Barsa-Kelmes
Barsa-Kelmes (Russian: Барсакельмес, Kazakh: Барсакелмес, Barsakelmes meaning "the place of no return") is a former island, the largest in the Aral Sea. Its area was 133 km2 in the 1980s,[1] but as the sea became more shallow it steadily grew, until in the 1990s it ceased to be an island. Its highest altitude is 113 m.
"Barsa-Kelmes" means "the place of no return". It was given such a name because of a number of stories of people (or groups of people) returning years or even decades after going to the island, thinking they had been gone only 2 or 3 days. [2]
It encompasses the Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve. Because of the native salt deposits, visitors are recommended to close their eyes during dust storms and strong winds.
History
The first recorded survey of Barsa-Kelmes was made in August 1848, when Geographer A. Maksheyev and topographer A. Akishev made a topographical survey of the island and described its landscape. The first sketches of the local flora and fauna were made by Taras Shevchenko.
A jumping spider, Sitticus barsakelmes, was named after the island in 1998.
Urban legend
During the second half of the 20th century, there was a persistent
It was later revealed, however, that the legends were a series of elaborate
References
- ^ Барсакельмес, Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- ^ "Место, где меняется время и пространство. Загадочный Барсакельмес". 23 April 2020.
- ^ a b Tekhnika Molodyozhi (Техника молодежи), 1991, No. 3;
- ^ Tekhnika Molodyozhi 1993, No. 4.
- ^ MGUSciFi fan club, Issue 9.
- ^ Sergey Lukyanenko. Archived from the originalon 2011-07-23.