Issyk-Kul(Kyrgyzstan Ysyk-Kol - Yzyk-Kol, Yyyk-Kol (There was a transformation of the Kyrgyz Yyyk - sacred, into Yssyk) - “ Sacred Lake - Yyyk") - the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, endorheic, is one of the 25 largest lakes in the world by area and in sixth place in the list of the deepest lakes. Located in the northeastern part of the republic, between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan: Kungoy-Ala-Too and Terskey Ala-Too at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. The lake is drainless; up to 80 relatively small tributaries flow into it. Of these, the largest are Tyup and Dzhergalan, flowing from the east. In the western part, the Chu River comes very close to the lake, which, along the 6 km long Kutemaldy channel, sometimes gives it part of its waters during spring floods. The water level in Issyk-Kul changes cyclically (it rises and then falls); the cycle occurs over several decades. The water is brackish (water salinity - 5.90 ‰).
The volume of water is 1738 km³, the area of the water surface is 6236 km², the length of the coastline is 688 km, the average depth is 278 m, the greatest depth is almost 2.5 times greater and equals 702 m. The length of Issyk-Kul from west to east is 182 km, and from south to north - 58 km.
Climate
The climate of the coast is moderately maritime. Issyk-Kul has a softening effect throughout the lake’s water area. Average January temperature: Tamga −2°, Cholpon-Ata −3°, Karakol −6°. Average July temperature: +17°.
The amount of precipitation is minimal on the western shore of the lake and maximum in the eastern part of the basin.
The number of hours of sunshine is 2700 hours, which is more than on the Black Sea. For comparison, the number of hours of sunshine in Moscow is 1,700 hours.
Name
The Russian spelling of the name of the lake "Issyk-Kul" most likely comes from the Kyrgyz spelling - "Yyyk-Kol". The words “yyyk kel” translated from the Kyrgyz language mean “sacred lake”, since the Kyrgyz treated the lake as a spiritualized hydronym. In addition, the mild winters of the basin, the heat reserves in the huge water column, and the salinity of the lake prevent it from becoming covered with ice. However, according to geographer and toponymist E.M. Murzaev, the name goes back to the ancient “yzyk, ezykh” (sacred). The sanctity of the lake and the reverent attitude towards it on the part of the Kyrgyz go back to the distant past and persist to this day.
History of the study
The first mention of Issyk-Kul is found in Chinese chronicles of the late 2nd century BC, where it is called Zhe-Hai, which means “warm sea”. However, the scientific study of the lake began only in the 19th century by Russian scientists, including N. M. Przhevalsky, who bequeathed to bury himself on the shore of Issyk-Kul.
Ichthyofauna
There are currently 21 species of fish in the lake, belonging to 5 families. 14 species are endemic, and the remaining species were introduced from other bodies of water. Until 2011, about 90% of the total fish biomass was the Issyk-Kul chebak (Leuciscus bergi Kaschkarov). From 2007 to 2011, the chebak in the lake was almost completely exterminated by rainbow trout.
Vegetation
The vegetation off the coast of Issyk Kul is quite poor. Mostly sea buckthorn (Hypophae rhamnoides) grows near the lake. There is no woody vegetation in the lake valley itself, only small groves of poplar and other trees are found along the rivers. Woody vegetation is represented mainly by forests of Schrenk spruce. Spruce forests are distributed mainly on the northern slopes of the mountains bordering Lake Issyk-Kul. Spruce grows in separate tracts, islands, interspersed with glades, scree and rock outcrops, alternating with meadows. The mountain slopes are rich in thickets of rosehip, barberry, currant, rowan, and juniper. In the lower reaches along the banks of rivers, in places with more moisture, willows and birches are abundant. In the east of the valley they form small deciduous forests.
Tourism
The rare combination of sea and mountain climates attracts numerous holidaymakers and tourists. Lake Issyk-Kul is the main source of tourism income in Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of undeveloped places on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, in the place of which new comfortable vacation spots are gradually appearing.
The most popular places among tourists on Lake Issyk-Kul are the cities of Cholpon-Ata and Karakol, the resort villages of Bosteri, Sary-Oy, Chok-Tal, Bulan-Sogyottyu, Chon-Sary-Oy, Tamchy, as well as the gorges of Barskoon, Jeti- Oguz, Grigorievskoe and Semyonovskoe.
Beach tourism is concentrated mainly from the village of Tamchy to the village of Korumdu on the northern coast. The season lasts from mid-June to the end of August.
The majority of tourists vacationing on Lake Issyk-Kul are residents of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
Ecology
The environmental situation is generally favorable. There are no large industrial polluting enterprises in the lake area.
In the summer of 1998, during the transportation of toxic substances, as a result of an accident, from 0.5 to 1.7 tons of poisonous sodium cyanide fell into one of the tributaries of the lake - the Barskoon River. Every year, monitoring is carried out at the accident site, and indicators indicate that there is no threat to life.
Tests
During Soviet times, underwater weapons were tested in the lake. The Karakol test base of the Russian Navy still exists today (2016).
Also, at one time, tests of the An-10 aircraft took place on the shore of the lake, in which the designer O. M. Antonov himself took part. In particular, the possibility of landing a heavy aircraft on a dirt (in this case, pebble) strip was tested. Landings, among other things, were carried out with an imitation of a failed engine. This was described in more detail in the book of the famous designer.
Legends
The Legend of the Relics of the Apostle Matthew
There are many legends associated with the lake. One of them says that near the northern shore there is a flooded Armenian monastery, where the relics of the Apostle Matthew are located. For example, on the so-called Catalan world map, dated 1375, on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul there is a building with a cross, and next to it there is an inscription: “A place called Issyk-Kul. In this place is the monastery of the Armenian brothers, where the body of St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist resides.”
There was a particular excitement in 2003 during the arrival of former dissident Sergei Melnikov, who enlisted the support of the government and the Metropolitan of Central Asia and Bishkek and promised to find a Nestorian monastery and a treasure of either Genghis Khan himself or the Nestorian monks.
The Legend of Tamerlane
Other legends
There are also a number of legends about sunken cities and treasures. Most of them are based on real facts. As underwater excavations have shown, in the coastal zone of the lake there are indeed a number of medieval cities that were flooded at a later time, including the capital of the Wusun, Chigu.
In literature and cinema
- E. A. Popov - The Mystery of Lake Issyk-Kul (1959), fantastic story.
- The action of Ch. T. Aitmatov’s story “The White Steamship” takes place on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.
