Alexander Yasnev: Lake Baikal: Etudes

How beautiful and mighty Lake Baikal is! It is unequaled on earth. Because of its majesty and beauty people began since ancient times to call it Sea Baikal, and personified it, calling it in respect Batiushka (Father). Rich was the Sea thousands of years ago. The fish could be caught with bare hands. Flocks of birds obscured the sky and a myriad of different animals lived in the woods. Big and small they were. There was enough food for everyone. Local inhabitants called it Sea Lake Baikal, highlighting its incommensurable wealth. Nowadays the same fauna lives in Lake Baikal and cannot be found anywhere else! How deep Lake Baikal is! Deeper than all other lakes it is! And its water is the purest in the world. The older people told us that Lake Baikal could never become shallow. My father Baikal is not kind to each and every human being. He can both caress and show his anger. Three evils he did not like. He does not like three evils: human forgetfulness, ingratitude and indifference. He then frowns, darkens and produces never-ending hurling winds. There are many miracles and hidden treasures in Lake Baikal. If you are lucky you may come across one of them. This is why people come to Sea Baikal, some for its multiple wonders, some to recover from health problems, some for the reinvigorating air and some simply for pleasure...