Lena is a real Siberian river, great and mighty, with its own complex character. It flows surrounded by rocks and coniferous forests. Almost pristine nature is located along its banks. There are only six small towns on the river, which are separated from each other by hundreds of kilometers of impenetrable Siberian taiga.
Geographical position
Lena flows through the territory of Yakutia and the Irkutsk region. It is surrounded by sparsely populated and poorly developed regions of Russia, although almost four hundred years have passed since the opening of the river. In 1628, the Cossack Vasily Bugor with a detachment traveled along the Ilim and Angara rivers, from there on foot they reached the Kuta River, and along it - to the Lena. A few years later, the centurion Peter Beketov followed the same path, whose detachment built the first houses at the mouth of the Kuta - he founded the city of Ust-Kut, and then Yakutsk and Olekminsk.
Length
Lena is considered the longest river in Siberia. It stretches for 4270 km. It flows entirely in the permafrost zone.
Where is the source
Lena originates in the west of the Baikal ridge. Several streams flow into the modest lake Negedeen, 7 km from Lake Baikal - there is the source of the Lena. Heading to Yakutsk, she makes a solid detour and moves to the northern territories.
Where is the mouth
Lena carries its waters beyond the Arctic Circle and flows into the harsh Laptev Sea. Closer to the mouth, it becomes very narrow, since ridges and mountains clamp it on all sides. About a hundred kilometers from the confluence of the Laptev Sea, the Lena forms a vast delta.
At its mouth is the Ust-Lensky Nature Reserve. Its area is over 1 million hectares.
Character
In the upper reaches, the Lena behaves like a typical mountain fast river, running in a deep gorge, with many rapids and rifts. After the adoption of the Kirenga River, a large and high-water tributary, it becomes more water-rich, and the current slows down. In these places, along its banks, there is a high and dense forest wall dominated by larch. This tree is not afraid of frost and strong humidity. Giant cedars, spruces and pines coexist with larch.
Having taken the waters of Olekma and Vitim, Lena becomes a powerful river. For almost 600 km, it flows along a narrow valley, between limestone walls steeply descending to the water. In front of Yakutsk, its valley expands to 25-30 km, and Lena further follows solemnly, majestically and calmly.
From October to May-June, the river is covered with ice. It begins to freeze from the mouth upwards, and melts in the opposite direction.
The banks of the Lena are almost deserted, there are very few settlements. They are located closer to Yakutsk. There are many abandoned settlements and settlements of shift workers. Large settlements on the banks of the Lena are cities:
- Ust-Kut;
- Yakutsk;
- Lensk;
- Olekminsk;
- Kirensk.
Downstream of the last town there is an amazing array of vertically elongated cliffs ranging from 150 to 300 m in height. It stretches for about 80 km along the coast. These stone formations resemble a giant frozen forest. They are called Lena Pillars.