- A. Sytin’s story “Smugglers of the Tien Shan” and its film adaptation “Scarlet Poppies of Issyk-Kul”
- Song of the creative duet of bards Alexey Ivashchenko and Georgy Vasilyev (“Ivasi”) “Rain over Issyk-Kul”
- Sheet NK 43-6, from the United States Military Ordnance Survey map set of Western Siberia. Series 502. 1955. Scale 1:250,000
USSR map NK 43-6 Rybach"ye.jpg
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Notes
see also
Literature
- Golubev A.F. “A brief report on the results of the Issyk-Kul expedition” (“Notes of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society”, 1860);
- Kublitsky G.I. Across continents and oceans: Stories of travel and discovery. - M.: Detgiz, 1957. - 326 p.
- Uzin S.V. Hot Lake // Secrets of geographical names / S. V. Uzin; Artist E. S. Skrynnikov. - M.: Geographgiz, 1961. - P. 11-20. - 104 s. - 40,000 copies.(region)
- Rukavishnikov B. I. Lake Issyk-Kul and the Terskey-Alatau ridge. - M.: Physical education and sport, 1970. - 120 p. - (Across native expanses). - 25,000 copies.(region)
Links
- // Around the World, No. 3 (2510), March 1983 (Retrieved October 30, 2009)
Excerpt characterizing Issyk-Kul
And finally, the last departure of the great emperor from the heroic army seems to us by historians as something great and brilliant. Even this last act of flight, in human language is called the last degree of meanness, which every child learns to be ashamed of, and this act in the language of historians receives justification.Then, when it is no longer possible to stretch such elastic threads of historical reasoning any further, when an action is already clearly contrary to what all humanity calls good and even justice, the saving concept of greatness appears among historians. Greatness seems to exclude the possibility of measuring good and bad. For the great there is no bad. There is no horror that can be blamed on someone who is great.
- “C"est grand!" [This is majestic!] - say historians, and then there is no longer either good or bad, but there is “grand” and “not grand”. Grand is good, not grand is bad. Grand is a property, according to their concepts, of some kind of special animals they call heroes. And Napoleon, walking home in a warm fur coat from the dying not only of his comrades, but (in his opinion) of the people he brought here, feels que c"est grand, and his soul is at peace.
“Du sublime (he sees something sublime in himself) au ridicule il n"y a qu"un pas,” he says. And the whole world has been repeating for fifty years: “Sublime! Grand! Napoleon le grand! Du sublime au ridicule il n"y a qu"un pas". [majestic... From majestic to ridiculous there is only one step... Majestic! Great! Napoleon the Great! It’s only a step from the majestic to the ridiculous.]
And it will not occur to anyone that recognition of greatness, immeasurable by the measure of good and bad, is only recognition of one’s insignificance and immeasurable smallness.
For us, with the measure of good and bad given to us by Christ, there is nothing immeasurable. And there is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.
Which of the Russian people, reading descriptions of the last period of the campaign of 1812, did not experience a heavy feeling of annoyance, dissatisfaction and uncertainty. Who hasn’t asked himself questions: how they didn’t take and destroy all the French, when all three armies surrounded them in superior numbers, when the frustrated French, starving and freezing, surrendered in droves, and when (as history tells us) the goal of the Russians was precisely that to stop, cut off and take prisoner all the French.
How did that Russian army, which was weaker in number than the French, fight the Battle of Borodino, how did this army, which surrounded the French on three sides and had the goal of taking them away, did not achieve its goal? Do the French really have such a huge advantage over us that we, having surrounded them with superior forces, could not beat them? How could this happen?
History (the one called by this word), answering these questions, says that this happened because Kutuzov, and Tormasov, and Chichagov, and this one, and that one, did not make such and such maneuvers.
But why didn't they do all these maneuvers? Why, if they were to blame for not achieving the intended goal, why were they not tried and executed? But, even if we admit that the failure of the Russians was due to Kutuzov and Chichagov, etc., it is still impossible to understand why and in the conditions in which the Russian troops were located at Krasnoye and near Berezina (in both cases the Russians were in excellent forces), why was the French army with its marshals, kings and emperors not captured, when this was the goal of the Russians?
The explanation of this strange phenomenon by the fact that Kutuzov prevented the attack (as Russian military historians do) is unfounded because we know that Kutuzov’s will could not keep the troops from attacking near Vyazma and near Tarutin.
Why was that Russian army, which with weaker forces won a victory at Borodino over the enemy in all its strength, at Krasnoe and near Berezina with superior forces defeated by frustrated crowds of the French?
If the goal of the Russians was to cut off and capture Napoleon and the marshals, and this goal was not only not achieved, but all attempts to achieve this goal were each time destroyed in the most shameful way, then the last period of the campaign quite rightly seems to be close to the French victories and is completely unfairly presented by Russian historians as victorious.
Russian military historians, to the extent that logic is obligatory for them, involuntarily come to this conclusion and, despite lyrical appeals about courage and devotion, etc., must involuntarily admit that the French retreat from Moscow is a series of victories for Napoleon and defeats for Kutuzov.
But, leaving national pride completely aside, one feels that this conclusion itself contains a contradiction, since a series of victories for the French led them to complete destruction, and a series of defeats for the Russians led them to the complete destruction of the enemy and the purification of their fatherland.
The source of this contradiction lies in the fact that historians who study events from letters of sovereigns and generals, from reports, reports, plans, etc., have assumed a false, never-existent goal for the last period of the war of 1812 - a goal that supposedly consisted of to cut off and catch Napoleon with the marshals and the army.
This goal never existed and could not exist, because it had no meaning, and achieving it was completely impossible.
This goal did not make any sense, firstly, because Napoleon’s frustrated army fled from Russia as quickly as possible, that is, it fulfilled the very thing that every Russian could wish for. Why was it necessary to carry out various operations on the French, who fled as quickly as they could?
Secondly, it was pointless to stand in the way of people who had directed all their energy to escape.
Thirdly, it was pointless to lose their troops to destroy the French armies, which were destroyed without external reasons in such a progression that without any blocking of the path they could not transfer across the border more than what they transferred in the month of December, that is, one hundredth of the entire army.
Fourthly, it was pointless to want to capture the emperor, kings, dukes - people whose captivity would greatly complicate the actions of the Russians, as the most skillful diplomats of that time admitted (J. Maistre and others). Even more senseless was the desire to take the French corps when their troops had melted halfway to Krasny, and convoy divisions had to be separated from the corps of prisoners, and when their soldiers did not always receive full provisions and the already taken prisoners were dying of hunger.
The entire thoughtful plan to cut off and catch Napoleon and his army was similar to the plan of a gardener who, driving cattle out of the garden that had trampled his ridges, would run to the gate and begin to beat this cattle on the head. One thing that could be said to justify the gardener would be that he was very angry. But this could not even be said about the drafters of the project, because they were not the ones who suffered from the trampled ridges.
