The ash dump dubbed the "Maldives of Siberia" attracted the attention of mass media recently when locals of the nearby city of Novosibirsk flocked en masse to a bright-turquoise lake to take photos and selfies in surroundings that could be located at a foreign luxury resort.
The Siberian Energy Company who owns this “hydrotechnical construction” (because it’s not actually a lake) hurried to explain the reason for the turquoise shade of water in the dump: it’s all about its shallow depth (max. 1-2 meters) and heavy presence of salts, calcium, and various oxidized metals in the water.
The hydroelectric plant also warned people against swimming in the water as “any contact with the skin could result in a strong allergic reaction due to the mineral content.”
But who cares if you can take a great (although quite clichéd) selfie against the backdrop of the "Maldives of Siberia," right?
Right. After the lake became publicized, more people learned about it and flocked there to take more photos. The plant’s management had to establish a 24/7 security in order to stop people from entering. Reportedly, two hundred selfie-junkies have already been turned away.
But Russians would not be Russians if a simple security checkpoint could have turned them away from the beauty of nature (or, more aptly, industrial might). So, they keep dodging the security - all for the sake of Instagram. Here are a few of the best shots.
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