Everything about Olkhon totally explained
Olkhon (Ольхон, also transliterated as
Olchon) is the fourth-largest
lake-bound island in the world. It is by far the largest island in
Lake Baikal in eastern
Siberia, with an area of 730 km² (280 sq. miles).
Geography
Olkhon has a dramatic combination of
terrain and is rich in archeological landmarks. Steep mountains line its eastern shore, and at 1,276 m above sea level, Mount Zhima is the tallest point on the island, peaking at 818 m above the water level of Lake Baikal. The island is large enough to have its own lakes, and features a combination of
taiga,
steppe and even a small
desert. A deep strait separates the island from the land.
The island's appearance is a result of millions of years of
tectonic movement, resulting in the hollowing of the channel between the land (
Small Sea Strait) and the block of stone forming the island. The steep slopes of the mountains show the vertical heave of the earth.
Population
The population of the island is less than 1,500 and consists mostly of
Buryats, the island's aboriginal people.
There are several settlements and five villages on the island: Yalga, Malomorets, Khuzhir, Kharantsi, and Ulan-Khushin. The village of Khuzhir is the administrative capital of Olkhon, designated as such in April 1987, when the Soviet government issued a comprehensive decree protecting Lake Baikal. Khuzhir includes about 1,200 residents, boasts a museum of local nature and history.
Economy
Most residents are fishermen, farmers, or cattle-ranchers. Due to an increasing number of tourists from all over the world, many residents work in this sector as well and tourism has become an important part of the economy in Olkhon.
Culture
The indigenous Buryats believe the island to be a spiritual place, and on the western coast, close to Khuzhir, is Baikal's most famous landmark, the Shamanka, or Shaman's Rock. Natives believe that
Burkhan, a modern religious cult figure of the
Altai peoples, lives in the cave in this rock. The rock is one of nine Asian Most Sacred Places. The museum of Olkhon named after Revyakin has a great exposition on the nature and ethnography of the island including smoking pipes and
samovars collections.
Olkhon is one of the sacred
shamanist center and also considered a centre of Kurumchinskay culture of VI-X centuries.
History
The island has a long history of human habitation. The original indigenous people were the
Kurykans, forefathers of two ethnic groups: the
Buryats and
Yakuts.
Christopher Hansard asserts that the
gNam Ngagpa Bön lineage of the
Northern Treasure School of
Jangter Bön, originated here. Hansard then states that the
gNam tribe migrated through
Central Asia and there into the ancient
Tibet and the
Himalaya.
Russian explorers first visited during the 17th century.
Footnotes
Further Information
Get more info on 'Olkhon'.
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