Pearl village, Shira (lake): history and description

Lake Shira - a unique body of water that has medicinal properties. It is located in the Shirinsky district of Khakassia. Near it is the village of Pearl. Shira is a place where people come to rest from all over the country.

general information

The dimensions of Lake Shira are very impressive, the water surface of it stretches for 9.5 kilometers in length, and the width of this majestic creation of nature is 5 kilometers. There is a pond in the steppe area, on the horizon you can see small hills. With Lake Shira, there are other neighbors: Itkul, Bele, Djirim, Utichye, Tus. Not far from here there are the caves of Malaya Syi, attracting speleologists, such as the Box of Pandora and the Tuimsky Fail, chosen by extremals.

It is a salt lake, on the coast of which there is a settlement with a beautiful name Pearl. Shira is a resort on which there are many tourist centers and sanatoriums for children. In the southeast of the lake basin the Khakass Nature Reserve begins . On this site the reserve captures part of the lake and the river with the mysterious name Son.

Opening of the lake

The well-known researcher Pallas mentioned this lake in the scientific literature. The discovery of the medicinal properties of this reservoir is associated with the gold miner Z.M. Cibulsky. When he mistakenly shot his dog while hunting, her body was left on the sand by the splashing waters of the lake. His surprise was great when the animal returned home on its own. A suggestion was made that the dog went into the water, and its wounds began to drag out. After this incident, they began to say that the lake heals from all diseases. Soon, Tsibulsky rented a lake in the second half of the 19th century for 25 years, in the summer he stayed with his family. Healing properties and geological structure were investigated by the doctor PM Popov and IG Savenkov. At the end of the 19th century, Lake Shira is at the disposal of the state, officials, noblemen, merchants, other notable people and wealthy peasants come here to be treated.

Research of medicinal properties

From the second half of the 19th century, the medicinal properties of Lake Shira were studied by doctors, apothecaries and professors from Tomsk universities. It was concluded that the water, due to its composition and therapeutic effect, is close to the mineral waters of the Caucasus.

Over time, the resort developed, before the revolution here over the summer period, health procedures were carried out for more than 1,000 people. The bathroom was built, where there were 12 baths with water supply and heating. There also existed a hospital, bathhouses and guest houses. The resort and the famous artist VI Surikov fell in love with this resort. His watercolor paintings depict the shores and smooth surface of Lake Shira.

After 1917, the resort was already of national importance. They were in charge of a doctor, for the summer period, professors and associate professors from Tomsk universities constantly came. Even in the prewar years, the resort became popular and famous.

Rest on the lake

In the village of Zhemchuzhny come to rest and be treated from different parts of the country. In Lake Shira, medicinal properties are not only water, but also mud, which is extracted from the bottom of the reservoir. Beaches on the banks are quite suitable for bathing and sunbathing. The water in the lake is quite warm in summer - from 24 degrees to 26 degrees. The air of the steppes is clean and transparent, there are no enterprises around here. You can get a job at the hostel or rent a house, an apartment in the village of Zhemchuzhny. Shira is a few kilometers from it. Here there is a cafe, souvenirs are sold, various attractions work.

How to get there

The village of Pearl, Shira are in Khakassia. The resort can be reached by road from different cities: Abakan, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo. You can get here both by bus and by train. At the railway station Shira, a train stops from Moscow to Abakan.