into the pond, but the conditions did not suit him, and the fish died. In the future, it was decided to breed those varieties that previously lived in the pond. Mainly pike, perch and roach.
Politics and the pond
Izhevsk Pond has long been a popular place for revolutionary events. Shootings, political classes, May Days were often organized here. All thesethe actions were very skillfully disguised as outdoor recreation and picnics taking place on the picturesque shore.
1906 in the history of Izhevsk was marked by a kind of floating rally, which was attended by about 150 socialist boats. In this particular case, the city police were powerless.
In its entire history, Izhevsk Pond has seen many similar events. The photo, unfortunately, cannot fully convey the fact that the reservoir is a living organism and still retains the atmosphere of the past.
The mysterious story of the Izhevsk reservoir
The appearance of this wonderful pond is quite mystical. The majority of researchers and historians believe that there were ravines in the northwest of Izhevsk, which were artificially deepened down. These depressions were flooded after the start of construction of the famous Izhevsk dam. The main version of what is happening says that the reservoir was dug out by serfs, who died as a result of the hardest work. But the only correct answer can be given only by thoroughly examining the bottom of the pond.
Recently, it has been carefully cleared of bottom silt for research.
Factory pond - the pride of the Udmurt people
The year of foundation of the factory pond is considered to be 1763, when the metal production plant began to function. The Udmurt people perceived this reservoir as a kind of miracle, thanks to the design of the wheels that rotated with the power of water. A real work of art was the embankment of the Izhevsk pond. Even before the construction of the hydroelectric power plant, thisthe reservoir was considered one of the largest artificial reservoirs.
Factory workers were connected to the reservoir both during working hours and during leisure time. Thanks to them, the pond received many names that characterize the surroundings and the surrounding area.
The shape and position of the banks of the reservoir predetermined the geography of the streets of the city and its environs. The pond has made its own adjustments not only to architectural buildings and memorable places, but also to the character of Izhevsk residents. Thanks to the neighborhood with a huge, changeable and playful pond, all local residents are characterized by the immense breadth of soul, adventurism, craving for everything new and romantic mood.
X-Files
It should be noted that, starting from 1811, there was another, so-called reserve pond, near the factory reservoir. It was used to run the mill. This pond was created by F. Poppe.
1919 in the history of the Izhevsk pond was marked by the fact that in a solemn atmosphere, with a huge number of spectators, the double-headed eagle was removed from the factory tower and drowned in the pond.
37 years after this incident, a monument to Stalin himself, located opposite the local palace of culture and recreation, was lowered to the bottom of the reservoir under the heading “top secret”
Treasure at the bottom of the reservoir
Truly mystical and unique is the Izhevsk Pond, about which there are legends even in modern times. One of the most popular is about the Devil's Pit, which has incredible depth. Herdepth - more than 15 meters. Geographically, it is located near the village. Volozhka. A huge number of people drowned at this very place, but not a single body has yet been found.
According to the fishermen, they regularly see huge lizards, pikes and all kinds of monsters there. These legends inspire even more to visit the Izhevsk pond. Fishing, however, can be fraught with some danger.
There are rumors and legends about a double-headed eagle made of bronze, which previously flaunted on top of one of the plant's towers. Illumination illuminated this interesting statue at night and made the eagle stunningly beautiful. During the period of the Bolshevik rule, the eagle was repeatedly dropped and again returned to its usual place. But after one of the attempts to dump it to the great depth of the reservoir, they have not been able to find it for many decades.
Izhevsk Pond Disease
Methods for self-purification of a reservoir of natural nature, from the point of view of environmentalists, began to malfunction since the 1960s. At that time, this was not given serious importance at all, and the problems began to accumulate and worsen.
The wake-up call came in 2003 when the water in the residents' taps began to emit an unpleasant odor. In turn, the water supply was closely connected with the local pond. The main problem was the rotting of algae due to the huge amount of the same type of organic matter.
Already next year, to combat this problem, more than 5 tons of silver carp were released into the pond, which did not take root in this pond. After another year, for a positive way out of the situation, certainalgae that fought the bloom. But, unfortunately, this method was also ineffective.
The depth of the Izhevsk pond, which reaches 12 meters, prevents the full purification of the reservoir.
According to the calculations of the Izhevsk Vodokanal, in the summer of 2014, the number of these algae exceeded the permissible norms by 2.5 times. According to environmentalists, this year the unwanted parthenogenesis of algae was stopped by precipitation, which renewed and increased the level of water in the reservoir. Therefore, according to the plans of the management of the water utility, they plan to use potassium permanganate and carbonization to clean it.
Rescue Plan
Due to the heat, the pond is colonized by harmful microorganisms. The temperature of the Izhevsk pond reaches 30 degrees. The withdrawal of the reservoir from the ecological catastrophe begins this year and will be carried out over three years. This project was developed by the Udmurt Ministry of Natural Resources Protection. Great attention will be paid to vegetation and cleaning the bottom. Thanks to these actions, the level of phosphorus compounds, which entail the development of destructive algae, will significantly decrease, which, in turn, will lead to the restoration of ecological balance. The cost of the work will be about 500 million rubles. Udmurtia will be able to finance only a third of the amount, the rest of the money will be allocated from the federal budget.
Also, one of the saving projects for the Izhevsk reservoir is the creation of a reserve reservoir in the Volozhka region. This pond will collect the waters of the spring season, whichwill be systematically lowered into the main reservoir in order to reduce the harmful effects of algae.
In financial terms, the cost of the work will be about 1 billion rubles, but so far this project has been postponed until the necessary amount is allocated. Meanwhile, Izhevsk Pond envelops local residents and guests of the city with its warm embrace. The water temperature in it is only a few degrees lower than the air temperature.
Beach vacation on the Izhevsk pond
Any body of water in the city is considered by residents as a place for a beach holiday. The same fate befell the pond, which was originally created for industrial purposes. Today you can swim, sunbathe and even fish here.
Despite the fact that the water does not meet sanitary standards for a long time, the beach of the Izhevsk pond is not empty. For people, swimming in a pond is not dangerous, since the acidity in the water is slightly increased. This is not the reason for the closure of the pond.
Can I swim in the Izhevsk pond today? Can. This is approved by local authorities and sanitary services.
