Many legends tell of a vast treasure buried beneath Lake Baikal in Russia. However, after many years, no one has yet verified this, and no one dares to dive down to search for the treasure.
The origin of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal, with its rare tranquil beauty, is often described as the “Pearl of Russia”. It is the deepest freshwater lake in the world, holding about 20% of the global freshwater reserve, which is enough to sustain all of humanity for 40 years.
Vast and majestic, Lake Baikal is seen as the blue gem of Siberia and is one of Russia’s most famous tourist destinations. Most studies suggest that the lake was formed approximately 25 to 30 million years ago.
Baikal’s pristine wilderness harbors many little-known facts, attracting many tourists who are keen on exploration. At depths of thousands of meters beneath the lakebed, mysteries still captivate the scientific community, among which the story of the 1,600 tons of forgotten gold is particularly noteworthy.
The legend of the massive gold treasure at the bottom of Lake Baikal
In 1917, as Tsar Nicholas II faced peril, the old feudal forces attempted to gather jewels and treasures to migrate westward. Passing through Lake Baikal, they encountered enemies and were forced to abandon a total of 1,600 tons of gold, which sank to the bottom of Lake Baikal.
However, there is also a theory that this gold was collected and owned by Tsar Nicholas II himself. Not wanting his reign to collapse, he specifically ordered the 1,600 tons of gold in the treasury to be hidden, hoping to eventually reclaim what belonged to him.
While transporting it to another location, his entourage passed through Lake Baikal, but unexpectedly the ice melted. Due to the vastness of the lake and the inability to escape in time, the entire 1,600 tons of gold and the accompanying army sank to the bottom of the lake.
Why does no one dare to dive into Lake Baikal to search for gold?
The question arises as to why no one has attempted to recover this gold after all these years. According to experts, the reasons are attributed to four factors.
The exact location is undetermined
Firstly, no one knows the exact location of this gold. Searching in such vast uncertainty is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, and even with precise coordinates, there’s no guarantee that the gold would still exist.
In 2015, locals around the area discovered that the deepest point of Lake Baikal could reach up to 1,637 meters and the total volume of the lake exceeds 2.36 billion cubic meters. For individual entities to invest in retrieval efforts, it is nearly impossible.
“The deepest part of this lake is 1,642 meters, measured during the Soviet era, but recent research by experts has adjusted this to 1,637 meters. The deepest point is located near Olkhon Island and moves upward towards the north,” says Natalia Khadadorzhieva, a tour guide at Lake Baikal.
The bottom of Lake Baikal is very dangerous
Secondly, the search effort at the bottom of Baikal is very dangerous because the lake is located at the intersection of seismic belts. Data shows that every approximately 10 years there are earthquakes of about 6 on the Richter scale, and every 30 years, catastrophic earthquakes of about 9 on the Richter scale occur.
One of the strongest recorded in history was in 1960, an earthquake of 9.5 on the Richter scale occurred at Lake Baikal and affected the entire geological structure and water level of the lake.
Who will own the treasure?
Thirdly, if actual gold were found during the salvage process, who would this vast wealth belong to?
In 1996, Lake Baikal was designated as a World Natural Heritage site. From this perspective, it seems to belong to everyone and all of humanity. No one can accurately claim that the entire lake belongs to any one organization or individual.
Damaging the natural environment under the lake
Additionally, when considering whether to search for 1,600 tons of gold at the bottom of the lake, the natural factor is taken into account. The entire area of Lake Baikal is a natural biological chain. For aquatic animals, this is a complete world and therefore, there should be no human impact.
Despite the astounding depths, the waters of Lake Baikal have a high oxygen content, meaning that organisms thrive at all depths in the lake. It is home to many species of flora and fauna, many of which cannot be found anywhere else, such as the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica).
As we dive deep into the enchanting yet elusive tales of Lake Baikal’s hidden gold, it becomes clear that the true treasure is not the unclaimed riches rumored to lie beneath its icy waters, but the pristine natural beauty and ecological diversity of the lake itself. By preserving this unique habitat, we safeguard a legacy far richer than gold, ensuring that the mysterious allure and ecological importance of Baikal endure for generations to come.
