Lake Svetloyar and the city of Kitezh are covered with various legends and myths. What is historical facts and what is fiction. Not far from Nizhny Novgorod there is a small, but unique lake Svetloyar.
The lake is called by a beautiful name in which two words are connected: "light" and "yarilo". The first word means purity, righteousness, and the second is the name of the sun deity, who was worshiped during pagan times.
There are many different legends about Lake Svetloyar, mysterious stories and tales that are told from generation to generation. And here - read about the sights of St. Petersburg.
Lake Svetloyar in legends and history
The city of Kitezh is mentioned on the pages of the sacred book about the faith of the ancient Russians "The Star Book of Kolyada". The Svetloyarsk city of Kitezh, called the Russian Atlantis, is the hero of many legends and mysterious stories. 
The legends tell about the underwater city of Kitezh, which exists at the bottom of Lake Svetloyara among the Vetluzhsky forests. They say that blue and clean waters the lakes, like a mirror, reflect the passing clouds, since the surface of the water is not disturbed by anyone and only occasionally a slight swell runs over its surface.
And sometimes from the motionless lake it reaches the wanderer bell ringing... If you look into the water of the lake for a long time, you can see the walls of snow-white monasteries and the shine of the domes of the missing Kitezh. 
The legend, in which the events of a history dating back almost a dozen centuries, are mixed with the inventions of people, still lives on. It is assumed that the city of Kitezh disappeared during the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars on the Russian land. It was not difficult for the enemies to conquer the fragmented lands of the Russian princes, who weakened their power in internecine wars.
City of Kitezh - history of origin and legends
Ancient legends speak of Kitovras, who was born on the bank of Svetloyar. It was a half-horse, half-human creature, powerful and magical. He spent his strength on helping people in the construction of the city, monasteries and fortress walls. 
In those distant times they lived in the forests, near the Berendei lake. The surviving legends about the life of the Berendei tribe say that they worshiped Yarila, the sun god. And Kitezh was a city, the entrance to which was allowed only to righteous people.
After the Baptism of Rus, Orthodox churches began to be built here, the presence in which brought people deliverance from ailments and troubles.
The images of pagan deities were gradually replaced by the faces of saints, but the place of special veneration for higher powers remained the same. The inexplicable positive energy of the lands near Lake Svetloyara was shrouded in more and more mystical stories and legends that have come down to modern man.
Historical events
The ruling princes in these lands were the descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky. At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri built two cities on the lands of Sveti Yar, these were Big and Small Kitezh. It is assumed that Small Kitezh later became a modern town called Gorodets.
And Big Kitezh, according to historians, was built with strong walls. Also, those scientists who studied the history of the city of Kitezh suggest that the legends unite these two small settlements in Kitezh-grad.
According to historians, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was attacked by Khan Batu in the middle of the 13th century. The chronicle and legends have formed a single story. The principality at that time owned an army that was able to resist Batu. Unable to keep Small Kitezh, the Russian army decided to keep the defenses behind the walls of the Big, which was also protected by nature itself - impenetrable forests and swamps. 
The khan bribed one inhabitant, who knew the paths in the swamps, who was afraid of torment from the formidable khan, and led the enemies to Kitezh. At the sight of enemy troops in the city, fountains gushed, water appeared from everywhere, covered the city and lowered it to the bottom of the lake. The city was not drowned, but saved, hidden from the enemy. Khan Batu was able to conquer, ravage and burn many Russian lands of scattered principalities, and the glorious city of Kitezh did not surrender. The salvation of the pious and praying people happened according to the pain of God. This only confirmed the sanctity of these places.
The mystery of Lake Svetloyar through the eyes of modern explorers and pilgrims
The life of the lake is shrouded in secrets and stories of local residents, allegedly confirming the reality of the events of almost a thousand years ago. Even researchers, archaeologists and geologists, can neither confirm the existence of the city under water, nor deny it.
Many seek to unravel the mystery of the Light, which, as usual, in such cases, when unraveling, gives out more questions than answers.
And today people come here to pray to the lake - a holy place. Many people believe that a handful of land taken from the shore cures ailments, and the water from the lake never spoils. Pilgrims walk around the lake three times to make all their secret dreams come true.
It is also assumed by those who believe in mysticism that Lake Svetloyar has a connection with Shambhala, that there is a passage that leads to dimensions unknown to mankind. The publication "Kitezhsky Chronicle", published in the 17th century, also carries information about the Kitezh that went under water.
Of course, scientists who want to reveal the secret are engaged in the study of the depths of the reservoir. Anomalies as such were not found, but the stepped bottom of the lake surprised the scuba divers. An interesting fact is that steep cliffs sometimes turn abruptly into horizontal platforms. 
Scientists have suggested that the lake was formed in several stages: at a depth of about 30 m, the "first bottom" was found, higher - the second, presumably formed in the 13th century. And the shallowest bottom terrace was deposited in the very last centuries.