But, besides the fact that cutting off Napoleon and the army was pointless, it was impossible.
This was impossible, firstly, because, since experience shows that the movement of columns over five miles in one battle never coincides with plans, the likelihood that Chichagov, Kutuzov and Wittgenstein would converge on time at the appointed place was so insignificant , that it amounted to impossibility, as Kutuzov thought, even when he received the plan, he said that sabotage over long distances does not bring the desired results.
Secondly, it was impossible because, in order to paralyze the force of inertia with which Napoleon’s army was moving back, it was necessary to have, without comparison, larger troops than those that the Russians had.
Thirdly, it was impossible because cutting off a military word has no meaning. You can cut off a piece of bread, but not an army. There is no way to cut off an army - to block its path, because there is always a lot of space around where you can go around, and there is night, during which nothing is visible, as military scientists could be convinced of, even from the examples of Krasny and Berezina. It is impossible to take prisoner without the person being taken prisoner agreeing to it, just as it is impossible to catch a swallow, although you can take it when it lands on your hand. You can take prisoner someone who surrenders, like the Germans, according to the rules of strategy and tactics. But the French troops, quite rightly, did not find this convenient, since the same hungry and cold death awaited them on the run and in captivity.
Fourthly, and most importantly, this was impossible because never since the world existed has there been a war under the terrible conditions under which it took place in 1812, and the Russian troops, in pursuit of the French, strained all their strength and did not could have done more without being destroyed themselves.
In the movement of the Russian army from Tarutino to Krasnoye, fifty thousand were left sick and backward, that is, a number equal to the population of a large provincial city. Half the people dropped out of the army without fighting.
And about this period of the campaign, when troops without boots and fur coats, with incomplete provisions, without vodka, spend the night for months in the snow and at fifteen degrees below zero; when there are only seven and eight hours of the day, and the rest is night, during which there can be no influence of discipline; when, not like in a battle, for a few hours only people are introduced into the realm of death, where there is no longer discipline, but when people live for months, every minute struggling with death from hunger and cold; when half the army dies in a month - historians tell us about this and that period of the campaign, how Miloradovich was supposed to make a flank march this way, and Tormasov there that way, and how Chichagov was supposed to move there that way (move above his knees in the snow), and how he knocked over and cut off, etc., etc.
The Russians, half dying, did everything that could be done and should have been done to achieve a goal worthy of the people, and they are not to blame for the fact that other Russian people, sitting in warm rooms, assumed to do what was impossible.
All this strange, now incomprehensible contradiction of fact with the description of history occurs only because the historians who wrote about this event wrote the history of the wonderful feelings and words of various generals, and not the history of events.
For them, the words of Miloradovich, the awards that this and that general received, and their assumptions seem very interesting; and the question of those fifty thousand who remained in hospitals and graves does not even interest them, because it is not subject to their study.
Meanwhile, you just have to turn away from studying reports and general plans, and delve into the movement of those hundreds of thousands of people who took a direct, immediate part in the event, and all the questions that previously seemed insoluble suddenly, with extraordinary ease and simplicity, receive an undoubted solution.
The goal of cutting off Napoleon and his army never existed except in the imagination of a dozen people. It could not exist because it was meaningless and achieving it was impossible.
The people had one goal: to cleanse their land from invasion. This goal was achieved, firstly, by itself, since the French fled, and therefore it was only necessary not to stop this movement. Secondly, this goal was achieved by the actions of the people's war, which destroyed the French, and, thirdly, by the fact that a large Russian army followed the French, ready to use force if the French movement was stopped.
The Russian army had to act like a whip on a running animal. And an experienced driver knew that it was most beneficial to hold the whip raised, threatening it, and not to whip a running animal on the head.
When a person sees a dying animal, horror seizes him: what he himself is, his essence, is obviously destroyed in his eyes - ceases to exist. But when the dying person is a person, and the loved one is felt, then, in addition to the horror of the destruction of life, one feels a gap and a spiritual wound, which, just like a physical wound, sometimes kills, sometimes heals, but always hurts and is afraid of an external irritating touch.
After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha and Princess Marya felt this equally. They, bent morally and closing their eyes from the menacing cloud of death hanging over them, did not dare to look life in the face. They carefully protected their open wounds from offensive, painful touches. Everything: a carriage driving quickly down the street, a reminder about lunch, a girl’s question about a dress that needs to be prepared; even worse, the word of insincere, weak sympathy painfully irritated the wound, seemed like an insult and violated that necessary silence in which they both tried to listen to the terrible, strict chorus that had not yet ceased in their imagination, and prevented them from peering into those mysterious endless distances that opened for a moment In front of them.
Balykchy- the closest city to Bishkek on Lake Issyk-Kul (186 km). If you just want to look at the lake one day and return to the capital, you will have time to visit Balykchy. For a beach holiday, it is better to go further to Cholpon Ata or to the southern coast.
Cholpon Ata = civil beach holiday. Cholpon Ata is the main resort town in northern bank of Issyk-Kul. Go in the summer to swim in the lake and relax by the water.
Tourist infrastructure: hotels, guest houses, cafes are located in Cholpon Ata and neighboring villages from the village Tamchi to Korumdu.
There is sand and stones at the bottom, the water is clean. To the east of the village of Korumdu, the “black” side of the lake begins: there is clay at the bottom, the water is not clear.
From Cholpon Ata it is convenient to visit the Grigorievskoye and Semenovskoye gorges, thermal springs, petroglyphs, and the Rukh Ordo cultural center.
South coast = wild beach holiday. The south of Lake Issyk-Kul is considered more picturesque, but less developed in terms of tourism. The choice of comfortable accommodation and cafes is still modest.
Come in summer with tents or live in yurts. Yurt campsites are located next to the Skazka canyon near the towns of Bokonbaevo, Kadzhi-Sai, and Tosor.
Karakol = mountains. No beaches, but from December to March there is a ski resort 10 km from the city. Many people celebrate New Year in Karakol.
From May to October, people go on one-day treks and multi-day mountain hikes from Karakol.
By car, visit the Karakol and Jeti Oguz gorges (Rocks of the Seven Bulls), waterfalls, Altyn-Arashan gorge, Broken Heart, Skazka canyon.
Do I need to book in advance?
In the spring, in order not to complicate my life, I rented housing online based on reviews.
Around the lake there are hotels, sanatoriums, cottages and the private sector. In the summer, rooms are rented out in each house; you can choose on the spot if you have time.
Prices from 400-700 soms ( 6-10$ ) for a bed in a yurt/hostel up to 50-100$+ per day in hotels and cottages. Bed and breakfast rooms in guest houses 20-30$ .
