Where is Olkhon Island located?
Olkhon Island is located in Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia. It is by far the largest island in Lake Baikal, covering an area of 730 square kilometres and ranking as the fourth-largest lake island in the world.
Questions about Olkhon Island
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the population of Olkhon Island?
The population of Olkhon Island is around 1,744 people, consisting mostly of Buryats, the island's indigenous inhabitants. The largest settlement is Khuzhir, which has about 1,200 residents and serves as the administrative capital.
Why is Olkhon Island considered sacred by the Buryats?
The Buryats, who practice shamanism, regard Olkhon as a spiritual place. A group of deities revered in Buryati yellow shamanism known as the oikony noyod, the "thirteen lords of Olkhon", are associated with the island, and Shaman's Rock near Khuzhir is believed to be the home of Burkhan, a cult figure of the Altai peoples.
What is the Shamanka or Shaman's Rock on Olkhon Island?
Shamanka, also called Shaman's Rock, is described as Baikal's most famous landmark. Located on the western coast of Olkhon near Khuzhir, it is believed by local Buryats to contain a cave where Burkhan, a religious figure of the Altai peoples, resides.
What is the history of the gulag on Olkhon Island?
During the Soviet era, a gulag fish factory operated at Peschanaya Village on Olkhon, worked by prisoners. After Stalin's death the prisoners were released, and the factory has been abandoned since the 1950s. The site is now an uninhabited village known for its shifting sand dunes and "walking trees".
What are the main ecological problems facing Olkhon Island?
Olkhon Island faces two significant ecological threats: uncontrolled household waste disposal in unenclosed dumps near Khuzhir, worsened by increasing tourism, and illegal nighttime timber felling by local inhabitants that is causing visible deforestation on the mountain slopes near the village.