Our Earth is not the reddish desert Mars, or the gray, crater-pocked Mercury, or some cloudy Venus. It is colored from space: white ice caps sparkle, desert spots turn yellow, forests are marked with dark and light greens, but most of all the blue expanses of water. Water – its reserves on the planet are huge, but the share of fresh water does not exceed an insignificant 4 percent. Most of this precious fresh moisture is concentrated in lakes. You probably immediately thought: “How many lakes are there in our country?” Wikipedia responds clearly and quickly, like an exemplary soldier to a strict commander. According to her data, their number in Russia is more than two million. The quantity is incredible. And Lake Nero, which we are going to talk about, can be found in these millions - like a grain of sand on the beach.
And what do we see?
And we see that the Russian land is rich in lakes. But if you think about it, the number represents wealth, it’s kind of strange. And controversial. Look, friends, the main thing is not specified - the selection criterion. What served as an assessment, how was it determined whether to take or not take into account a particular lake? Did you rely on the occupied area? Then what value was taken as its lower limit?
Yes, and it’s somehow one-sided. After all, lakes can be ranked according to many other factors. For example, why not in depth? Or by age? Can be assessed by the degree of purity of the water. Finally, in beauty. Different starting points will give different sequences and different numbers. What if we choose connection with the history of the country as a criterion? Oh, then certainly Lake Nero, from the Yaroslavl region, will not get lost among the others.
Precious lake of Russia
In the North of Russia in the Yaroslavl region, at a distance of two hundred kilometers from Moscow, Rostov is located, on the banks of which stands this glorious city - a shallow lake, the depth of which is on average one to two meters. However, its dimensions match the depths - 13 by 8 km, with a total area of about 52 square meters. km. Like many, it is flowing: it is fed by 8 rivers, the only seven-kilometer-long river Veksa flows out, which, merging with another river, gives rise to the tributary of the Volga Kotorosl. There are birches and fir trees around the forest.
Well, we’ve sorted out the geography, now let’s talk about what it’s famous for. Famous for its inextricable connection with Rostov the Great, the pearl of Russian history and Russian architecture. The most beautiful Russian Kremlin on earth, adjacent to a picturesque lake, offers the viewer fabulous views.
In a word - attention, painters! Dip your brushes in blue...
There are no two opinions - the main decoration of the landscape of Rostov the Great and the surrounding coastal villages is the views of Lake Nero. How wonderful the architectural masterpiece of a self-taught peasant, the Porec Tower, looks from its waters - the grandiose, four-tiered bell tower of the Porec Church, which is taller than the famous bell tower of Ivan the Great!
The Rostov Kremlin with its chambers, the belfry with the peals of the giant Sysoy bell, monastery buildings, and the coastal ramparts near Lake Nero now remind us of the ancient city, which rightly bore the title “Great”.
And a fairy tale lives here. Rostov Nero is where Pike, who made Emelya happy, lived, this lake is the birthplace of Ruff Ershovich, the hero of a satirical story of the 16th century, the one who competed with fish like bream and chub.
Children and adults, who enthusiastically watched films about the daring merchant Sadko and the glorious Tsar Saltan, had no idea that the master of the film fairy tale, Alexander Ptushko, filmed the shots with white-stone fortresses and churches not in Novgorod, but in Rostov the Great.
Glaciers, lakes, Rus'
People have always wanted to live near water. Moreover, our ancestors gave preference to the shores of lakes for the construction of fortresses, the construction of cities, and the establishment of monasteries. Fertile coastal lands, an abundance of fish in the lake, rivers flowing in and out that connected with neighbors...
Thus, in ancient times, Veliky Novgorod was formed near Lake Ilmen, the territory near Lake Pleshcheyevo was occupied by the Pereyaslav Principality, and the Principality of Rostov-Suzdal arose near Nero.
When and how did the lake itself appear?
Even ten thousand years ago, a powerful ice crust covered Northern Europe, ice tongues slid across our Russia to the south. But the time of the beginning of the Great Glaciation and its causes are one of the mysteries of the Earth. It is known that this process was not continuous.
Glaciers either disappeared with the advent of warm periods, or reappeared. Their melting gave birth to the abundance of lakes that now exist on the Russian Plain. Their appearance and the surrounding landscape serve as a reminder of the harsh times of the Ice Age. The spill of melted glacial waters created this Rostov lake.
Lake Nero as an accumulation of information for one hundred and sixty thousand years
Each lake stores information about its past. To find out about it - distant and close - a well was drilled on the shore of Nero - 130 meters deep. The samples were examined by geographers from Moscow State University.