Weather and season in Issyk Kul
The season in the mountains is from May to October, for climbing the peaks July-August, when all trails are accessible.
Swim in the lake: mid-June to August. During the day, air +21+28, water +20+22. In other months the water is icy and there is frequent rain.
In mid-April, only a dumb man did not tell me that the time was bad. +10+13, wet. We need it in the summer. I still believe that the time is always good if you fill your days with joy and don’t focus on the weather.
How to get to Issyk-Kul from Bishkek
Find transport from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul at the Western Bus Station. You can get there by minibus or shared taxi.
Address: Bishkek, st. Chimkentskaya, 1
General taxi parking coordinates: 42.885137, 74.568090
Minibus
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 300 som(300 rub/4$), to Karakol 350 som (5$)
They depart when all seats are occupied. I waited for half an hour, returning from Karakol to Bishkek.
Just come to the station, go and see where the most passengers are gathered. Minibuses run from morning to evening.
Taxi
There are passenger cars (shared taxis) in front of the station; they leave when they are full. There are a lot of cars.
500-600 soms(500-600 RUR/9$) per person or 2000-2500 som($30-36) for the whole car.
On the way to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours, 405 km to Karakol, 5.5-6 hours. On the way, stop for lunch.
The Yandex taxi driver dropped me off at the shared taxi rank at 10.30 in the morning, and I immediately took the front seat in the Merc. 10 minutes later a family with a child arrived and we left.
Issyk-Kul in 4 days, route by car
Rent a car in Bishkek and go around the perimeter of the lake. Without a car it’s possible, you’ll just have to take a taxi or day trips to the mountains. Details below, but for now let’s imagine that you have a car.
Plan a trip around Lake Issyk-Kul for 4-5 days. It’s also possible in 2-3 days, it’s just tiring and you won’t have time to do much: the one-way trip from Bishkek takes half a day.
🐎 Logical route around Issyk-Kul on the map
The map can be enlarged and reduced. When you click on the icons, see photos of Issyk-Kul attractions.
Day 1. Bishkek-Cholpon Ata
▫ Departure from the center of Bishkek or from Manas airport at 8-9.00 am.
▫ Burana Tower- the oldest building in Central Asia (10-11th centuries). An important architectural monument with a sad legend. You can climb the minaret. Views of the steppe and mountains, an open-air museum. Located 80 km from Bishkek near the city of Tokmok.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.746634, 75.250376
▫ Dinner in a roadside cafe. Just look where there are a lot of cars. The food in the canteens along the highway is normal, the prices are low (200 rubles for the first, second, compote).
▫ Arrival at Cholpon-Ata or one of the villages, check-in to a hotel/guest house.
▫ Excursion to the cultural center " Rukh Ordo» named after Ch. Aitmatov.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
Entrance 400 som (400 rub/6$)
GPS: 42.648172, 77.095115
Rukh Ordo is the spiritual center of Issyk-Kul. Sculptures of historical figures, paintings, photos and five chapels in honor of the main religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Orthodoxy.
There is also a memorial house of Chingiz Aitmatov and a wonderful view of Issyk-Kul. I was lucky to be completely alone in the complex. It’s rare to have such a sincere and romantic time alone with yourself.
▫ Visit Petroglyph Museum- rock paintings and inscriptions from the Neolithic era found around Lake Issyk-Kul and in the Chui Valley.
GPS: 42.661540, 77.057120
▫ Dinner at the restaurant " Lamb» or any other in Cholpon Ata.
▫ Swimming in hot springs Ak-Bermet open air
8.00-22.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.627311, 77.044881
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours. Plus 1 hour for a circle to the Burana tower. General mileage per day if you visit all the places described above: 290 km, 6+ hours driving and 3-4 hours stopping for photos and visiting museums.
In Cholpon Ata they take boat rides on the lake Day 2. Cholpon Ata - gorge - Karakol
▫ Moving from Cholpon Ata to Karakol, 150 km, 3 hours
▫ Visit along the way Grigorievsky And Semenovsky Gorge, additionally 3-4 hours for a trip through both gorges.
Grigorievskoye Gorge The main advantage: these mountains are located only 40 km from Cholpon Ata behind the village of Grigoryevka. You can climb up the Grigorievsky Gorge and go down to the highway through Semenovskoye.
The road in the mountains is unpaved; from autumn to spring problems due to avalanches are possible. In the muddy rain, the car “drives”. Safer in an SUV.
Route through the gorges on the map:
▫ Check-in to a hotel/guest house/yurt in Karakol.
▫ Excursion around Karakol. The city was founded by Russian settlers in 1869. Here you can see the wooden Dungan mosque (built without a single nail), the Holy Trinity Cathedral, parks, and a market.
▫ Hot springs in the evening Ak-Suu 15 km from Karakol, GPS: 42.462262, 78.539709
▫ Ashlamfu in Karakol- signature dish, don't miss it. Contains noodles, starch, sauce.
Manti in Karakol Day 3. MOUNTAINS
▫ Trip to the ski resort and Karakol gorge
GPS: 42.303137, 78.485352
▫ Trip to the gorge Altyn-Arashan(“Golden Spring”), swimming in hot springs, overnight in a yurt Eco Yurt Camp Arashan.
GPS: 42.375820, 78.611852
You can go to the mountains on your own or contact Neofit (they organize excursions around the outskirts of Karakol).
Day 4. Karakol-Bishkek
▫ Return from Karakol to Bishkek along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 410 km, 6h 30min.
▫ Along the way there is a gorge " Jeti-Oguz"("Seven Bulls"). You can stay overnight and hike to the waterfalls along the “Valley of Flowers.” Overnight at the Golden Yurt yurt camp at an altitude of 2200m. The camp runs from May 5 to October 15.
GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315
▫ Trek to the waterfall Barskoon,GPS: 42.011728, 77.607603
▫ Visit to a picturesque Canyon "Fairy Tale", GPS: 42.156936, 77.358927
▫ Cultural Center « Aalam Ordo» exactly opposite Rukh Ordo, only on the southern bank, GPS: 42.198147, 77.223847
This is the maximum program. The road along the south of the lake is worse than the north, but more picturesque. Minibuses going to Bishkek don’t like to travel on it.
If you don’t have a car, you need to negotiate with a shared taxi driver or hire a separate car to see the south.
The northern road is also beautiful 
Issyk-Kul on your own without a car
My route:
Day 1. Bishkek→Cholpon Ata
▫ 10.30 departure from the Western bus station of Bishkek by shared taxi, 600 som/person
▫ 15.00 arrived in Cholpon Ata, checked into a family room Issyk-Kul Svetlana (rating 9.7 ).
