Lake Turgoyak and Vera Island

My Sister in Law, Jane had organized perfectly, a days rest in between our rafting on the Ay River and the lake visit we needed and after the events that unfolded getting our lost bags back yesterday, we needed a stress free day.

Rising at 6.30am which is normally no effort is getting harder and I slowly slip deeper into holiday mode. Getting Elena up at this hour is a mission no matter what country or time zone you are on. But after a little coaxing we we up and quickly preparing for our days outing.
Mum organized food and water. I grabbed the camera and whith Elena getting all the swimming gear from our recently reacquainted luggage we we off to meet with Jane and Maxim at the travel agents office.

With one more stop along the way we headed to the Ural Mountain Museum which housed a massive collection of minerals and gems from around the area. Normally I would day its just a pile of rocks but with Elena translating for me I found it fascinating.

By the way. Along the whole journey Ira our tour conductor informed us of historical facts in Russian so Elena filled me in on the local information.

It was on the fields not far from Chelyabinsk that the Red and White army’s battled for 3 weeks in one of the bloodiest battles of Russia’s civil war 1917. It proved that the complacent larger white army of the Tsar were no match for the young idealists and backed with railway workers from the nearby village of Koypesk were taken by surprise. This was the turning point that paved the way and bought in the communist system that wad to rule with an iron fist for the next 70 years.

There is so much history here, sometimes you just have to dig, but more of that later.
After taking many pictures and paying €2 to do so. We meandered past the now many street traders that had set up shop along the short path that led to the car park and piled back on the bus.

Elena was given shares under the old Soviet regime which her mum invested into a gas company that over the last 20 years have increased more than 3000%.
In the turmoil of the late 1980’s during the collapse of the Soviet Union if you had a spare million you could buy a refinery, yes the whole gas refinery! Today you would be worth a billion. This happened here, shame I never had the million back then.

Turgoyak lake is beautiful and is the second clearest lake in all Russia next to It’s larges cousin Lake Baikal.
Just 15 minutes from the heart of Miass. The beach front teamed with people out for a weekend dip in the cool waters.

We had an excursion as part of our tour package, to visit a small island on the lake.
Vera Island is the most fascinating place ans soon to be off limits to anyone who it not part of an organized tour group. The archaeological importance of excavations on this island are extraordinary. Some of the findings here predate the Pyramids of Egypt. Prehistoric man had tombs, a copper smelter and food storage here. There is also a myth about Vera Island here on Lake Turgoyak.

A young girl who lived in a city some say was Yekaterinburg who had an admirer whom was much older. Had made his intentions clear to the young girl whose name was Vera.
She denied him and moved away on her own, no one knew were she went.
Some years later so the story goes she appeared and joined the nunnery on the island. At some point she left the nunnery and lived in isolation at the far end of the island. Living in what is known now at the storage pit on the archaeological digging site.

Vera had the gift of healing and as word got out people started coming to the island. Little more is known about this mythical lady. But evidence of man living here 1000’s of years ago is all around the island. The stopping of just anyone walking on the island is a way of preserving what is found and still yet to be found. It’s worth the trip here if you are intrigued by history and love nature, bit if you just want a getaway from the crowd on the beach to set up you BBQ, this place isn’t for you.

The story goes on to say of you wash in the waters around Vera Island you will be healthier. So given that the catamaran had not returned and it was hot I, with a few others on the tour decided it was a perfect opportunity to take a dip. Totally looking forward to being really healthy, just need wealthy and wise now.

 
The catamaran journey takes just over half an hour back to the beach and after walking Vera Island for an hour I thought it a good time just to lean back and catch a little nap.

Back on the mainland everyone was either baking on the beach, swimming or eating. We took the third option with the food Mum had prepared for us early this morning.

Tucking in to cold chicken, tomatoes and cucumbers from the summer garden I watch two young boys lying on the pebble covered ground placing larger rocks on there backs in some form of basic hot rock spa therapy.

The three hours of free time on the lakes shores seemed the discs rapidly as we took the last dip in the water before racing off to the small changing area.
Standing in the ques with the knowledge that we need to be at the bus at 6pm we waited as the guy in front now lets his friends join the line.

Running to the car-park I see our guide at the far gate but see no bus. Waiting for family to catch up and translate it soon transpires that the driver of the bus went to the shop with the bus and couldn’t turn the bus around again.

With vague instruction from Ira we started in out trek along the dusty road toward the village. Passing the church, destroyed by the communists now under reconstruction we came to an intersection and met with others from our bus who were also at a dielema as to which way to go. With Maxim marching off down one road and around the bend I tried to convince others he was going the right way and that we should follow, but no one in the group either understood English or were still not sure.

With Maxim now waving and beckoning us to follow we now understood he went the right way and over the crest and around another bend was the little shop on the left nestled next to an old wooden church. After walking in the heat Elena made for the shop and I went for the bus.

To my delight Elena arrives back with coke and ice creams.
With the driver now demanding there be no eating on ice cream on the bus we got on board and opened them anyway.

He got real upset and then with everyone one the bus telling him that he moved the bus and made us walk there wad a real yelling session. With IRA taking the loud speaker a calming the situation the driver soon was at the wheel and looking pissed off we were on our way home.

Lake Turgoyak is something to put on the to do list if you are in the southern Urals and really want to see more than the onion domed buildings of Moscow and St Petersburg.

But come now before the masses and enjoy a day by the lake.