Blue lakes, Chernihiv region. Rest in Ukraine

For the third week in a row, for our small trips, we choose places near the water - summer after all. And so, returning home last weekend, we remembered the blue lakes. Personally, the last time I was there was more than 15 years ago. We consulted and decided that it was worth renewing our memories and going there again.

There are blue lakes in the village. Oleshnya, Repkinsky district, Chernihiv region. We left early, because it takes a long time to get to the lakes. The distance from Kyiv to the lakes is 205 km. This is approximately 3-3.5 hours. At such an early hour, the road was empty and we, slowly going around the pits, went to rest. During the journey, I remembered the story of my grandfather that there used to be sand quarries where sand was mined on the site of the lakes. The bottom of the lakes is covered with deposits of special quartz sand. It is for this reason that the water is such a beautiful blue, even aquamarine color. The closer we drove, the more I could not sit still, and when we arrived at the lakes, I was the first to run out of the car.

We left the car in the parking lot and went to the territory of the complex. As it turned out, everything has changed dramatically in 15 years. Entrance is still free, but if there is an event on the territory, then it is paid. The surroundings are really very clean, there are rubbish bins everywhere. And there are a lot of people here. We arrived at 10 o'clock and could not find a place near the water. We settled comfortably further away, where there were fewer people, and bathed with pleasure. The water is gorgeous, clean, a little cool, no algae float, and the bottom is exceptionally sandy. There are no restaurants on site, but snacks and drinks are sold. A little later we decided to take a walk and enjoy the scenery. A huge plus is that there is a pine forest around, which, in combination with water, makes a wonderful tandem for vacationers. In general, here you can play volleyball, futsal and other beach games. Many events and festivals are now taking place on the territory of the lakes, so you can safely go here with tents for a few days or rent a house. 1.5 km from the lakes there is a tourist complex, where all kinds of benefits are provided: renting houses for several days, barbecue, hookah, evening football matches, entertainment and even corporate parties. To be honest, we got excited about the idea of ​​staying here forever.

I didn't want to go home. It is so nice and cozy on the lakes that we delayed the time of departure until dark. The way back seemed to us even longer than there. We drove for about 4 hours. But what impressions remained!

Blue lakes are a piece of heaven on earth. I want to come back here again and again. The changes I saw were very encouraging. I think next time, we'll get out here and rest to the fullest.

How to get by car from Kyiv

Drive along the Chernigov highway, after Chernigov, head for the village of Oleshnya. Distance from Kyiv ~ 205 km.

Place coordinates 51.963629, 31.165874

How to get from Chernihiv by train

From Chernihiv 3 times a day there is an electric train to the station Gribovaya Rudnya. The walk to the lake is less than 1 km.

- a unique place of rest, the purest water, amazingly beautiful nature and a relaxing atmosphere. They are located in the north of the Chernihiv region, about a three-hour drive from Kyiv. Water blue lakes, located in a pine forest, has healing properties, especially useful for diseases of the skin and musculoskeletal system.

Is it any wonder that thousands of tourists come here every year not only from Ukraine, but also from neighboring countries - Belarus, Poland and Russia.

Blue lakes were formed on the site of former quarries for the extraction of special quartz sand. It is he who covers the bottom of all four lakes, which gives the water a bright blue color. Thanks to this beautiful color, the reservoirs got their name.

Despite the fact that the area of ​​the largest of the lakes is as much as 25 hectares, there is not always enough space on its shores due to the huge number of vacationers who come here for clean pine air, crystal clear water and the opportunity to improve their health.

Another natural highlight of this place is the pine forest, where you can take a walk, enjoying the untouched nature and magnificent landscapes.

Infrastructure and entertainment

Blue lakes boast beautiful and well-maintained beaches. Around the recreation area is very clean and there are trash cans everywhere. The water is a bit chilly but very clean without any algae. You will not find restaurants here, but you can buy light snacks.

From entertainment At the service of vacationers there are:

• volleyball;
• mini football;
• beach games.

In winter, this list is supplemented by hunting, ice fishing, skiing and ice skating. In addition, Blue Lakes is a well-known place for holding festivals and other cultural events. If you wish, you can come here with tents or rent one of the houses.

If you want to see with your own eyes a piece of heaven on earth -. You will want to come back here again and again.

