Olkhon Island
Olkhon (Russian: Ольхон, also: Ol'chon ) is located on the west side of Lake Baikal island.
Geography
Olkhon is with an area of 730 km2, with a length of 72 km and an average width of 10 km, the largest island of Lake Baikal. The mountains of the island are formed from archaic gneisses, granites, quartzites and marble and reach in the Northeast a height of 1274 m (mountain Schima ). Characteristic of the island are strong northwesterly winds case, here called Sarma.
The island is now part of Irkutsk Oblast, but also to the settlement area of the Buryats. From the Buryat comes also the name Ol'chon. The exact translation is not known, in part, the name is translated as " grove ", but partly also "dry" or " barren ." Both translations have their place, because the island is scenically very attractive and varied. The southwest of the island is covered by larch trees, while the Northeast is dominated by the foothills of the Tageran - steppe. The capital of the island, Khuzhir, located on the west coast around the island in the middle.
In front of the north cape of the island (Cape Choboi ) is 79.5 km with the widest part of Lake Baikal. There the Bay unite west Olkhon, the "little sea " (Russian Малое море ) and the open Lake Baikal, the " Great Sea " ( Большое море ), while the Svyatoi Nos Peninsula ( Holy Nose ) on the eastern shore of the lake just to the north protrudes. Southwest of the island of Olkhon is the deepest part of Lake Baikal.
Population
On Olkhon about 1500 people, which are mostly Buryat descent live. There are two major towns on the island: Khuzhir and Charanzy; small settlements are jelga, Malomorez, Ulan- Chuschin and the research station Usury. The administrative capital of the island is Khuzhir where currently with 1200 inhabitants lives, the vast majority of the island's population. Main food source is the lake. Fish, primarily Omul is prepared on the island in every imaginable form.
Infrastructure
Olkhon was only in 2005 connected to the electricity network, previously could only be produced with electricity (diesel ) generators. Simultaneously, a mobile radio antenna has been established. Flowing water but there is still not (as of September 2010). The residents supply directly from the Baikal Lake, which provides drinking water quality.
Attractions and Tourism
The best-known attraction of Olkhon is the Holy Shaman Rock ( скала Шаманка, scale Shamanka ) just north of Khuzhir, considered the holy place of the Buryats and was formerly used for shamans rituals. The island offers the further course to the north partly spectacular cliff sections that stretch to the northern Cape Choboi. North Khuzhir there are no paved roads more. This part of the island is, therefore, only with all-terrain vehicles to drive, but with a driver are available for tourists.
Olkhon experienced in the last decade due to its diverse landscape and a relative seclusion of an ever-increasing tourist rush, which has gained considerable importance of this sector for the population and the economy.
The general public in Germany the place mainly by the ZDF documentary " Sternflüstern: The Siberian adventure " was (2004 ) announced two German families tried in the five months to live like the locals.