Katangsky district of the Irkutsk region, the village of Erbogachen, which can only be reached by plane. These places are popular today only among shift workers-oil workers. The permanent population is about two thousand people. The real harsh north, where in winter it can be up to -60.
The Nizhnyaya Tunguska River flows here, which, thanks to the writer Vyacheslav Shishkov, is famous under the name Gloom River. He told about the river in the novel of the same name. It covers two regions – the Irkutsk Region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Nizhnyaya Tunguska is a nurse for local Evenks. There are a lot of fish and game. Mushrooms, berries – all the gifts of the taiga, untouched by civilization.
The Nizhnaya Tunguska River is not very suitable for navigation, but it is used for rafting on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, starting from Tura and further to the Yenisei in Turukhansk, from where they get by water or air transport to Krasnoyarsk. Some of the routes are not difficult, and during the trip you can fish and see the most beautiful views. Holidays on the Gloomy River are for sophisticated extreme and wildlife lovers who are not afraid of trials.
Length and width of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River
The Nizhnyaya Tunguska River is a right tributary of the Yenisei, flows into it near the village of Turukhansk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, and originates in the Irkutsk Region. The source is on the Upper Tunguska Upland in the Central Siberian Plateau.
The length of the Lower Tunguska is 2,989 kilometers, and the width depends on the site, on average – 300-400 meters. As for the depth, its maximum level reaches one hundred meters in the whirlpools.
The Nizhnyaya Tunguska is considered a full-flowing river and ranks tenth in terms of water content among the rivers of Russia. There are many rapids, clamps, rocks, there are sharp turns.
History
The indigenous inhabitants of these places are Evenks, who settled on the banks of the Tunguska, according to the research of scientists, back in the 13th century. And the Russians appeared here at the beginning of the 17th century. These were Cossacks and hunters who were looking for places rich in animals, including the Lena River, which flows very close. At the same time, winter huts were built, and the colonization of the territory began.
Having imposed a fur tax on the Evenks, the Russians moved from the Yenisei and founded settlements. They mastered agriculture, crafts. They were joined by immigrants from the Lena River – the Yakuts. All settlements were small, which is justified by the conditions of the Far North.
Lower Tunguska in the TV series “Gloomy River”
In the TV series “Gloomy River” on Channel One, the Lower Tunguska is represented by a harsh taiga river, which is quite true.
The protagonist Prokhor Gromov goes to a “bad” place and dreams of building factories here, “launching” steamers, laying roads … The natural features of the river are also very vividly displayed in the series. It is stormy, with rapids, very difficult for navigation, and also dangerous by floods. Wood was floated along it, and gold was searched for on the banks. The places rich in furs and fish attracted merchants, including the heroes of Shishkov’s novel “Gloomy River”, based on which the series of the same name was filmed.
Interesting Facts
There is a project for the construction of the Evenk hydroelectric power station on the Nizhnyaya Tunguska on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory near Turukhansk. If implemented, the hydroelectric power plant could be the largest in the world. The construction plans were first announced in the 1960s and were suspended due to protests from environmentalists. They returned to the topic in the 2000s, but again the criticism turned out to be stronger.
The author of the novel “Gloomy River” Vyacheslav Shishkov himself was on the Lower Tunguska, in 1911 he took part in the expedition. So he knows the realities of these places firsthand. Then, by the way, another project was considered – to connect the Lena and Nizhnyaya Tunguska rivers near the city of Kirensk. They are separated by only 15 kilometers, but the rivers are located at different heights, and therefore the construction of the canal was eventually recognized as unprofitable.
What kind of fish is found
The Lower Tunguska River is rich in flora, therefore it attracts fishing enthusiasts. Various fish are found here, including the Red Book. Taimen, nelma, whitefish, lenok, omul, tugun, pike, perch, burbot – a total of 33 species.
Tugun is endemic to Siberia, it is even depicted on the coat of arms of the Katangsky district of the Irkutsk region. This is the smallest member of the whitefish family.
Fishing on the Lower Tunguska is allowed all year round, ice fishing and spearfishing are common.
Most popular fishing spots
There are many small islets on Nizhnaya Tunguska, and usually fishermen find good bite spots next to them. Harvest restrictions are set during spawning.
A good catch is in the tributaries of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska and at the mouth of the river. Recently, paid fishing has been organized on the Lower Tunguska in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, which can be combined with rafting.
Fishing here and on numerous lakes. A week of such a tour, together with the transfer, costs from 150 thousand Russian rubles.