Nearby are:

Blue lakes in the Chernihiv region are a popular holiday destination both among Ukrainians and among guests from neighboring countries. They are located in the southeast of the Polessye region, in the Ripkinsky district, not far from the village of Oleshnya. The group of reservoirs received such a poetic name due to the characteristic color of the water.

Ukrainian Maldives

Looking at pictures of distant tropical islands, the eye involuntarily catches the turquoise color of the sea. Bright and rich shades of transparent water surface seem unreal, mysterious, alluring. Surprisingly, in the Chernihiv region (Ukraine) there is an equally beautiful place called the Blue Lakes. On a sunny day, the water in them turns into an equally attractive, bright and saturated blue color.

rainbow secret

Shades of water bodies, so unusual for Eastern Europe, are given by quartz sands lining the bottom. Even in Soviet times, raw materials were mined in this area, which is so necessary for the production of high-quality glass and crystal.

Quartz sand, unlike ordinary sand, does not consist of destroyed mountain sedimentary and volcanic rock, but of the smallest grains of quartz, a transparent mineral that looks like ice. Thanks to the properties of this rather rare material in this region, the water of the Blue Lakes of the Chernihiv region acquires a beautiful bright turquoise color, the shade of which depends on lighting, temperature and depth.

Previously, quartz sand was transported to Belarus, where it was used to make dishes, window and car glass, special-purpose products for the military and scientific industries. Today, raw materials are mainly used by local companies, less often they are exported.

Characteristic

Not only local residents know about the Chernihiv miracle. Connoisseurs of unusual pastimes from nearby countries: Belarus, Russia, Poland rush to rest in Ukraine with the beginning of warm summer days. Tourists come here even from distant America.

Blue lakes in Oleshnya include four reservoirs. The largest of them (and the most popular among visitors) is called simply - Deep. It has an area of ​​about 20 hectares and a maximum depth of about 18 meters. In fact, these are not lakes, but flooded quarries. Due to the presence of underground springs, the workings were gradually filled with fairly clean water with healing properties. Local experts say that thanks to the properties of quartz, life-giving moisture helps to strengthen and restore the musculoskeletal system.

From mismanagement to order

Rest on the Blue Lakes of the Chernihiv region became popular with locals and visitors several decades ago. However, for a long time the recreation area as such did not exist. People came, as they say, "savages" and were actually left to their own devices.

As a result, the territory around the Blue Lakes of the Chernihiv region began to turn into a dump. Many businessmen and local authorities have tried to buy the site and organize space for a good rest, but the land belongs to the state. Its alienation requires complex procedures, permission and approval of the Ukrainian Rada.

In 2013, the situation changed. There were owners who were able to obtain permission to conduct business in the area. Now the mountains of garbage have disappeared, the area is regularly cleaned, containers for collecting waste have been installed. Tourists, seeing self-care, try to clean up after themselves and not destroy the virgin beauty of nature.

Wonderful corner of nature

Blue lakes are a typical corner of Polissya. The ponds are surrounded by a pine forest interspersed with birch, alder, hazel thickets. There are many wild berry plants (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) and mushrooms in the district. Among the latter, mushrooms, rare for the area, are especially valued. As you can see, it is not by chance that the former quarries have become a cult holiday destination in Ukraine.

It would seem that such deep water bodies should be rich in trophy fish. However, due to the sandy bottom, there is little bioplankton and algae in the lakes; the forage base is relatively poor. Previously, attempts were made to breed lake trout, but today this idea has been abandoned. However, fishing enthusiasts have something to profit from, there are a lot of predatory fish in the waters, including large pike. With due diligence, carp and perch will please the catch.

The region is famous for its excellent hunting grounds. The most coveted prey are "glushaks" (in Polesie), and in Russian - capercaillie. In the vicinity there are peat bogs rich in cranberries and lingonberries.

Infrastructure

In recent years, the area has been transformed into a full-fledged resort. The recreation area includes two of the largest lakes. Tourists have a choice - to relax in public areas, or in an equipped paid area. The latter attracts with the presence of gazebos, toilets, places for barbecue and barbecue. But the main advantage is fewer people and more space for recreation. On peak days (especially on holidays), discos are organized here.

By the way, visitors may encounter communication problems. More or less tolerably covered by the mobile operator "Life". If the calls do not go through, experienced tourists are advised to communicate via SMS. You have to be careful, because often phones automatically switch to roaming due to the proximity of the border, the signal of Belarusian operators is “stronger” than Ukrainian ones.