Lovely family, clean, delicious homemade breakfasts. From the window there is a view of the lake, there is a passage to the beach.
The center is 2 km away, the owner Victor took us to the bank and the Narodny supermarket and told us everything.
He himself organizes excursions and takes tourists around the surrounding area in a jeep (gorges, hot springs, petroglyphs). Alas, he was busy, but he found me a car for tomorrow for a trip to the Grigorievskoye Gorge.
▫ 15.30 Spent an hour in the Rukh Ordo complex (400 som)
▫ To the hot springs Ak-Bermet I didn’t go, although the owner offered to take me for 100 soms.
▫ 17.30 I was just asking passers-by where to eat in Cholpon-Ata. We recommended the restaurant "Lamb".
What will you eat? (they like the word “eat” here)
-Something simple without fat and meat.
-Take our signature salad.
OK. They bring 3 kg of warm veal, stewed with mushrooms and peppers. Such a light salad. I honestly have never seen so much meat anywhere. I also foolishly ordered trout fillet (350 g) and a liter of tea.
Gave 1000 soms (1000 rubles /15$ ) and stood up a little, although she didn’t even eat half of it. A shocking amount for dinner in Kyrgyzstan, but tasty and unusual.
Day 2. Grigorievskoe Gorge→Karakol
▫ 10.20. Departure from Cholpon Ata to the Grigorievskoye Gorge by taxi ( 1500 som/ 22$ per car). In summer they sell group excursions for 500 som.
Again in the summer, yurts are set up in the Grigorievsky Gorge and horses are brought. You can ride, sleep/eat/drink, take pictures with birds.
The whole excursion took 1h30min from the threshold of the guest house to the highway. During this time, they showed me a small stream of water - like a waterfall, and we simply drove along a dirt road in the mountains along the river.
But I met some yaks. They used to live high in the mountains (yak loves 3000m+), people hunted them. If I needed meat, I went and shot it. Now little yaks are walking with horsemen and their cows. Animals began to be tamed about 7 years ago. Domesticated and bred.
▫ 11.50 returned with the driver to the highway to Grigoryevka, waited for a passing minibus
▫ 12.30 minibus Grigoryevka-Karakol, 110 km, 2 hours, 120 soms
Clean and warm lakes for us!
Mila Demenkova
The long-awaited summer has arrived. And the most pressing topic in all conversations of Kyrgyzstanis is Issyk-Kul. And this year, my family and I planned to spend five days on the shore of the lake, and then, depending on the circumstances, stay to rest or go home. We decided to drive our own car, since the road from Bishkek to the lake had been perfectly repaired. We drive 260 km along the highway through the Boom Gorge. This is approximately three to five hours, depending on the speed of the car and the location of the boarding house.
Then you should transfer to a bus or minibus to Lake Issyk-Kul. There is also a flight Almaty-Bishkek. But this is already much more expensive (52 US dollars for a one-way flight from Almaty to Bishkek, respectively 104 US dollars for a round-trip ticket), then by taxi to Lake Issyk-Kul - 55 US dollars also one way, and both ways US$110. The total will be 214 US dollars.
Lake location
Lake Issyk-Kul is located in the north-east of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world. That’s why we call it: “The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan.”
The coastline of the lake stretches for 688 kilometers, its depth is from approximately 278 meters to 668 meters (according to some rumors, the lake has no bottom at all), the width of Issyk-Kul is 182 kilometers from east to west, and from south to north - approximately 58 kilometers . Over the past two hundred years, the level of Lake Issyk-Kul has been decreasing and therefore the depth is decreasing, as a result of which the length of the coastline is also decreasing.
Due to the very deep depth of the lake, the water in it does not have time to completely cool down - so the lake practically does not freeze. Actually Issyk-Kul is translated as “Hot Lake”.
Interestingly, more than 80 rivers and streams flow into Lake Issyk-Kul, and there is not a single one flowing out. Because of this, salts accumulate, and the water in the lake is slightly salty, and therefore unsuitable for consumption by either people or animals. For this reason, in the old days the lake was called Tuz-Kul, which means salt lake.
The shore is warm in summer and not cold in winter. The air temperature in the middle of winter is from minus 1 to minus 12 degrees, at the height of summer from plus 25 to plus 30. In summer the water warms up to plus 20-24 degrees, in winter no lower - minus 2-5 degrees.
Lake Issyk-Kul is also a paradise for fishing lovers. About 20 species of different fish live here.
Selecting a travel date and holiday destination
We left early in the morning on July 18th, and we chose this date for a reason. At this time of year, the water in Issyk-Kul warms up to 23 degrees Celsius. Along the way there are various cafes and restaurants of Kyrgyz cuisine, Russian cuisine, Dungan (a branch of Chinese cuisine), we do not stop at them, because every minute spent near the lake is dear to us.
Last year we booked a room at the “Three Crowns” boarding house (you can find an office selling tickets to Lake Issyk-Kul in any local newspaper, for example “Evening Bishkek”). We rented a standard triple room for $150 per night. We were fed for slaughter three times a day and very tasty (food included in the price). Interesting landscape, very clean beach, swimming pool, gym - we were delighted, but we did not like the strict meal schedule: breakfast, lunch and dinner according to a schedule. We usually go to bed late, and in the morning we want to soak in bed. Therefore, it was decided to rent a cottage in a cottage village belonging to one of the boarding houses.
We chose a two-room cottage at the Karven Four Seasons boarding house ($100 per night). We booked it in advance, as prices shoot up closer to the beach season and it happens that good boarding houses do not have room for a month in advance. We chose it on the advice of friends who vacationed there last year. They described a very clean beach, neat and beautiful cottages, playgrounds for children and, most importantly, the presence of a water park. Since I have two children of different ages (the eldest son is 14 years old, and the youngest daughter is 4 years old), we unanimously decided to go there no matter what.
We drove from Bishkek for three and a half hours. We found the boarding house easily, since along the entire route (it is the only one to Issyk-Kul) there are signs and markings of all nearby boarding houses and hotels.
Before entering the boarding house area, we saw many different cafes and small shops with friendly salespeople. Each such store can be compared to a supermarket - there is everything for all occasions. Prices are naturally higher than in Bishkek.
We were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the entire boarding house and cottage village (it is located in the courtyard of the boarding house). Beautiful and well-groomed meadows and gardens, greenery, flowers, ornamental trees, beautifully decorated gazebos and neat benches.
I immediately felt the contrast between the smoky, noisy city and the clean air. Issyk-Kul, with its amazing silence and tranquility.
We were allowed to park the car right next to our cottage, and this is a big plus, since the yard of the boarding house is very large and the general parking lot is located near the gate, and our house was at a decent distance from the entrance. The cottage had a kitchen with all necessary appliances. Therefore, we took food with us from Bishkek to prepare lunch. You could bring bicycles with you, but we didn’t know about it, so we rented them for $3 per hour.
