The first mention of Lake Baikal in history dates back to 110 BC. The Chinese left to descendants in written documents information about the "North Lake", Lake Beihai. At the beginning of our era, the Kurumchin culture flourished, which had long lived around Lake Baikal. In the X-XVI centuries, the tribes of Kurykan, Khori, and Tungus peoples were replaced. In the XVII-VIII centuries. the territory around the lake is inhabited by Buryat tribes. Russian Cossacks reached Baikal in the 17th century.
Cossacks pioneers
The first information about the Buryats dates back to 1609. It was at the beginning of the 17th century that the active development of this region took place. The foundation of Tomsk dates back to 1604, the construction of the Yenisei prison - 1619, the Krasnoyarsk prison - 1628. The pioneers moved along the Verkhnyaya Tunguska, Angara, Lena. In 1640-1641, Baikal was mentioned in the "Drawing Painting" describing the tributaries of the Lena River. With reference to the Buryats, it is indicated: "… brotherly people call Lake Baikal". It is indicated that in the summer of 1640 Cossacks sailed along Lake Baikal, the lake itself, part of the coast, and Olkhon Island are described. Partially described animals, inhabitants of the coast, their way of life.
Some researchers mention Ivan Galkin, the chieftain, who ascended the Angara River with a detachment of 30 Cossacks, who set up a winter quarters near the Igirma River in 1631. However, most historians associate the exit to Lake Baikal with the name of Kurbat Ivanov. In 1643, his detachment crossed the Primorsky ridge and along the Sarma River, through the Kosaya steppe, reached Baikal at a point opposite Olkhon Island.
Kurbat Ivanov compiled a message to the governor Peter Golovin in the Yakutsk prison about the rich lands around the lake. The name "Baigaal", which came from the Buryat language, was changed to a more convenient for the Russian language "Baikal". It was Ivanov who made the first drawing of the lake, collected information about the fish that is found in Lake Baikal, about the types of fur-bearing animals on its shores.
Guided by the information received, the government in 1644 sent Cossacks to the lake under the leadership of Vasily Kolesnikov. This detachment was returning from Yeniseisk after searching for deposits of silver ores. Vasily Kolesnikov provided the second map of the lake. Ivan Pokhabov in 1647, on his way to Mongolia, crossed the ice across southern Baikal. Barguzinsky and Ust-Barguzinsky forts were built.
The description of the southern part of Baikal is given in the formal letter of the boyar's son Pyotr Beketov, dated 1653 and addressed to the Yenisei governor Afanasy Pushkov. Peter Beketov covered the distance from Yeniseisk to the Bratsk prison, through the mouth of the Prorva, along Baikal to the Selenga, sailed along the Selenga and Khilka rivers.
Interesting facts about the discovery and study of Baikal
In the "List of names", according to which the tsar's yasak was going to the Yenisei prison, Baikal is called the sea.
The first literary description of Lake Baikal was given by Archpriest Avvakum in the book "Life of Archpriest Avvakum", who visited Lake Baikal on his way to exile in 1665. In the book, the Old Believer colorfully described the nature of the lake.
In 1667, the "Drawing of the Siberian Land" gives a complete image of Lake Baikal, compiled by order of Pert Ivanovich Godunov, the Tobolsk governor.
The first scientist sent to Baikal to study Siberia by Peter I was D. G. Messerschmidt.
The first instrumental survey and a detailed ten-verst map of Lake Baikal were compiled by navigator Alexei Pushkarev.
The nature and fauna of the Baikal region was studied by academicians I. G. Gmelin in 1732-1748, academician P. S. Pallas in 1771-1773, academician I. G. Georgi.