It was a gigantic and lengthy job, but the results were impressive. Moscow State University scientists have determined that Lake Nero in Rostov is more than 160 thousand years old. They dated the eras of warming and cooling, calculated what temperatures corresponded to them, what kind of flora grew on the coast at different times.
It is known that mineral and organic particles accumulate on the lake bottom. They contain information about the reservoir itself, its depth, water quality, but also about the vegetation around it and even the local climate. This sedimentary layer grows from year to year. Having drilled through its thickness, you have a kind of data archive at your disposal.
This is how we learned that 125 thousand years ago, no fir trees grew around the Rostov Lake Nero, but oak, linden, and hornbeam forests stood around, and the temperature in summer was 2 degrees higher than today. The coming cooling changed the vegetation, bringing it closer to the tundra. But with the new warming, oaks and linden trees appeared again and fluffy fir trees began to grow - it was no longer so warm.
In bottom sediments corresponding to the period when people began to settle these places, pollen of rye, buckwheat and flax was found. It became reliably known what agricultural crops the first settlers sowed.
Science takes the floor
Why do we need this data, obtained with such difficulty and processed through the efforts of many scientists? How to practically use them?
A precious gift of nature, without which life is unthinkable, water is a limited resource, far from unlimited. And its consumption is growing from year to year.
These facts are a real headache for humanity. The problem of wise use of natural resources is the key to the well-being of current and future generations of people.
Now, on powerful computers, it has become possible to simulate complex natural processes and predict their development in the future. But how can you check the accuracy of the data received? Scientists don't have a time machine. This is where the obtained paleoclimatic data are indispensable for testing climate models. The calculation results are checked against them and an objective assessment of the forecast is available.
What kind of trouble threatens Lake Nero, Yaroslavl region
The life cycle of a lake schematically consists of four stages:
- At first, the lake is clean, its water contains a lot of oxygen, but few nutrients, and therefore few living organisms.
- Over time, life blossoms within it.
- Living organisms produce a variety of waste products that decompose by absorbing oxygen. Algae are growing with might and main - they themselves are powerful consumers of oxygen. All other life is gradually crowded out, algae become the true masters of the reservoir.
- Shallow and overgrown, it gradually becomes a swamp.
It is clear that the change of stages takes millennia, and the speed of their progress is individual and depends on many factors. But there is no doubt about the sad fact that man, through his economic activities, accelerates this natural process many times over.
Lake Nero, once deep and abundant with a variety of fish in the Yaroslavl region, is close to turning into a swamp. Not without human intervention, it began to rapidly become polluted, shallow and overgrown.
In the 19th century, they began to dump garbage into it, dump sewage, and cut down the surrounding forests. In the 20th century, environmentalists counted a dozen enterprises that were serious sources of pollution. Porec cannery, coffee-chicory factory, flax carding and spinning factory, optical-mechanical and asphalt concrete plants and others...
Now no one swims in the yellowish-green lake. The city by the lake has effectively become a city without a lake.
But the ban on swimming in it is still more likely connected with another problem of Lake Nero - almost all of its water area - 80% - is overgrown with algae, which in Rostov is called “tarnava”, the average depth has decreased to 80 centimeters, and the thickness of sediments at the bottom has reached 40 meters. But back in 1883 it was quite navigable - then a steamship began sailing on it.
Is it really impossible to save the reservoir?
Lake Nero map
Salvation of the lake at its bottom
We have already said that sediments of organic and mineral substances accumulate at the bottom of the lake. The longer the lake exists, the greater their thickness. Now every year they add 3.5 millimeters to them in Lake Nero. And that's a lot.
Time passes - millennia - and a peculiar substance called sapropel is created from bottom sediments. Its color is determined by the combination of minerals present; it can be brown, olive, gray, black, bluish, or reddish. The consistency of sapropel resembles thick sour cream.
This substance is truly wonderful - a biostimulant, therapeutic mud, raw material for chemical processing, a feed additive and an excellent fertilizer. The volume of this wealth on Lake Nero is estimated at 250 million cubic meters. Even its very name in the language of the first settlers - the Merya people - meant “swampy”, “muddy”.
If we start extracting sapropel on an industrial scale, this can dramatically improve the health of the lake. A long time ago, the technology for its extraction was developed, calculations were carried out, experimental testing was carried out, but... That was the end of the whole thing. The lack of money, bureaucratic obstacles, and disagreements between departments hindered things.
Recently, the public of Rostov the Great has literally inundated the regional authorities with appeals to save the lake, and in August 2014, a regulation on the “Lake Nero Natural Monument” was adopted and a new project for its rehabilitation began to be developed. But even here, not everything is smooth; Rostov residents have serious doubts about its successful implementation and that the dying lake will be able to breathe life.