Lovers of swimming and sunbathing

According to local authorities, up to 250,000 people visit the Blue Lakes (Chernihiv region) annually, which is a lot for such a small area. There are days when tourists have nowhere to stay.

Most of the approaches to the water are steep, the average depth of Lake Glubokoe is 5.5 meters. In total, there are five equipped beaches with a sandy bottom on the reservoirs. The water remains pleasantly cool even in the hottest periods. An interesting entertainment, especially for children, will be inflatable slides that descend directly to the water. Those who wish to be alone with nature can use boats, air mattresses and explore the most remote corners of the blue expanse.

Housing

You can spend the night on your own, in tents, or rent a house / room in the neighboring village of Oleshnya. Prices on the Blue Lakes of the Chernihiv region are quite affordable. A bed will cost 150-300 hryvnia, a separate room for a family or company - approximately 700 hryvnia. Moreover, vacationers have a choice - to stay in boarding houses, or in the private sector.

Attractions

To the north of Oleshnya is the village of Dobryanka, known as one of the last centers of Russian settlers of the Old Believer Orthodox tradition. There is a wooden old Orthodox church here. An unusual memorial sign was erected in the village in honor of the stay in 1772 of the leader of the Russian peasant war Emelyan Pugachev. Dobryanka is also home to the Polissya football club.

25 km from Oleshnya in the direction of the village of Burovka is the Bezikov farm, where in recent years a community of downshifters (naturals) has been actively developing - people moving from big cities to the village. They profess the philosophy of unity with nature, the earth, deliberately renounce many of the benefits of civilization and try to lead a subsistence economy. You can buy organic products from them and get acquainted with their unusual way of life.

How to get there

You can get there by car, train or bus.

• By car. On the highway "Chernigov - Novye Yarilovichi" you reach the turn to Gribova Rudnya. You pass this village, the next one will be Oleshnya. Lakes are located on the outskirts of the settlement. The locals will show you the way.
• By train. The train "Chernihiv - Gornostaevka" departs from the railway station at 8:40. Return departs at 15:45. The journey will take two hours. You need to get off at the stop "Gribova Rudnya", and then walk 10 minutes on foot.
• By bus "Chernihiv - Aleksandrovka". Departure from the bus station on the "Niva" at 6:03 and 13:19 (daily, except Tuesday and Thursday). Back - at 8:13 and 15:19. The journey lasts no more than two hours. You need to get off in the village of Oleshnya.

Attention! The schedule may change.

Ukraine is quite an interesting and attractive country from a tourist point of view. The recreation infrastructure is developing more and more in it. So, not only big cities, but also small towns are ready to receive tourists, including from abroad. What is tempting to rest in Ukraine? These are low prices, a close road, no language barrier and no need to open a visa. In winter, tourists are waiting for the snow-covered slopes of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The most famous are such ski resorts as Bukovel, Dragobrat, Yaremche. In summer you can sunbathe and swim on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas. Timeless rest will provide you with a tour to the big cities of Ukraine. The mother of Russian cities, the patronal city of Kyiv, the spiritual capital of the country Lviv, Odessa famous for its color... There are many Orthodox shrines in Ukraine, where pilgrims go year-round, for example, the Pochaev Lavra. Lovers of antiquity will love tours to and in the amazing city of Kamyanets-Podilskyi. And you can improve your health at such resorts as Truskavets, Morshyn, Nemirov, Shklo. But this article is devoted to only one sight of the country - the Oleshnyansky Blue Lakes. This place has long been popular for recreation for both Ukrainians and foreigners.

How to get to the Blue Lakes (Chernihiv region)

Three reservoirs are located near the border with Belarus. So close that mobile phones constantly switch to roaming. The lakes are 205 kilometers away from Kyiv. You need to drive along the Chernihiv highway for about three and a half hours. Having passed the regional center, you should head for the village of Oleshnya. There is no railway station in the village. But from Chernigov in that direction three times a day there is an electric train to the Grybova Rudnya stop. The train goes there for about an hour. To get from "Mushroom Rudnya" to the Blue Lakes (Chernihiv region, Repkinsky district), you need to walk along a beautiful road among a pine forest less than a kilometer. An asphalt highway leads to the reservoirs themselves, so there are always a lot of people there on a summer day off. The citizens of Chernihiv are also coming. After all, the train schedule is very convenient. You can arrive in the morning and leave in the afternoon or evening.

