The Vasyugan bog is rightfully considered the largest swamp in the world - its area is exactly 53-55 thousand square kilometers. Bogs are located near the interfluve of the Ob and Irtysh rivers, in the Vasyugan valley with the borders of the Novosibirsk, Tomsk and Omsk regions.

In 2007, the Vasyugan bogs were included in the preliminary list of UNESCO sites.

General information

The Vasyugan bogs are a phenomenon created by nature, there is no such thing anywhere in the world, their area reaches the size of Estonia. They differ in that they consist of natural complexes, built in an extremely complex and specific way, these are special types of swamp massifs. Bogs are located between the subzone of small-leaved forests and the southern taiga subzone. Salinity and leaching of the soil varied in different periods of bog formation. This explains big variety local vegetation. The north and south of the swamp are also different from each other. The Vasyugan bogs also represent a geographic and reference value; they can be characterized as a reference for a well-bogged area in the south of the forests of Western Siberia.


The age of the swamps is also impressive, according to scientists about 10,000 years and from the moment of their formation, they constantly increase their area like a desert, seizing the surrounding lands, taking them away from the surrounding places, not occupied by any structures.


As you know, at first there were nineteen separate swamps. Today they have merged into one single swamp, called the Great Vasyugan swamp. It plays a huge role in the life of the region. The swamp is home to huge reserves of fresh water in this area. There are a lot of minerals in the swamp. Also, the area in the swamp is an example of primeval wildlife.


More than eight hundred lakes can be found in this area. Many rivers and streams start their way from here. And the evaporating water preserves the microclimate of these places and even reaches the territories of Kazakhstan and Eastern Siberia.


The Great Vasyugan bog is also of great interest in terms of economics. Peat alone accounts for two percent of the world's reserves, there are more than a billion tons of it, this is a tremendous amount. The development and search for gas and oil reserves is carried out in the swamps. This threatens the existence of the bogs themselves, their microclimate is under serious threat, this, first of all, poses a great danger to the flora and fauna of the bog massif. It is also very harmful to the swamps that the second stages of rockets launched there from the Baikonur cosmodrome are thrown into the swamps. All this spoils the ecological situation, contaminating the surroundings with heptyl residues. All this harms the ecological situation of the swamp massif.

• There is a popular legend about the origin of the Vasyugan swamps. It turns out that the Devil himself created the swamps, he created the earth liquefied by water with thickets of rough grass and crooked trees. The legend says that at first there was no land on earth, there was only water around and God walked on it. One fine day he saw a cloudy bubble, which first burst and released the Devil. God ordered him to bring earth from the bottom, which he did. However, the devil cheated and took the earth by the cheeks. From the land received, God made dry land with all the necessary vegetation. But trees and bushes began to grow in the mouth of the Devil, he could not stand it and spat out the earth, and so the Vasyugan swamps appeared.
• In 82 of the nineteenth century, information began to reach the Western Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society that on the upper reaches of the Vasyugan River and the surrounding rivers flowing into it, schismatic Old Believers appeared and settled, who set up houses there for themselves, organized arable lands and vegetable gardens, livestock and live, indulging in their pious canons. Special officer N.P. Grigorovsky counted 726 people Old Believers, both men and women, including children for two thousand miles.
• After the start of land reforms P.A. Stolypin in the vicinity of the Vasyugan swamps, about two hundred thousand family settlers settled in the Tomsk province and before 75,000 walkerslooking for land for the farm.
• For the city of Tomsk, the Vasyugan swamps are the same symbol as the Klyuchevskaya Sopka for Kamchatka.
• Drilling of oil rigs and oil spills at drilling sites pose a great danger to the local microclimate. Also, as mentioned above, the second stages of rockets being dropped from the nearest cosmodrome are also dangerous. All this is bad for environment and can lead to the gradual extinction of the ecosystem.
• It is very interesting that with the construction of the Nizhnevartovsk-Parabel-Kuzbass gas pipeline, gas entered the homes of residents of Tomsk and the plants and factories of Kuzbass from the Severo-Vasyuganskoye, Myldzhinskoye and Luginetskoye fields. But the residents inhabiting the vicinity of these deposits do not receive blue fuel for themselves.
• The Vasyugan reserve, located on the territory of the Vasyugan bogs, prohibits hunting and logging. But many of the surrounding residents earn their living by hunting. The management of the reserve is working to attract hunters to the gamekeepers to protect the territory from poachers.
• The village of oil workers in the vicinity is called New Vasyugan, which echoes the name of New Vasyuki, allegedly belonging to Ostap Bender. But this name does not exist either in the book or in the movies. Such a toponym was formed and is popular among the people thanks to the phrase that Vasyuki will be New Moscow, and Moscow will be called Old Vasyuki.