Lake Nero Yaroslavl region fishing - winter and summer
The shores of the lake are low and marshy, with dense growth of reeds and reeds, cattails and willows. And there is a variety of fish in it - pike, perch, crucian carp, pike perch, tench, ruff, roach. They catch it with a spinning rod - from a boat or in the channels between the reeds. But Porechye-Rybny has a special reputation. It is believed that the lake near the mouth of the Sara River always has excellent fishing - both in summer and winter.
A fishing axiom - winter fishing is very good on this reservoir. Frosts come, and on the snow-white plain of Lake Nero there are scatterings of countless black dots - these are the ice fishing enthusiasts who come throughout the Yaroslavl region, patiently sitting over their gear.
Here’s what one of them says: “In snowy areas there are windows of transparent ice. I sit down at the edge of the reed thickets near such a window. I'm starting to catch. I take a closer look at the underwater environment. The first to swim towards me is a group in striped swimsuits. The fish freeze and look at the balance beam in fascination, and I, in turn, do not take my eyes off them. But the size of the potential prey for striped fish is large, and the sailor perch are disappointed to go somewhere further.
I continue to sit, count the swings, and little by little I plunge into a drowsy nirvana. Suddenly I feel someone starting to pull the fishing rod out of my hands. I tense up, but I don’t force things. And then I see a fish cutting circles around the hole. A moment and victory will be ours! - the captured beautiful perch of great size is presented for everyone to see.”
Hundreds of surrounding residents of Lake Nero earned their living by fishing, bringing pike, perch, bream, and crucian carp to the market of the Great City of Rostov and to Moscow. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, fresh lake fish was supplied to the royal table; huge pikes were especially prized - a source of special pride for the Rostov lake. But in recent years it has become depleted of fish, and the fish themselves have been shredding.
There are still fishermen's tales about a 20-kilogram toothy robber pike caught “very recently,” or a perch of such a size that, no matter how hard they tried, they could not pull it out of the hole, but more often the real catch is 1–3 kilograms, and sometimes they themselves fishermen say about their catch: “A smaller-sized roach to the delight of the cat.”
And where there is a delicious smell of fresh river fish, there is a fragrant fish soup!
There are countless recipes for it, although it is prepared from the simplest ingredients - fish, onions, potatoes, carrots... Half an hour - and everything is ready, grab a spoon. And if it’s cooked over a fire, with smoke, you won’t be shocked by the ears! But Rostov has its own recipes for this popular dish of Russian cuisine. The first is fish soup with tomatoes, the other is Great Rostov fish soup. It is prepared exclusively on holidays, with special secret subtleties and always from several varieties of fish.
Although, no one can say what will happen with fishing and fish soup now. The recently adopted regulations on the “Lake Nero Natural Monument” stipulate that both commercial and sport fishing are prohibited on the Rostov lake. Therefore, on the shore of Lake Nero, Yaroslavl region, today the fisherman’s wish for good luck sounds somehow ambiguous: “No tail, no scales!”
The glory of Rostov vegetable gardens
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, at the end of the Stone Age, a global food crisis occurred for the first time.
Humanity emerged from it by inventing a wonderful thing - gardening. This useful activity turned out to be so exciting that Russians, our contemporaries, are still happily doing it in their haciendas. Although, perhaps they have just seen a lot of things.
Nah. But let's return to the vast lowland around Lake Nero with its center in the city of Rostov. Vegetable gardening in these places was truly phenomenal. Experts study it from different angles and from all sides, but we will say clearly and simply - Rostovites knew how, and still know how, to grow wonderful vegetables!
Since the 17th century, they have been famous as masters of garden beds, skilled and hardworking. It is believed that Tsar Peter was aware of this when he sent several local specialists to Holland to improve their gardening wisdom.
In the 18th-19th centuries, it was customary for skilled Rostov gardeners to go on vacation - that is, to earn seasonal earnings in Moscow, Riga, and St. Petersburg. It gave good money.
So, one day a Porech native named Abram Pykhov went to a foreign side. And the enterprising peasant succeeded. And, having become a public figure, he bought a house and land in the Mother See. At that time, the fashion in Moscow was to name streets by the names of the wealthy homeowners living on them. Thus, in the capital, among a thousand different alleys, one with a Rostov trace was formed - Pykhov Lane.
In St. Petersburg, in the years 1850–1870, everyone knew the famous Efim Grachev, who also came from Rostov-on-Don gardeners. He grew a variety of vegetables - cucumbers, champignons, cabbage, radishes, watermelons and melons. His miracle vegetables amazed eyewitnesses. The harvest I received from my beds was one in forty! At Russian and international exhibitions he was awarded 62 medals and was elected a member of the Academy of Agriculture in Paris.
