BAIKALSKY LIMNOLOGICAL MUSEUM

(БАЙКАЛЬСКИЙ МУЗЕЙ ЛИМНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ). The history of the museum began in 1928 with the establishment of the Baikal Limnological Station, whose aim was to study the history of the lake and its plant and animal world. In 1961, the station received the status of the USSR Limnological Institute. In 1993, one of the few museums in the region devoted to the fauna and flora of Lake Baikal was opened on the basis of the Institute and welcomes thousands of visitors. Both educational and scientific, it focuses on the relationship between man and nature and emphasizes the protection of the lake's environment. Its eleven aquariums make it possible to observe many species of fish, crustaceans, sponges and molluscs, most of which are endemic. The stars of this place are nerpas, freshwater seals also called Baikal seals, the only mammals living in Lake Baikal. The living conditions of the presented species are very close to their natural environment thanks to a specific system of supply and exchange of water coming from the lake. We can also see the deep submersion device "Païsis-11" located to the left of the entrance. It was the first apparatus that reached the maximum depth of the lake in the 1970s. Next to it, the Kamenouchka arboretum occupies an area of 4 hectares. The park's vegetation consists of conifers, shrubs, herbaceous and vascular plants, some of which are protected. Ideal for a peaceful stroll.