In the early to mid-20th century, large-scale drainage of swamps began around the world: vast territories were drained in Europe, Asia, North and South America for the needs of civilization. While in Russia most of the bogs continued to grow under the cover of dense Siberian forests.

Controversy over which swamp is the largest in the world continues to this day. An old Russian proverb immediately comes to mind: "Every devil praises his own swamp." In fact, this is what happens: every scientist, every researcher tries to convince others that it is his swamps that are the largest. And the thing is that the exact size of the swamp is quite difficult to measure: it is almost impossible to determine exactly where it begins and where it ends. But anyway, Bolshoye Vasyugan very similar to the same swamp, especially as it continues to grow.

The largest swamp massif on our planet is located in Siberia between the Ob and Irtysh rivers. According to the latest data, the total area of \u200b\u200bthe Vasyugan bog is 53,000 km², the length from north to south is 322 km, from west to east - 575 km. 53,000 km² is a very large area, surpassing a good half of the countries in the world.

The formation of the Vasyugan swamp massif began about 10,000 years ago, probably from the water reserves left after the Ice Age. But swamps acquired most of the area relatively recently: 75% of the territories have been swamped over the past 5 centuries. In other words, Siberian swamps are growing in volume and this cannot but rejoice, especially taking into account the ecological situation in the world.

Those who consider the swamps to be a disgusting, fetid, disgusting place will be greatly disappointed when they see Bolshoye Vasyuganskoye. Everywhere you look - there is water, water and lush vegetation. This is a real paradise for animals and plants, all conditions here contribute to their development and prosperity. In addition, for thousands of kilometers there is not a single human settlement who, of his own free will or inadvertently, could harm nature.

The swamp massif is the main source of fresh water in its region. Most of Siberian rivers originates here, feeding on the innumerable water reserves of the Bolshoi Vasyugan. On the territory of the massif there are more than 800 thousand lakes of various sizes.

In addition to being a home for animals and plants, swamps have at least one other important function. Peat, which is usually so rich in swamps, largely counteracts the greenhouse effect by absorbing and binding carbon atoms. At the same time, the vegetation, which is abundant here, saturates the atmosphere with oxygen. Taking into account the size of the Big Vasyugan bog, we come to the conclusion that it is one of the most powerful opponents greenhouse effect on our planet.

However, not everything is as good as it could be. The fact is that under the Vasyugan swamps there are some of the world's largest peat reserves and very significant oil deposits. And as it usually happens: where there is money for profit, a person appears. A network of mining and processing plants has already been deployed in the swamps. In this regard, the administration of the Tomsk region has created a complex nature reserve "Vasyugan" But, more importantly, not so long ago they started talking seriously about giving the Great Vasyugan Swamp the status of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

The Vasyugan swamps are the largest in the world. They are located in the center somewhere in the area between the Irtysh and Ob rivers. Most of this natural area is located in capturing part of the Omsk and Novosibirsk regions, and the Vasyugan swamp is impressive in its size. The area of \u200b\u200bthis natural area is approximately 55 thousand square kilometers. This figure exceeds the size of many countries, such as Estonia, Denmark and Switzerland. The length of the swamp is 320 kilometers from north to south and 570 kilometers from west to east.

How the swamp appeared

According to scientists, the swamping of the area began about 10 thousand years ago. But the growth of the swamp does not stop even now. Over the past 500 years, it has increased by about 4 times. There is a legend that mentions the ancient Vasyugan sea-lake. However, studies have shown that this natural zone was not formed as a result of waterlogged water bodies. In this case, everything happened for a different reason. The unique natural zone was formed as a result of the invasion of the land of swamps. This happened under the influence of favorable orographic conditions, as well as a humid climate.