Vegetables were grown in twenty lakeside Rostov villages - in Porechye, Ugodichi, Vorzhe, Sulost and others. Initially, cabbage, garlic, onions, and cucumbers were grown here for sale. In the first half of the 19th century, green peas, chicory, garden herbs and potatoes were added to them. And garden produce went not only to the market, but also to processing.
By the end of the 19th century, canning factories appeared here and the production of coffee from chicory, aromatic oils, dried green peas, sago and potato starch was in full swing. One potato was processed by as many as 25 county factories! In the village of Porechye, for 135 years there has been a factory that cans green peas - an indispensable component of the national Olivier salad.
And nowadays, from the beginning of spring to mid-autumn, all Rostov residents are in their gardens, and still grow wonderful vegetables. The scale of gardening has become much smaller, but Rostov residents still delight the capital and Moscow region with their products.
The beds, as in the old days, are fertilized with bottom silt - fertile sapropel. As a result, the harvests are no worse than before. And what varieties! What is the quality! Rostov onions - 4 pieces per kilogram! – can be stored at home for almost two years, without sprouting or withering.
And the best cucumbers have always been in the village of Porechye. Cucumber fishing has been a hobby of local residents for several hundred years. In August, villagers hold a traditional, cheerful “Green Cucumber” festival with a fair, competitions and treats with lightly salted cucumbers. In this village there is a gardener's museum - everything for those curious about Rostov vegetable gardens and vegetables, about how they dried, salted, fermented and pickled what they grew, and in what utensils they stored what they produced.
Secrets of the muddy lake Nero
There are many ambiguities and questions in the history of Rostov the Great, but now let’s turn to its main mystery.
Here is a fundamental fact - the city was first mentioned in the chronicle in 862. The Tale of Bygone Years speaks of it as a settlement that has existed for a long time. This means, in fact, it arose even earlier than this date. But the problem is that archaeologists do not find confirmation of this. Their materials allow us to trace the history of Rostov from the mid-tenth century. But why is that?
Among others, young Rostov local historian Mikhail Sudarushkin thought about this. He expressed one hypothesis, in connection with which the legend of Kitezh comes to mind.
There is such an old legend among the schismatics.
It says that a marvelous city stood on the shore of a bright lake, to which hordes of invaders unexpectedly approached. They looked at the city of Kitezh with greedy eyes, anticipating quick and rich booty. But suddenly the unexpected happened: right before their eyes, the city, along with the people who inhabited it, with elegant towers and chambers, white-stone churches and shining domes, quietly sank under the water... And since then it has stood at the bottom of the lake, washed by bottom currents. Only occasionally, through the thickness of the water, the ringing of its bells is heard, and its outlines are sometimes dimly visible in the ripples of the waves.
And the essence of Mikhail Sudarushkin’s hypothesis is that Lake Nero, for some currently unclear reasons, expanded its shores and flooded the oldest part of Rostov with its waters.
At the moment there is no direct evidence - for this, of course, archaeologists need to carry out excavations at the bottom of the lake. But for now this is unrealistic: what to do with forty meters of sapropel at the bottom?
Yes, there is indirect evidence of this interesting assumption. Therefore, we cannot simply dismiss it; let’s wait, maybe soon something will become clearer in connection with the work to improve the health of the reservoir.
And let's not forget, the discovery of Troy also began with just a hypothesis...
Like any more or less decent lake, Rostov Nero has its own legends.
One of these legends is about countless treasures that are waiting in the wings at the bottom of the lake. What kind of treasures are there? Under what circumstances did they get there? Who hid them there? There are many variants of legends. Most often we are talking about valuables hidden either during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, or during the time of disasters of troubled times. We are most often talking about golden city gates, rich church utensils, forged chests with the city treasury, and precious weapons.
And Lake Nero in the Yaroslavl region supports and inflames treasure-hunting interest, throwing out from time to time, as if to confirm the legends, curious objects of ancient use, coins, or precious things.
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It is known that previously all cities were built near water. These could be oceans, rivers, and small bodies of water. The main thing is that water is food, natural protection from attacks and a means of communication with trading partners. Lake Nero in Rostov can be considered a natural phenomenon, thanks to which the city of Rostov the Great appeared. It was this that at one time influenced how majestic the city became.
From the history of the lake...
