Description of the attraction
An unusual reserve is located on the lands of the Borovichsky and Khvoininsky forestry enterprises, which are located in the north-east of the Novgorod region. Its unusualness lies in the fact that it is a nature reserve that unites a unique natural phenomenon - karst lakes. The reserve includes both large lakes - Sezzhe, Shergoda, Gorodno, Vyalets, Lyuto, Yamnoe, and a garland of small lakes, which received, due to the peculiarity of their eighteen kilometers long position, the name - Molodilinskaya chain. The territory of the reserve is quite large, almost eleven thousand hectares.
Lakes were formed at the place of occurrence of dolomites and limestones, which are readily soluble by water. One of the features of karst lakes is the periodic change in water level. Locals say the lakes breathe. Indeed, it is like breathing. The water level rises and falls like the chest when breathing.
Typically, the level decreases to the maximum in summer, and some lakes leave water altogether. The water returns in the fall. Sometimes the water leaves the lakes in the winter season, then the ice cover falls under its weight to the bottom of the lake. The crash of falling ice is heard at a great distance.
For each karst lake, level changes occur in different ways. For example, the Gorodno lake splits into several parts when the level drops. And when the water completely disappears from it (this happens with a twenty-year cycle), the lake becomes an excellent pasture. It happens, and vice versa, the water does not go into the ground, but literally breaks out from under it. There are floods so strong that to protect against them, the Gorodno Lake was connected by a diversion canal with the Suglitsy River.
Some other lakes included in the Molodilinskaya chain, and Lake Vyalets, have a similar behavior and frequency of changes in the water level. At the same time, nearby lakes can have a completely normal water cycle. Lake Belets, located at a distance of two hundred meters from Lake Grodno, has a constant water level, while the level of its neighbors changes. The constancy of the water level also explains the fact that the water of Lake Belets can be seen almost ten meters deep on a sunny day. For such crystal clear water, the lake probably got its name.
Karst lakes belonging to the Volkhov basin do not overflow and do not flood nearby lands. The water level in them changes in different ways. For example, Lake Yamnoye in the winter of 1965 was left without water, and the ice on it ended up at the bottom. The rest of the lakes located in the area have not changed in any way. The water returned to Lake Yamnoye only after fourteen days.
Karst lakes are unique and capricious. Lake Sukhoye (thirty-five kilometers east of the town of Borovichi) loses water completely in September every year, and water leaves Borovskoye and Limandrovskoye lakes in winter. But all these three lakes are close by.
The unpredictability of water level changes has given rise to many legends. Some of them tell that the watermen from neighboring lakes played cards for water, and when one waterman lost to another, the water from his lake went into another. And since the cards can be played at any time, the water leaves the lake at any time. According to another legend, one waterman went to visit another and closed the doors loosely, and the water flowed out of the lake.
In 1977, the karst lakes, due to their uniqueness and beauty of the natural landscape, by the decision of the Novgorod Regional Executive Committee, were taken under state protection.
In addition to the unique lakes on the territory of the reserve, you can pay attention to rare plant species, many of which are listed in the Red Book and are protected. Patrolling the territory of the reserve takes place all year round, but in summer it intensifies.