Initially, there were 19 sites on the site of the swamp. Their area was approximately 45 thousand square kilometers. However, the quagmire gradually engulfed the surrounding lands. It can be compared to an offensive in a desert of sands. It should be noted that the Vasyugan bog is a classic example of "aggressive" and active swamp formation.

Swamp climate

The Vasyugan swamps, photos of which indicate their enormous size, have a unique flora and fauna. The climate in this natural zone is humid and continental. In January average temperature is about 20 ° C below zero, and in July - 17 ° C above zero. The snow cover lasts about 175 days a year, and its height ranges from 40 to 80 centimeters. Thanks to this climate, the Big Vasyugan bog is a unique reserve, home to many endangered species of birds and animals.

Fauna and flora

Among the plants of the Vasyugan bog, all kinds of medicinal herbs, as well as some types of berries, including blueberries, cloudberries, cranberries and others, are of particular value. It is worth noting that this natural area is home to a variety of birds, fish, animals and insects. Waders and some species of waterfowl stop here for rest during the migration period.

Curlews, greeters and birds of prey build their nests in the swamp, including the peregrine falcon. Many of the varieties are considered rare. It was in this area that the thin-billed curlew was last seen. This species is almost extinct. In those places where the swamps border forests and rivers, you can see wood grouses, hazel grouses, otters, sables, minks and elks.

Until about the mid-80s, reindeer could be found on the Vasyugan plain. On this moment the population of these amazing animals has practically disappeared. In the tributaries of the rivers, which originate in the swamps, there are about 20 species of fish. Verkhovka, carp, pike perch and bream are found in local water bodies.

The Vasyugan swamps, where fishing and hunting is prohibited, are the habitat of such rare and vulnerable fish species as ruff, lamprey, peled, and nelma.

The benefits of the Vasyugan swamp

At the moment, the Vasyugan bog is a source of fresh water. The reserve is about 400 cubic kilometers. In addition, the area is rich in peat. Studies show that known deposits contain just over 1 billion tons of useful rock. This is approximately 2% of the world's reserves. The average depth of peat is 2.4 meters, and the maximum is 10 meters.

Do not forget that the main function of swamps is to cleanse the atmosphere. It is for this reason that they are also called "natural filter". It should be noted that the Vasyugan peat bog absorbs toxic substances, binds carbon, saturates the air with oxygen and prevents the formation of the greenhouse effect.

Ecology of the natural zone

In the area of \u200b\u200bthe Vasyugan swamp, there are no settlements at all. However, as a result of the development of civilization, some factors influence the natural zone. Peat mining severely disrupts the natural landscape of the plain. In addition, there is a problem associated with deforestation, drainage of swamps, and poaching. All this negatively affects the ecology of the Vasyugan plain. Which leads to the destruction of some rare species of animals, insects and birds.

Various heavy equipment, peat mining, oil spills cause severe damage to the ecosystem. Rivers very often fall wastewater many businesses. Many problems arise because of the second stages of the rockets that were launched from Baikonur. Once in the swamp, they pollute it with the remains of heptyl, a highly toxic fuel.

In the very center of Western Siberia, in the interfluve of the Irtysh and Ob rivers, there are the largest swamps in the world - Vasyugan. Their area is about 53 thousand km2 (the area of \u200b\u200bSwitzerland, for comparison, 41 thousand km2), the length from north to south is 320 km, from west to east - 573 km. And according to scientists, it continues to increase its area (75% of their territory has been swamped over the past 500 years).

Vasyugan swamps on the world map:

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The Vasyugan swamps have existed for about 10 thousand years and their influence on the entire region is enormous. First of all, they store the main reserves of fresh water for the surrounding regions; many Siberian rivers originate from these swamps. And thanks to the deposits of peat in the depths (contains 2% of the world's reserves), bogs are a powerful natural filter that counteracts the greenhouse effect.

In addition, the Vasyugan bogs are a unique natural community where you can meet rare species of flora and fauna (white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon and many others).