At the middle level, metal and wood products from the 13th century were found. On the basis of their research, scientists suggested that the village, which was located on the very shore of the lake, could still go under water as a result of the activity of the earth's surface at that time.
And the study of the bottom with the help of an echo sounder gave the outline of a pattern resembling a fortress wall. People are still looking for an answer to the question: does Russian Atlantis exist?
One of the most amazing places on the planet, Lake Svetloyar, is located near Nizhny Novgorod, near the village of Vladimirskoe. It is famous for the ancient legend of the city of Kitezh, which, according to legend, was located at the bottom of the spring. The name Svetloyar is translated from Old Slavic as "light" or "righteous", and a particle "Yar" is part of the name of the ancient Slavic god Yarila. Natural monument plan to make it one of the cultural sites in the future.
Lake Svetloyar - a legend
The legend of the city of Kitezh is somewhat reminiscent of ancient legend about Atlantis. The ancient myth about Lake Svetloyar says that under its waters still lies a mystical city built by the Grand Duke George, which sank during the invasion of Khan Batu into Russia in the 13th century. Tradition says that a cruel ruler, who had already conquered many settlements, heard about the rich and beautiful ancient land, whose fame went all over the world, and immediately wanted to conquer Kitezh.
For a long time the horde could not find mysterious city, but one of the prisoners of war, a former resident of Kitezh, let the enemies out that there was a secret path through which to get to the settlement. When the Tatar-Mongol army finally approached Kitezh-grad, the khan and his soldiers were surprised that there were no fortifications and walls in front of him. Baty was delighted, believing that the victory would be easy, but that was not the case: as soon as the army came close to the city, many high-water springs gushed out from under the ground, the Tatars were frightened, they had to retreat, and the water still continued to beat with huge fountains. Finally, its streams dried up, and it became clear that the city almost completely disappeared under water. The legend says that there was no water in Kitezh itself, and it only helped the settlement to escape from the enemy's attack, and none of the townspeople was injured. God saved the inhabitants of Kitezh-grad for their pious life and faith, and the place where the ancient settlement was located began to be considered sacred.
In our time, many people still believe in this ancient legend about the lake. Every year, dozens of Orthodox tourists specially come to the place where the ancient city went under the water to hear the ghostly ringing of its bells, which, they say, still sometimes sounds near the lake. Localsliving near this mysterious place, in all seriousness tell pilgrims and journalists who come there that they often witness all kinds of strange incidents and unexplained phenomena. Some people see people in old-fashioned clothes who shop and pay not with modern currency, but with old coins made of copper. On the lake you can also see the outlines of the walls of sunken temples and transparent walls of monasteries. All these unusual phenomena suggest that Lake Svetloyar is a kind of portal that opens the way to a parallel world.
There is an opinion that the city, which has sunk to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar, was not in vain built on this place, because our ancestors have long built temples and settled where there was a powerful source of positive, light energy. The pilgrims who made a trip to this wonderful place claim that they have completely got rid of the headaches, high blood pressure, rheumatism and other diseases that tormented them. Local youth have a belief that if they walk around Svetloyar three times and make a wish, it has every chance of coming true in the near future.
Natural features of the lake
Lake Svetloyar - a legend , dating back to antiquity, and one of the most unique nature reserves on the territory of our country. This legendary reservoir has one extraordinary property: although the lake is very deep, its waters always remain clean, and the bottom is never overgrown with mud and algae. The water collected in the lake can be stored for many years in any container, while it remains transparent and clean.
Excursions to the lake
The reserve is a historical and art museum "Kitezh", where master classes on ancient crafts are held for everyone, a museum of ceramics and ancient church The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, made entirely of wood. You can get to Svetloyar by bus, the lake is open for excursions every day.
This article will focus on the legendary city of Kitezh, which took refuge from enemies at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar ( Nizhny Novgorod Region). Scientists all over the world have been trying to solve its riddle for several decades.
The ancient chronicle of 1251, created 13 years after the events described in it took place, tells how the city of Kitezh disappeared under water.
According to this literary source, in 1238 Batu Khan, having conquered almost all Russian principalities, fought in the battle on the City River with the ruler of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, Georgy Vsevolodovich. In a hot battle, the Mongol-Tatar invaders crushed the few regiments of the Russians, and the prince, along with the rest of the army, took refuge in the small town of Kitezh, which he founded several decades ago on the shore of Lake Svetloyar.
I must say that the approaches to the hail were reliably hidden by the Vetluzh forests and impenetrable swamps, and only a few knew the way there. Wishing by all means to get to Prince George, Batu ordered to torture the prisoners in order to find out from them the way to Kitezh. Even the most terrible tortures could not break the captives, but one of them - Grishka Kuterma - still showed the invaders the way to the city, which became a refuge for the prince.
Having passed the secret path, the Tatar hordes saw before them the handsome Kitezh, practically devoid of military fortifications. Its inhabitants, instead of preparing for battle, fell to their knees and prayed earnestly. Anticipating an easy victory, the invaders rushed to the city, but then streams of water gushed out from under the ground, forcing the enemy to retreat ingloriously.
