Lake Sabakty

Sabakty is a freshwater lake in the Abzelilovsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan, at the eastern foot of the Krykty-Tau ridge. It is part of a chain of three lakes: Sabakty itself (also known as Chebachye), Karabalykty (Linevoye), and the largest and best known, Yakty-Kul, more often called Bannoye. A few kilometers away lies another lake, Severnye Ulyandy. All the lakes of the chain lie in the jasper belt of the Trans-Urals, and geologists call them "fragments of an ancient ocean," pointing to the origin of the local rock.

History

The shores of Karabalykty, the closest neighbor of Sabakty, hide the oldest Paleolithic Neanderthal site in the Urals. On Sabakty itself and on Bannoye (Yakty-Kul), later sites from the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods have been found. These finds show that people settled on the shores of these lakes over many millennia, drawn by fish and convenient access to water.

Legends

The Russian name of Bannoye lake (Yakty-Kul) is linked to Yemelyan Pugachev. According to legend, before one of his battles he ordered his army to wash in the lake's alkaline water — hence the name "Bannoye" ("bathhouse lake"). The legend is not documented, but it has firmly entered local folklore and the stories told about these lakes, including Sabakty.

Nature

In the bottom sediments of Sabakty and Karabalykty, scientists have found 14 species of bottom invertebrates, a sign that the ecosystem of the lake chain is quite rich. In the neighboring Yakty-Kul (Bannoye) live roach, perch, pike, snakehead, crucian carp, tench, ide, burbot, and two whitefish species, peled and sig: this variety of fish makes the whole lake chain, Sabakty included, a popular fishing spot.

Recreation

The lakes of the chain are used for active recreation: fishing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Having three lakes of different sizes next to each other draws both those looking for a quiet swim on the smaller Sabakty and those wanting the more developed infrastructure of Bannoye.

Getting there

Sabakty can be reached by car or taxi. From Ufa, drive along the Beloretsk–Magnitogorsk highway; opposite the "Bashneft" filling station, turn following the signs to Lake Yakty-Kul. From there, Sabakty and Karabalykty are very close.