However, due to the large-scale development of the mining industry, the entire animal and vegetable world swamps. In this regard, the administration of the Tomsk region created the Vasyugansky nature reserve, and UNESCO plans to give it the status of a World Heritage Site.

More recently, the list of protected areas in Russia has been replenished with one more reserve - "Big Vasyugan Swamp". One of the seven natural wonders of the Tomsk region ...

From Masterweb

More recently, the list of protected areas in Russia has been replenished with one more reserve - "Big Vasyugan Swamp". One of the seven natural wonders of the Tomsk region and the semi-finalist of the All-Russian competition "Seven Wonders of Russia" has finally received its long-awaited status. The Vasyugan swamps in the Novosibirsk region, which have been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2007, have become recognized by the state authorities of our country.

On the squares of three regions

The Big Vasyugan bog, with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 5 million hectares, is located in the center of Western Siberia in the border areas of three regions (Tomsk, Novosibirsk and Omsk) and Khanty-Mansiysk district... This swamp occupied 0.03% of the area of \u200b\u200bRussia and occupies the entire northern interfluve of the Ob and Irtysh rivers. It is the second largest swamp in the world after the Pantanal Marshes (South America). There are 800 thousand lakes within the boundaries of the Vasyugan swamps, many rivers originate, and the amount of peat is 2% of all world reserves (1 billion tons). And in the middle of the last century, large oil reserves were also discovered here, which are now being produced at several fields.

Settlement history

These places do not indulge in human settlements. Historical data on the first settlers appear in 1882. Then the Russian Geographical Society received information about 726 schismatic settlers, who settled in these places thoroughly. After Stolypin's reforms, about 300 thousand settlers settled here. Then these places were called the Vasyugan Sea after the name of the Vasyugan River. Later, these places became a favorite place of exile for prisoners of both imperial and Soviet Russia. An interesting fact: for the city of Tomsk, these swamps are the same symbol as for Kamchatka Klyuchevskaya Sopka.

Narym region

“God created paradise, and the devil - the Narym region” - this is how the ancient proverb says about these places, covered with legends about evil spirits, and are the places of exile for Russian prisoners. Local legend tells that at the beginning of creation there was no land, and God walked on water. And then he ordered to bring the devil from the bottom of the earth. He brought, but hid part of the earth in his mouth. So God created dry land, and the earth, which the Devil spat out, formed the Vasyugan swamps.

But the Vasyugan bogs are not just aggressive swamps, but a phenomenon unique in the composition of natural complexes. It presents complex landscape structures and special types of marshlands. In this natural zone, taiga and small-leaved forest, autotrophic and pine-sphagnum bogs adjoin, making the composition of the plants of the Vasyugan bogs unique. This is the land of untouched by man corners of nature, which is of great ecological importance for the entire planet.

Air conditioners of the planet

If a a tropical forest The Amazons are the lungs of the planet, these swamps are natural absorbers of carbon dioxide and coolers of the planet. The absorption of carbon and toxic substances by peat, which lies at a depth of about 2.5 meters in the Vasyugan bogs, prevents the development of the greenhouse effect. These areas accumulate up to 10 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and oxygen emit up to 4 million tons.

In addition, the Vasyugan swamps are the world's fresh water storage. According to some estimates, it contains about 400 square kilometers.

Geological history

These swamps appeared in the last post-glacial period - Holocene - more than 10 thousand years ago. Separate wetlands then merged, forming an area of \u200b\u200babout 45 thousand square kilometers. Over the past period of the existence of the Vasyugan bogs in the Novosibirsk region, they continue to advance on land. There is evidence of a 4-fold increase in their area over the past 500 years. On average, the area of \u200b\u200bbog massifs annually increases by 18 square kilometers.

Unique flora and fauna

The flora of these bogs is represented by more than 242 species, of which 26 are rare and endangered. The fauna is 41 species of mammals, about 195 species of birds (22 species are included in the Red Data Books of various levels), many reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Rare and endangered plant species listed in the Red Book are not uncommon here. Whole bog communities are unique in terms of species composition. Here there are representatives of the orchid family, and downy buns, wildcat, rare species of sedges. And also blueberries, cloudberries and cranberries.

