Lake Volchanetskoye

Lake Volchanetskoye is a regionally protected nature monument in Primorsky Krai, on the shore of Vostok Bay in the Sea of Japan. It lies in the Partizansky municipal district, within the Novolitovskoye rural settlement, next to the village of Volchanets and about 15 kilometers from Nakhodka. The lake covers roughly 10 hectares.

Surroundings

The lake lies in the coastal belt of Vostok Bay, which also receives two small rivers, Litovka and Volchanka, nearby. Next to Volchanets is the village of Novolitovsk, center of the Novolitovskoye rural settlement, which administratively includes Volchanets as well.

History

Until 1972 the lake was called Momboboza. It was then renamed after the neighboring village of Volchanets, and the old name fell out of use.

The village of Volchanets itself was founded in 1907 by settlers from a village of the same name in Bessarabia Governorate. By 1915 it had 48 homesteads and 220 Russian residents, while by 1926 Moldovans — descendants of the first settlers — had become the majority of its population. The village's economy kept changing with the Soviet-era agricultural reforms: in 1933 it formed the "Novaya Sila" kolkhoz, which in 1951 was replaced by the kolkhoz named after Kirov; from 1960 the farm became part of the "Partizansky" state farm under the name "named after Molotov".

Origin of the name

Two versions explain the lake's former name. According to an encyclopedic source, "Momboboza" translates as "turtle lake". According to another version found in local history materials, the word is Tungus-Manchu and means "river with undercut banks".

Today

The lake retains its status as a regionally protected nature monument. Local history sources describe it as a picturesque spot with relict waters — a term used for water bodies that have preserved features of earlier geological epochs. Near the village of Volchanets there are recreation bases, including "Volchanetsky Ugolok".

Getting there

Lake Volchanetskoye can be reached from Nakhodka — about 15 kilometers along the Uglovoye-Nakhodka highway, through the village of Volchanets. The lake sits on the shore of Vostok Bay, away from major roads, so the village itself serves as the landmark.