But even when the Tatar-Mongols retreated, the underground springs did not run out. The water rose around the city walls, reliably sheltering houses, temples and residents of Kitezh. Soon, on the site of the blooming hail, only the surface of the lake gleamed in the sun, which to this day is a silent witness to the cataclysm of the past centuries.
Reserved place
Today, many researchers of the events of those years have a question: why did Batu, who had practically conquered the entire Russian land, need to seek small town, lost in forests and swamps, which can hardly be called tasty prey? Did the khan really spend time and effort in search of the cherished path to Kitezh only to destroy the already defeated prince?
The answer to this question is given in one of his works by the writer and historian Alexander Asov. In his opinion, Kitezh is one of the oldest cities in the Russian land, although its official history is only a few decades old. And it was founded in pre-Christian times in a difficult, reserved place.
From time immemorial, Slavic tribes believed that Lake Svetloyar was endowed with an unknown force. That is why the Berendeys living on its shores arranged sanctuaries for the light god Yaril, whose name gave the name to the lake.
In addition, according to Slavic legends, the powerful god Kitovras, who had the appearance of a half-man-half-horse, was born on this reserved land. He was a temple builder who knew all the secrets of the universe. Here the god of wisdom and hop Kvasura was born, giving people joy and joy.
The very same Kitezh-grad was first mentioned in the "Star Book of Kolyada" - the sacred chronicle of our distant ancestors. This city was patronized by many gods, and even when the Russian land became Orthodox, Christian churches were erected in places of power - the sanctuaries of Slavic deities.
The rulers of all principalities honored Kitezh and took care of holy city, as evidenced by the six (!) white-stone churches built here in a record short time. White stone in the Middle Ages was very expensive, and builders used it very carefully.
Therefore, we can assume that, having heard about an unusual city, Batu decided to take possession of its great power in order to conquer the whole world with its help. (True, it is not clear why the great power of the city did not help Georgy Vsevolodovich to defeat Batu.) However, the higher powers ordered otherwise, hiding the sacred Kitezh under water from both enemies and friends.
And what is at the bottom ?!
The city of Kitezh even today reminds people of itself from time to time. Many eyewitnesses claim that in clear weather at sunrise and on the eve of major Orthodox holidays, the ringing of bells and melodious singing can be heard from under the water. In addition, sometimes here you can see snow-white walls, crosses and golden domes of sunken temples under the lake surface.
Of course, the depths of Svetloyar have been repeatedly studied by archaeologists and amateur scuba divers, but traces of the drowned hail have not been found. The researchers concluded that the bottom of the lake can be called three-layered - consisting of three levels of underwater terraces belonging to different eras.
These terraces go deep into the lake from the shore like the steps of a giant staircase, alternating with flat sections of the bottom. On the "step", which can be attributed to the century when the cataclysm occurred, which destroyed the reserved city, located at a depth of 20 meters, shards of dishes, coins, ornaments of the 13th century were found - and nothing more significant.
However, when exploring the depths of the lake, a geolocator at the bottom of Svetloyar discovered anomalous zone in the form of an oval, covered with a multi-meter sedimentary layer. The signals of the apparatus from it were rather dull, as if something interfered with the free passage of sound. This fact allowed researchers to suggest that there may well be ruins in this area ancient city, however, more substantial evidence of this has not yet been obtained.
Gateway to another world
Esotericists, who have also been studying the phenomenon of the disappearance of Kitezh for a long time, have their own version of its current location.
In their opinion, the city, located in a place of power, which is the Svetloyar region, could be transferred to a parallel dimension, which was facilitated by the ardent sincere prayer of its inhabitants at a time of mortal danger. Moreover, the gates to another world are still being opened from time to time, which also has its own evidence.
The fact is that in the village of Vladimirskoe, which is located not far from Svetloyar, sometimes strange people in old clothes come in. These newcomers often try to buy goods in the local selmag and pay for them with coins… of the 13th century - new and shiny, as if minted a couple of years ago.
In addition, in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Svetloyar, repeated disappearances of people were recorded who decided to relax in nature in these protected areas... As a rule, these "hostages of circumstances" are absent from several hours to two or three days, and when they return, they rarely remember what happened to them.
However, there are exceptions. So, one man from Nizhny Novgorod, picking mushrooms near Lake Svetloyar, disappeared in the forest for three days, and when he returned, he told his relatives that he had visited the mysterious city of Kitezh, and as proof of his words showed a piece of bread, which the guest was treated to by the "underwater inhabitants" ... But as soon as he got out "his proof", the "otherworldly" bread turned to stone in front of witnesses.
And yet, every year, many pilgrims come to the cherished lake, and of a wide variety of religions. Glory attracts them here mysterious place strength, and healing water, and land from the banks of Svetloyar, which is able to cope with even the most serious diseases.
In addition, it is believed that if you go around the lake three times clockwise, then it will fulfill any desire. True, this is not so easy to do, because total area Svetloyara is 12 hectares.