Vasyugan swamps are home to a huge number of animals, especially their forested part. From the red books it reindeer, thin-billed curlews, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles. And also moose, sables, minks, otters, brown bears and wolverines. Black grouse and capercaillie go on swamps, partridges and hazel grouses live.

The network of rivers and lakes serves as a staging post for migratory birds. Bird watchers say 60% of ducks migrate through this wetland in the spring.

Environmental threats

Despite the historically sparsely populated area and the lack of developed economic activity, these territories were under the influence of environmental pressure. The development of oil and gas developments in Western Siberia violates the integrity of unique landscapes and leads to a decrease in biodiversity.

The influence of a natural factor - fires - is no less dangerous. They arise even in winter time and cause irreparable damage to swamp areas. As a result of one of the fires in the 1920s, the largest lake in the region, Tenis, was formed in the southwestern part of the swamps. Today its depth reaches 18 meters, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe water surface is about 20 square kilometers.

Another unsightly environmental threat is the falling second stages of rockets launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. With each such step, a huge amount of heptyl - toxic fuel residues - enters the ecosystem. In some areas, the content of this substance exceeds the permissible limits by 5 times. One of the areas in which work is currently underway to eliminate this factor of influence on the swamps is the transfer of the launch pad from Baikonur to the Vostochny cosmodrome (Amur Region).

That is why, with the Government Decree Russian Federation dated 16.12.2017 No. 1563, the state nature reserve "Vasyugan" and began preparing a project to introduce a special environmental regime in these territories. So far, 615 thousand hectares of swamps belong to its territories. These are not optimal sizes that are planned to be expanded.

How to get there

You can see unique swamps, but getting there is extremely difficult. The outlying villages can be reached by off-road vehicles, and further - only tracked vehicles, and then with restrictions. You will have to go deep into the swamps on foot, which is already quite dangerous without the necessary experience.

Tourists can view the swamps from a helicopter. Such services are offered by travel agencies of Tomsk. And there is something to see: the endless expanses of the moss carpet, which is, as it were, above its shores due to the seething processes of peat formation.

Alluring abyss

For extreme tourists, visiting these places becomes a mystical obsession, fanned by legends about swamps where people and jeeps disappear. Since ancient times, sparsely populated areas abound with abandoned villages and eerie landscapes of the Vasyugan swamps. An interesting fact: it is simply impossible to get into these swamps by any jeep.

In the warm season, you can get there only by tracked vehicles. And then the view opens up a landscape of thawed tundra, a solid carpet of a multi-meter layer of mosses that floats on the surface of a huge freshwater lake. Untouched and lost places - it's dangerous to linger. The moss carpet tears and you can just go under this carpet. Well, you can drink water from every puddle - moss is a natural antiseptic and eliminates rotting.

The road through the Vasyugan swamps is safe only in winter, only then can you penetrate into the very depths of these swamps.

Be careful weary traveler

This section is for those who nevertheless decide to look at the "Russian Amazon". This is not to cook barbecue in nature! Not only are these edges not in vain called bearish, there are many snakes and hornets (more terrible than snakes). There is nothing to say about the swamps, where even heavy tracked vehicles are drawn. And many abandoned villages with strange sounds and paranormal phenomena are not easy for you interesting Facts... The Vasyugan swamps keep many secrets about people lost in the swamps and ghosts wandering around this area, luring kikimors and demonic fires that drive you crazy.

Summing up

The Vasyugan swamps are not only a unique natural landscape phenomenon of Western Siberia, but also an important biosphere component of our planet. Its geoecological functions are irreplaceable and irreplaceable. natural resources. Biosphere reserve in these swamps is important for the formation of the climate on Earth and the conservation of biodiversity on a planetary scale. The continuation of work in the direction of greening economic activity, carried out by the main scientific centers of the country, is aimed at establishing the maximum permissible environmental restrictions. Only in this way will we be able to preserve another natural pearl - the "Russian Amazon", the unique of our homeland and a place that beckons with its mysterious grandeur and unsolved secrets.

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