Olkhon: discovering the largest island on Lake Baikal
The Baikal lake is the deepest and oldest lake in the world. Positioned in southern Siberia, the lake contains the biggest quantity of fresh water in the world. Baikal is included in the list of 7 Wonders of Russia, 7 Wonders of the Underwater World and in the Top clearest lakes worldwide. There are 27 islands on Baikal - the largest one is Olkhon: 71 km long and 21 km wide. The island can be reached by a ferry-boat that runs regularly and is free of charge. Olkhon is populated by about 1500 people organised in several villages. The largest village is called Khuzhir. The Buryats are the indigenous people of the island. Descendents from Mongols, they practice Shamanism, which is a form of Buddhism. There are many legends and sacred places attributed to Olkhon. According to local people, is bad luck to take something from the island when leaving it. After a while, even your personal stuff becomes the island's property. On Olkhon ther...