After two days of relaxation (swimming, sunbathing, and doing nothing), we became bored, and we decided to explore nearby boarding houses, sanatoriums and holiday homes. Moreover, it was necessary to buy groceries at some market.
First of all, we went to the Golden Sands boarding house. There are many different entertainments here:
- attractions
- steamships
- boats,
- catamarans,
- boats,
- underwater diving and much more
And in the evenings there are discos every day. Rooms here also need to be booked in advance, because there are no rooms available during peak season. One minus - there are too many people on the beach. The beach itself is good - sandy, clean, without stones. A whole team of rescuers looks after the vacationers. On weekends, even a place on the beach is difficult to find. And near the gates of the boarding house there are about two dozen different restaurants, cafes and canteens. For every taste and color. The food is delicious, the portions are large and the prices are affordable (from 2.5 US dollars).
After walking around, we went to the city of Cholpon-Ata, the largest on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located 9 kilometers away, on the same highway as our boarding house. We stocked up on food at the local market.
Then we went to different boarding houses: Rohat, Aurora, Ak-Bermet, Cote d'Azur, Goodlike, Marco Polo.
We looked into the recreation centers: Caprice, Karven-Issyk-Kul, Raduga, Ala-Too and many other hotels.
Sanatoriums that we did not have time to visit: Blue Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Seaside, Issyk-Kul-Aurora, . But we decided that next year we will take trips to a sanatorium, because there is a hydropathic and mud bath there (salt-coniferous, mud, oxygen and pearl baths, as well as therapeutic showers, various kinds of inhalations and mud applications).
Room prices depend on the selected room category, whether meals are included and how many stars are in the hotel name. Prices range from 12-15 US dollars (1000 Kyrgyz soms) and above.
In the private sector, prices are of course different. From a bed in a yurt for two US dollars (that’s 150-250 soms in local currency), to a mansion near the shore for 1000 US dollars or more per day.
Our vacation cost us: 500 US dollars for a cottage, we burned about 70 liters of gasoline at 33 soms per liter, together with food and entertainment it’s about 200 dollars. Total about 750 US dollars.
Of course, you can fly on a parachute and go learn scuba diving (my husband and I really wanted to, but our budget didn’t allow it). The cost of parachute flight and diving is about 14-15 US dollars, going on excursions through mountain gorges - from 10 US dollars, depending on the distance.
On the way home, we stopped at the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, swam in the dead lake “Kara-Kul”, it is so called because, like the Dead Sea, there are no living organisms in it. The lake is so salty that it is impossible to drown there. And coastal mud cures many diseases.
P.S. Our wonderful vacation is over. Everyone was delighted. They took with them a lot of pleasant memories. Next summer we are going to Lake Issyk-Kul again. Already in a large group with family and friends and of course for a longer period. I invite you to visit this wonderful place - a place called Lake Issyk-Kul-Pearl of Kyrgyzstan.
Mountain lake Issyk-Kul is the largest in Kyrgyzstan. And there are not so many comparable water bodies in the world. The area of its mirror is 6236 square kilometers, and the length of the coastline is 688 kilometers. So even from space it is clearly visible.
However, it is not just a large body of water, it is large in three dimensions. Average - 278 meters. And the greatest distance from the surface to the bottom is 702 meters. And this despite the fact that over the past two centuries the water level in it has regularly decreased.
Due to the great depths, the water here cannot cool down properly, so it never freezes. This has been noticed for a long time. If you translate the name of the reservoir from Kyrgyz, you get “Hot Lake”.
Despite the fact that statistical data on depths look very convincing, in reality, the entrance to the water from the shore along the entire perimeter remains level and smooth for quite a long time. For great depth you need to go to the center. And there you can already feel all this thickness of water on yourself.
Scuba diving to the depths
Despite the misconception of many people that diving cannot be done in Kyrgyzstan, it turns out that Issyk-Kul is quite suitable for scuba diving. Of course, you won’t find the bright colors of the Red or Caribbean Seas here. There are no corals or colorful fish in the lake. And in general there is little vegetation on the sandy bottom with frequent inclusions of rocks. Visibility, depending on weather conditions and the square of the dive, varies between 8-12 meters. At a depth of 20 meters, visibility deteriorates sharply and the water temperature drops. This is due to the muddy bottom with a huge number of springs.
But even at a not very great depth from the surface of the water, you can find interesting objects for study. For example, a sunken trout farm. This metal structure is very reminiscent of a ship with its contours. The maximum depth will be 15 meters. At the same time, you can easily encounter rocks with carrion and not very large algae. Schools of fish may also catch your eye.
When diving in Issyk-Kul, it is important to decide in advance on the place and format. Otherwise, there are many places here that even technodivers prefer to avoid. Three hundred meters of depth is not a joke. But there are also seven hundred. Because of this, it is better to choose a safer area in the north.
Treasure hunting klondike
Yes, Issyk-Kul cannot compete with the Caribbean Sea in terms of the brightness of underwater life, but it may well do so in terms of the number of sunken treasures. Locals talk about a merchant’s train from the Great Silk Road that accidentally tipped into a pond, about White Guard capital specially hidden at the bottom, and even about the fact that the ruins of an ancient city are hidden under the water. Legends do not grow in a vacuum.
So, from time to time, lucky divers pull out all sorts of interesting things from the depths. So it can be seen that there are certainly reasons to survey the lake bottom.
There are several explored places where settlements were founded. They were on the shore of the lake. But when it overflowed its banks, all the houses were under water. And now ceramic fragments, primitive grain grinders, human and livestock bones are found at the bottom. Occasionally you come across jewelry made of bronze, silver and gold. Quite a tempting prospect. These places have not yet been studied enough. Despite the fact that underwater archaeological expeditions are held there every year. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to take the find with you. They are submitted for study.
Visit to Lake Issyk-Kul.
“From east to west it is very long, from south to north it is short. It is surrounded on four sides by mountains, and many streams gather in it. Its water has a greenish-black color, and its taste is at the same time salty and bitter. Sometimes it is calm, sometimes the waves are raging on it. Dragons and fish live in it together..."
Traveler Xuan-Zang.
Tours to Lake Issyk-Kul.
“Issyk-Kul” translated from Kyrgyz means “warm lake”. The lake had other names - "Tuz-Kul" - "salt Lake"; the water contains salts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, chlorine, iron and radon - the lake water is healing.
Another name of the lake is associated with the presence of the Mongols in the vicinity of the lake - Timur-to-Nor, which means containing iron. On the shores of the lake there were deposits of magnetic iron sand, and the layer of such mounds often reached up to a meter.
