The huge treasure is said to have remained dormant for hundreds of years at the bottom of Lake Baikal.
Baikal, with its rare tranquil beauty, is likened to the “Pearl of Russia”. The deepest freshwater lake in the world contains about 20% of the world’s fresh water reserves, which is enough for humanity for 40 years.
Vast and magnificent, Lake Baikal is considered the green pearl of Siberia, one of the most famous tourist destinations of Russia. Most research suggests that this lake was formed about 25-30 million years ago.
Baikal is unspoiled, hiding many things that few people know, so it attracts a lot of tourists who are passionate about exploring. At a depth of thousands of meters at the bottom of the lake, mysteries still haunt the scientific world, the most special of which is the story of 1,600 tons of forgotten gold.
In 1917, when Tsar Nicholas II was in danger, the old feudal forces tried to collect gold, silver and jewels to migrate to the West. When passing through Lake Baikal, they encountered the pursuing enemy so they were forced to leave behind a total of 1,600 tons of gold so that it sank straight to the bottom of Lake Baikal.
However, there is also a theory that the above gold was collected and owned by Tsar Nicholas II himself. Because he did not want his dynasty to collapse, he intentionally ordered the 1,600 tons of gold in the warehouse to be hidden and in the future he expected to be able to regain what belonged to him.
On the way to hide them somewhere else, the entourage passed Lake Baikal but the ice suddenly melted. Because the lake was too large and could not escape in time, all 1,600 tons of gold and the accompanying army sank to the bottom of the lake.
The question is why has no one salvaged this gold after all these years? According to experts, the cause is believed to come from 3 factors.
First, no one knows the exact location of this gold. Searching aimlessly is like looking for a needle in a haystack, and even with the exact location, no one can guarantee that this gold still exists.
In 2015, according to people around the discovery area, the deepest point of Lake Baikal could reach 1,637 meters and the total capacity of the lake exceeded 2.36 billion cubic meters. For individual units to invest in salvage, efforts are almost impossible.
“1,642m is the deepest depth of this lake. This was measured during the Soviet period. Later, experts re-measured it to be 1,637m. The deepest point is on Olkhon Island and goes north,” said Ms. Natalia Khadadorzhieva, Lake Baikal tour guide.
Second, the search at the bottom of Baikal is very dangerous because the lake is located at the intersection of seismic belts. According to data, every 10 years there will be earthquakes with an intensity of about 6 on the Richter scale, and about every 30 years there will be catastrophic earthquakes of about 9 on the Richter scale.
Some have been recorded in history, including, in 1960, a strong earthquake of up to 9.5 on the Richter scale occurred in Lake Baikal and affected the entire geological structure and water level of the lake.
Third, if real gold is found during the actual salvage process, who will this huge asset belong to?
In 1996, Lake Baikal was selected as a World Natural Heritage Site. From this angle, it seems to belong to everyone and to all humanity. No one can make an exact statement that the entire lake will belong to any one organization or individual.
Besides, when considering whether 1,600 tons of gold can be traced from the bottom of the lake, the issue of natural factors is considered. The entire area of Lake Baikal is a natural biological chain. For aquatic animals, this is the complete world and so there shouldn’t be any human impact.
Despite the incredible depths, Lake Baikal’s water has a high oxygen content, which means organisms thrive at all depths in the lake. It is home to many species of flora and fauna, many of which cannot be found anywhere else, such as the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica).
Theo: aboluowang, Zmescience
