Lake Kuchuk

Lake Kuchuk, or Lake Kuchukskoye, is the second largest lake in the Altai Territory (after Kulundinskoye lake) located in the Kulunda Steppe. Although it is large, the lake is very shallow making it hard to swim and impossible to drown! The concentration of salt in the lake is 5 times higher than in the Mediterranean Sea and almost 10 times higher than the salinity of the ccean! This lake is the only place in Russia where natural sodium sulfate is mined. A thick layer of mirabolite (mineral) that lies at the bottom of the lake makes lake Kuchuk one of the main deposits of Glauber’s salt in the country.

Legends of the Lake

There are several legends about the origin of the name of the lake, but I will share two most known.

The first is a story about the shepherd Kuchuk and his beautiful daughter. Escaping from the evil Bai in the steppes of Kazakhstan, they reached the lake where they were overtaken. Not wanting to become the fourth wife of the Bai, the girl threw herself into the water. Suddenly she was caught by a flock of white swans and she turned into a beautiful water fairy who heals people and restores their strength.

According to the second legend, in ancient times Khan Kuchuk owned the local lands, and the lake was named on his behalf.

Medicinal properties of the lake

The medicinal properties of Lake Kuchuk have been known for a long time, but it was only at the end of the 19th century when the water was officially recognized as healing. Patients from all over Siberia came by railroad or steamers along the Ob river. In 1922, a resort was established on the shore of the lake. The main therapeutic measures were mud baths, bathing and sun therapy.

The mud from Lake Kuchuk is easy to get on your own; it is concentrated at the bottom of the lake not far from the shore. Silt, sulphite mud of black color is oily to the touch, very elastic and hard to wash off the skin. Mud procedures treat many skin, gynecological, neurological diseases, stimulate regenerative processes, and accelerate the formation of callus in fractures.

The water in Lake Kuchuk has a pink tint and does not freeze in winter due to its high mineralization. The highly mineralized salt water of the lake (or brine) is less known than the Dead Sea, but not inferior in its healing properties. Since the Kuchuk brine has a higher thermal conductivity than ordinary water, swimming in the lake has a healing effect. The absorbed heat expands the vessels on the surface of the skin, increasing its blood flow, while the biological active substances and useful microelements contained in the brine activate immune processes, stimulate tissue regeneration, and reduce swelling.

Modern production

The effect of brine not only provides pleasant relaxation, but after bathing, a dense salty coating forms on the body that softens the skin and makes it tender to the touch. The brine salt is widely used in cosmetology. The water of the lake, saturated with sodium sulfate, is used by “Kuchuksulfat”enterprise for the production of household chemicals. The production uses processes that do not affect the healing properties of the lake, so “Kuchuksulfat” can be safely called a unique enterprise not only in Russia, but abroad.