There is another poetic name for the lake - Jit-Kul, which means “fragrant lake”. This old Kyrgyz name of the lake comes from the fact that there was once Issyk-Kul Basin was a blooming sa house.
Lake Issyk-Kul occupies a tectonic depression, its maximum depth is 702 meters, located in the area Kadzhi-Sai village on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul, the average depth is 278 meters.
Due to the colossal volume of water (1.7 times more than Aral Sea) and greater depths, Issyk-Kul does not freeze in winter, only in shallow waters in some places on the coast of the western part of the lake in the middle of winter a thin ice cover appears.
The water in Issyk-Kul is brackish. The lake is navigable, ships sail from Balykchy (Rybachye), from the final railway to the piers and Karakol. The lake level is falling, the level decrease is 7 cm per year (7 meters over the last 100 years).
The lowering of the level leads to an increase in salinity, a decrease in groundwater and desertification of the basin. The lake is surrounded on all sides by snowy ridges; it does not freeze and is not covered with ice even in the coldest time of winter.
In summer, strong winds mix the lake water and it warms up to greater depths. In winter, its waters, also cooling evenly, do not have time to give off the amount of heat the loss of which is necessary for the formation of ice.
More than 50 large and small rivers flow into Issyk-Kul, but not a single one flows out of the lake. Due to the lack of drainage, the water in the lake, although very clear, tastes salty and is not suitable for drinking.
From the south the lake is bordered by T erskey Ala-Too(“Facing from the sun”), from the north - Kungei Ala-Too (“Facing the sun”). The lake is located at an altitude of 1609 meters. In its depth, Issyk-Kul is second only to Baikal and the Caspian Sea in Eurasia; the water in it is two times greater than in the Aral Sea, although the surface is 10 times smaller. Lake Issyk-Kul and its basin are a favorable place for the construction of resorts, sanatoriums, holiday homes, pioneer and tourist camps, etc.
There are many hot mineral springs in the Terskey Ala-Too mountains, they are located in gorges Juuk, Chon Kyzyl-Su, Jety-Oguz, Altyn-Arashan, Ak-Su, Boz-Uchu etc. It is curious that people have been using these numerous hot springs, scattered in mountain crevices, for a long time.
In mid-June 1857, the detachment of P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky made a halt in the place where the sanatorium is now located “ Blue Issyk-Kul" There is an entry about this in the traveler’s diary: “Huge carp shone in the sun with their beautiful scales and splashed in large numbers on the very surface of the water, getting tangled up in dense thickets of aquatic plants. We did not have any equipment for fishing with us, but the Cossacks, entering the water, took with them sabers (swords) and, drawing them naked, began to use them to chop the fish entangled in the seaweed and splashing on the surface of the water. This improvised method of fishing gave us up to 11 pounds of fish in two hours...”
P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky was the first scientist to become interested in the origin and fluctuations of Lake Issyk-Kul in historical and prehistoric retrospect. As established, the closed lake Issyk-Kul, a reservoir of tectonic origin, is located in the mountain system Northern Tien Shan at the bottom of a vast intermountain depression, bounded from the north by the Kungei Ala-Too ridge, from the south by the Terskey Ala-Too ridge.
Lake basin area Issyk-Kul is 22,080 km2, of which the lake itself accounts for 6,236 km2. The maximum length of the lake is 179 km; width – 60 km; coastline length – 662 km; maximum depth – 702 m; average – 280 m.
The lake is replenished with water due to atmospheric precipitation, underground inflow and runoff of rivers and rivers with a total annual volume of about 3,720 million cubic tons.
The largest of the rivers are Jergalan with a total surface flow of 28.4 cubic meters per second and Tyup - 12.1 cubic meters per second. The rivers, in turn, are replenished with water in the glacier zone.
In the Issyk-Kul basin there are 834 glaciers, occupying an area of 650.4 km2, accumulating up to 48 km3. fresh water, and most of them fall on the Terskey Ala-Too ridge (510.1 sq. km.).
In general, the incoming part of the lake’s water balance consists of precipitation, surface inflow and underground, while the outgoing part consists of evaporation and irreversible losses for irrigation. A characteristic feature of the bottom topography of Lake Issyk-Kul is its stepped structure: a deep-sea plain and three terraces.
The plain is located at depths of 650 - 668 m and occupies the central part of the lake slightly shifted to the south. Its flat bottom turns into a stepped surface of the slope, and the more ancient terraces occupy a deeper position.
The youngest upper terrace complex includes the surface of the coastal shallows with depths of 30–50 m and the upper ring ledge, the base of which is located at depths of about 110 m.
Throughout the Pleistocene (700 thousand years ago), the lake level rose, reaching a maximum in the Upper Pleistocene, to a height of 1,640 m above sea level, where its position was limited by runoff through the Boom Gorge in the west.
In the Holocene, Issyk-Kul regressed to depths of 110 m, while some researchers suggest stabilization of the level to depths of 100, 150 and 300 m, although underwater terraces were also noted at depths of 6 - 8, 12 - 14, 18, 28, 38, 63. 83 and 110 m.
This lowering to 100 m was probably the only major regression in the history of Issyk-Kul in the Holocene (about 7 thousand years ago); at a later time the amplitude of fluctuations was about 20 m.
Over the past 3 thousand years, the amplitude of the level was 340 m, if we take into account the point of view about the Holocene age of the 100-meter regression. When the lake level dropped to 100–110 m, its area did not exceed 3.8–3.9 thousand sq. km.
At the same time, the average rate of level change was 8 cm/year. For comparison, we point out that in the 20th century, when it became possible to carry out regular measurements of the level, the rate of its decline from 1926 to 1975 averaged 4.7 cm/year.
Some researchers suggest that in the history of Issyk-Kul there were at least two major drops in level: the first - to a depth of 110 m, the second - to 70 m. Relatively more minor level fluctuations were observed at a later time.
According to archaeological finds at the bottom of the lake, it is generally accepted that in the 7th - 1st centuries. BC. its level was lower than the modern one by 8 - 10 m; in the 13th century AD – at 6 m; in the 15th century – at 4 – 2 m; in the middle of the 16th century. – by 1.5 m.
In recent years, more accurate dating of lake sediments has been obtained using the radiocarbon method, helping to establish the chronology of lake level fluctuations. Thus, the surface of muddy deposits at a depth of up to 1 m is dated to ages from 9950 ± 200 to 13540 ± 400 years; at depths of 2 and 5 m – 16500 ± 700 and 18600 ± 400 years. Taking into account the dating of about 26,000 years for sediments at an altitude of 1,640 m, it can be concluded that the level of Issyk-Kul was higher than the modern one (1,640 - 1,610 m) 26,000 ± 10,000 years ago.