How did the lakes form?

It is hard to believe that these reservoirs are man-made. And even more incredible is the fact that the Blue Lakes (Chernihiv region) were formed as a result of industrial activity. Once upon a time, small ones were mined here for the production of glass. As a result, the workings were dug up to the artesian layer. Now the former quarries are filled with the purest water from the depths. Their bottom is covered with the smallest quartz sand. The sun's rays, refracting, give the lake water a bright aquamarine hue. Therefore, the reservoirs were called Blue. The lake is surrounded by a pine forest. In addition to the healing air filled with the smell of pine needles, tourists can also enjoy amazing water. She treats diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Good water procedures affect the condition of the skin and hair. Therefore, bathing in the lakes can be called "baths of health and beauty."

How many Blue Lakes are there

Kievans and other visitors are sure that there are three reservoirs. They are named unpretentiously, but precisely: Large, Medium and Small. All tourist infrastructure is concentrated on the first reservoir. The area of ​​the Big Blue Lake is 20 hectares. But even with such a long coastline on the weekend, there is not enough space for everyone to relax in this wonderful place. And every year more than two hundred and fifty thousand tourists from Ukraine and neighboring countries come to the Blue Lakes. Chernihiv region is also rich in other sights. What are the ancient churches in the regional center! And one and a half kilometers from the lakes, in the village of Oleshnya, there is a museum-estate of Sophia Lindfors-Rusova, a famous teacher of the 19th century. Now on its territory there is a tourist complex. The middle lake was chosen by fishermen, because its shores are steep. Locals go to Malaya - there are healing clay outlets that heal joints. If you go further towards Belarus, you will come across another flooded quarry. This lake has extremely soft water. But the high forest along the banks does not let the sun's rays through. Therefore, it is cold to swim there.

In the north of the Chernihiv region, not far from the border with Belarus (Repkinsky district, the village of Oleshnya), there is an interesting place to relax - Blue Lakes.

Blue lakes were formed due to the flooding of sand pits, previously they were mined for quartz sand. The bottom of the lakes is covered with deposits of quartz sand, so the water has a bluish-turquoise hue and is quite transparent. There are only three lakes (although some believe that 4 is a moot point, as it turned out):

1) Big lake (20 ha);

2) Far quarry;

3) Station lake;

The lakes are located among the pine forest, it is believed that the connection of these facts makes the air healing. It was nice to breathe. There are many berries (raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, blackberries) and mushrooms (Polish white, rarely mushrooms). But, not all places are cultivated with bathrooms, so everyone “goes”, so to speak: “everyone goes to the garden!”, That is, to the forest.

On 2 lakes there are specially equipped recreation areas, gazebos, toilets, water slides, various sports grounds. There are many houses, there are places for tents (camps are set up along the entire shore of the lake). There are no restaurants, only drinks, snacks, barbecues. But entrepreneurs are on the alert... something new can always appear.

There are shops in the village (but don’t count on a rich assortment), it’s better to take food with you, in addition, vegetables and fruits are sold along the Repkinskaya highway.

An interesting point, phones there sometimes switch to Belarusian roaming. And there can be problems with communication in principle.

An asphalt road leads to the Big Lake itself, so almost everyone comes here by car. From Kyiv to the lakes 200 km along the highway and then 10 km to the village of Oleshnya. From Chernigov - 60 km, from Repoki - 24 km, to the border with Belarus - 18 km.

Near the lakes there is a railway station Gribovaya Rudnya, three electric trains a day go there from Chernigov (a little more than an hour, but the schedule may change). But if you go with an overnight stay, then there will be too many things and products to carry. It's better to come by car for the weekend.

Every year this place is becoming more and more popular, so it can be crowded. You need to take care of both renting a house (not cheap) and places for tents in advance.

We were on the Big Lake, in a place where there is a solid family audience. But we saw youth companies and bikers heading deeper. Here are the places of summer festivals.

In the village of Oleshnya, the Lindfors estate has been preserved - the house where Sofia Rusova was born, nee Lindfors (1856-1940), the founder of local preschool pedagogy - a famous Polish teacher and creator of the first Ukrainian primer. So, this estate is not only a museum, but also a tourist complex: you can live here.

General first impression of the Great Lake: favourable! The water is clear and unusually turquoise. Pine air is amazing. All pricing information can be found online. The place is worthy of attention.