Tourist information about Lake Svetloyar

Lake Svetloyar is one of the most mysterious lakes in the Nizhny Novgorod region and in Russia as a whole. The lake has an almost perfect oval shape of 470 by 350 meters, the water in it is always clean and transparent. It has a great depth - 33.4 meters. It is considered a holy place.

There are many legends associated with the lake. One of them, because of which the lake is called the little Russian Atlantis– is that the legendary city of Kitezh plunged into the waters of the lake. As this legend says, Kitezh-Grad was built by Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich after he built the city of Maly Kitezh (today Gorodets). Moreover, the city was built without any fortifications, despite the danger of the invasion of Batu troops. When the Tatar conquerors approached the walls of Kitezh-Grad, the inhabitants prayed to God for salvation, and then the city was completely submerged under water. But the city did not die. According to legend, he is still intact today, and from the depths of the lake you can sometimes hear the bell ringing, and in the clear waters of Svetloyar and fog you can see his image.

But even if you don't believe in beautiful legends, there are plenty of mysteries at the lake. Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus about its origin, but today the predominant version of its origin is cosmic, i.e. it is believed that it was formed due to a meteorite that fell here about three thousand smoulders ago. There are also versions of the hypothesis of glacial, karst, ancient, volcanic, neotectonic and salt dome origin. It is also not clear why the water in the lake always remains clean and fresh, never overgrown with mud. Water from Svetloyar can be stored in a vessel for many years without losing purity, transparency and taste qualities.

Now the lake is a holy place, and a monument of nature of federal significance. The area around is nature-protected: you can not put up tents, chop down trees, light fires, litter, fish. It is possible to swim in the lake, although historically it was impossible to do this here, you can only bathe in its waters.

They usually visit the lake for one full day, but if you want to stay here longer or just spend the night, you can stay at the Svyatogor Hotel (from 1200 rubles per room for two), in the private sector, or in a tent city (tent camp on the map). There is no other tourist infrastructure and entertainment here. Locals on the street next to the lake offer homemade meals for visitors, as well as accommodation.

Also next to the lake is the chapel of Our Lady of Kazan (temple on the map), and a stone with a footprint of the Virgin (similar to a child's footprint). Two kilometers from the lake there is also the holy spring of the key of Kibelek and the grave of three saints - the fallen defenders of the city (key on the map).

We also recommend combining a visit to the lake with a visit to two museums in the village of Vladimirskoye:

• Historical and Art Museum "Kitezh" tells about the history of the village, the lake, there is an exhibition of ceramics. It is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00. Here you can book an excursion to the lake (by phone. +7 920 051 70 64). Located on the outskirts of the village in the old school building, 37 Proletarskaya Street (museum on the map).
• Grad-Kitezh Museum and Tourist Complex exhibits works by artists and photographers dedicated to the nature of central Russia. Located in the center of the village, Sovetskaya str., 51, (museum on the map).

If you drive further from village Vladimirskoe towards the village of Voskresenskoye, you can visit Museum of Epochs (museum on the map). There are expositions dedicated to the history of the Vetluga region, including the existence of a mythical creature that supposedly once lived in these parts - "vetlugosaurus". The main exposition is represented by an exhibition of paintings by local artists. Nearby are the remains of the ancient Rusenikhinsky settlement, an observation deck, and an ethno-ecological trail, along which you can walk if you wish. The museum is open: Tuesday-Friday from 11 to 17 hours (lunch 13-14 hours), Sunday from 14 to 16 hours. Saturday and Monday are days off. Phone numbers: 8-908-7213166, 8-904-9097875.