A series of 1-radiocarbon dates (mostly woody organic matter collected from a Halocene terrace and lake at depths of 5 – 6 m) indicate that the time interval ranges from 700 ± 50 to 170 ± 60 years. This indicates that 500–700 years ago the level of Issyk-Kul was 2–5 m lower than today, and in the early to mid-last century it was close to the mark at an absolute altitude of 1,620 m.
Traces of the last short-term transgression of the level by 1 - 1.5 m in the form of coastal ramparts (1900 - 1910) are most clearly visible on the shores of the eastern part of the lake.
Thus, 1,000 - 1,500 years ago the level of Issyk-Kul was lower than today. The depth of its Holocene regression drops by 100 m. Many scientists associate long-term fluctuations in the level of Issyk-Kul with climate changes. A.V. Shnitnikov sees a connection between the level of lakes in Central Asia and Kazakhstan and the humidity of their basins.
According to V.M. Bukina, climate aridization in the first half of the Early Pleistocene caused a deep regression of the lake, as a result of which its coastline was 260 - 270 m lower than the modern one. Towards the end of the Early Pleistocene, the climate became cooler, during this period glaciers grew and lake transgression developed.
O.A. Pomortsev connects fluctuations in lake level with climate in the modern era. So, from 1956 to 1977 a linear reduction of glaciers from 150 to 810 m was noted, and on the Kara-Batkak glacier the retreat values ranged from 2.1 to 6.8 m/year. An increase in precipitation by 80 mm (30% of the norm) at temperatures close to normal led at the beginning of the century (1896 - 1910) to a significant enrichment of the lake with moisture, as a result of which its level rose by 1 m.
The water balance of the lake could have been positive in the 20th century. only if the annual precipitation in its basin is 40 mm more than actually observed. V.V. Romanovsky considers several reasons that may influence the course of the level of Lake Issyk-Kul.
Despite the increase in precipitation from 1956 to 1982, the lake level continued to decline, which may be due to two reasons: an increase in evaporation and a decrease in river flow into the lake due to water withdrawal for irrigation.
Increased evaporation may be caused by climate warming. An analysis of air temperature measurements in the city of Karakol showed that, starting from the late 30s, the air temperature tends to increase, i.e. The climate in the basin is warming.
Against this background, there is a tendency towards an increase in moisture deficit, with the exception of the eastern regions. Climate warming naturally causes an increase in evaporation from the surface of the lake.
From 1940 to 1959 the average annual evaporation was 814 mm, from 1960 to 1979. it increased to 860 mm. The current trend towards climate warming will cause an increase in river flow due to the melting of glaciers, but in the lake valley there are significant losses of river water for agricultural and domestic needs. Part of the withdrawn water reaches the lake in the east of the basin or is irrevocably carried beyond its boundaries.
In the last 11 years (1984 - 1994), the lake level, fluctuating within 24 cm, has practically stabilized. As for significant and long-term fluctuations in the level of Issyk-Kul in the distant past, then V.V. Romanovsky joins the opinion Yu.V. Gerasimova And L.M. Smirnova about their hydrocratic nature. He presents the history of the connection between the Chu River and the lake as follows:
1. In the Upper Pleistocene (about 26 thousand years ago), the absolute height of the Issyk-Kul level was about 1,640 m. The Chu River flowed into the lake in the area Ak-Olen tract.
2. At the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, the central block of the lake bath subsided. The river was disconnected from the lake. The level of Issyk-Kul was 110 m below the modern level. Most of the waters of the Chu River flowed through the Boom Gorge, but one of the branches, the bed of which ( Kutmaldy channel) can still be traced, communicated with the lake.
3. Approximately 1,200 years ago, the level of Lake Issyk-Kul reached an absolute height of 1,622 - 1,623 m, i.e. flow threshold height through the Boom Gorge.
4. As a result of tectonic movement or deep erosion of this threshold, the level of Issyk-Kul dropped, and near the modern Kok-Moinok village a separate reservoir was formed. The waters of the Chu River, feeding this reservoir, partially flowed into the Boom Gorge, and partially fed the lake through a system of channels.
5. As a result of further lowering the threshold Kok-Moinoksky The reservoir disappeared, and the Chu River headed directly into the Boom Gorge.
6. The loss of a significant part of the flow of the Chu River caused a drop in the level of the lake.
7. Climate humidity in the period from the 12th to the 19th centuries. AD caused a new rise in the lake level. During this period, it transgressed to an absolute height of 1,818.5 m. At this height, a barrier was formed that blocked Kutmaldinskaya channel.
8. In the century before last, the Kutmaldinskaya channel followed the channel retreating to the south, 3 km from the coastal rampart it again joined the old channel. The new channel has a weak incision, which makes it possible to assume only periodic flood flows of water from the Chu River into Issyk-Kul. According to the author, only about 1.2 thousand years ago the Chu River completely gave up its waters to Issyk-
Kulyu. Subsequently, its connection with the lake was rather formal.
So, we can distinguish three main factors that influence the level of Lake Issyk-Kul:
1) increase in temperature and decrease in humidity in the pool;
2) termination of hydrographic communication Chu River with a lake;
3) abstraction of water for irrigation from the rivers feeding the lake.
With a further decrease in level by 3 m, the shallows will be significantly reduced Tyupsky Bay, near Cape Sukhoi Khrebet. The bay itself will be limited by a canyon m of the Tyup River. It is on these shallows that the most common species of fish spawn – chebak and whitefish.
In the west, in Rybachinsky Bay, due to the small slopes of the shore bottom, drainage will occur over a considerable distance. On the northern coast, where sands lie at depths of up to 20–30 meters, a drop in level will be accompanied by their accumulation off the coast.
A decrease in level will increase the influence of anthropogenic loads on the lake. There are already indirect signs of deterioration in water quality. Hydrobiologists Issyk-Kul biological station, an increase in the number of phytoplankton and microorganisms was noted.
A drop in lake level is associated with a decrease in the volume of nutrients coming from littoral silts, and, thus, with an increase in the biological productivity of the lake.
As the level decreases, the salinity of the water in the lake increases slightly. In 1932, the salinity of Issyk-Kul water was 5.82 g/l. By 1984 it increased to 5.9 g/l. During this period, the water level dropped by 2.5 m, and the volume of the water mass - by 16 km2.
Thus, a further decrease in the level of Issyk-Kul will affect not only the climate in the basin, but also the ecosystem of the lake itself. But in the 21st century. There is a tendency for the lake level to slowly rise. The scientific problem of the causes of transgression and regression has not yet been fully clarified and is awaiting its solution.