People began to live here about 6,000 years ago. In the 7th-9th centuries, one of the Finno-Ugric tribes, the Merya, lived along the shores surrounding Lake Nero. It gave the lake the name Nero (muddy, swampy) and another name – Kaovo (the habitat of seagulls). In 862, the city of Rostov the Great was mentioned for the first time in the chronicle. And from that time on, the reservoir on which it was founded was very often called Rostov Lake. Until the 18th century, the Rostov fishing settlement was obliged to supply tench, pike, perch and carp to the royal table, and only the suburban fishermen could fish with nets. The rest were only allowed to use a fishing rod.
Rostov the Great became the official owner of this “fresh sea” only in 1917. Before that, it was owned by various landowners, the State Treasury, and then peasants from the coastal villages of Porechye-Rybnoye and Ugodichi. The Ugodich residents had a monopoly on the transportation of people and goods across Lake Rostov on “catfish” - large boats with oars and sails. The steamboat appeared here only in 1883.
The lands along the banks have always been very fertile, so not only fishing, but also gardening was a very profitable business here. Rostov family onions have always been especially valued.
2.
Flooded pontoon on the lake
- This reservoir is already 500,000 years old. It was finally formed 60,000 years ago under the influence of a receding glacier. Then its area was about 25 times larger.
- Now this is the largest lake in the Yaroslavl region, measuring 12 by 8 km, with an area of 54 square meters. km and with a 48-kilometer coastline.
- The average depth is 1 meter, the greatest is 4m; at its bottom there are deposits of silt up to 20m thick.
- Lake Nero in Rostov is flowing, fed by 8 rivers with names in the language of the Merya people who once lived here: Sara, Ishnya, Varus... The powerful Vexa River flows out, which then merges with the river mouth in Kotorosl and flows into the Volga.
- There are four large bays (Makarikha, Bateevo, Klyuchi, Varus) and two large islands - Lesnoy and Gorodskoy. The city island lies on a 20m high stone monolith, once brought by a glacier.
- The city has legends that Rostov Lake stores at its bottom rich treasures left by local residents during the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
- They still fish on the lake - bream, perch, pike, pike perch, ide, rudd, roach.
- Lake Nero is a quiet and ecologically clean place, since industry here has never been particularly developed, and in recent years has almost disappeared, which has had a very good effect on the number of fish. It is not for nothing that these places are included in the Golden Ring of Russia.
- From the lake there are beautiful views of Rostov the Great - the Kremlin, Avraamiev and Dimitriev monasteries. One of the most popular Soviet films, “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession,” was filmed in the Rostov Kremlin.
3.
View of Rostov the Great
Information for tourists:
A trip on one of the two excursion ships costs 150 rubles if there is a group of 10 people. You can also take a boat ride, but it will cost more.
How to get there:
From Moscow to Rostov it is 219 km along the Yaroslavskoye Highway, about three hours by car. By train Moscow - Yaroslavl: 2.5 hours.
Address: Russia, Yaroslavl region, near Rostov the Great
Square: 51.7 km²
Greatest depth: 3.6 m
Coordinates: 57°09"18.0"N 39°25"44.6"E
Lake Nero is located south of Rostov the Great. This shallow reservoir is full of secrets and mysteries, and is closely connected with the history of the Russian state. After all, it was here that the ancient Rostov-Suzdal principality was born and strengthened. To this day, Nero remains a significant natural oasis among the surrounding industrial-agrarian landscapes.
How Lake Nero appeared
Scientists believe that the age of the lake has exceeded 500 thousand years. This freshwater body of water, one of the few on the Russian Plain, arose in the pre-glacial period. And about 20 thousand years ago, glaciation ended, the lake occupied an area 25 times larger than today - about 750 square meters. km. Scientists drilled a deep 130 m well near Nero and, after analyzing samples of the resulting soil, drew conclusions about Nero’s pre-glacial past. It turns out that 125 thousand years ago, not the now familiar birch and spruce trees grew around it, but hornbeams, lindens and oak forests. And the climate at that time was 2 degrees warmer.
Archaeologists are convinced that the first tribes of people came to Nero a little over 6,000 years ago. And the Eastern Slavs settled its surroundings in the 9th century. They called the reservoir Rostov Lake. The life of the ancient inhabitants of the lake region is evidenced by numerous finds of archaeologists - the remains of ceramic products, as well as tools made of stone and bone.
Now the lake is shallow and has low, marshy shores, overgrown with reeds, reeds and cattails. The average depth of the reservoir is only 1-1.5 m, and the maximum depths reach 4 m. Algae grows at the bottom, which locals call “tarnava”.
By November, Nero is covered in ice, and is freed from it only by April. 17 rivers bring their waters to the lake, and the largest of them is Sara, which in the lower reaches is called Gdoy. And Vexa alone flows out of Nero and carries its waters into the Volga basin. Now the lake has two large islands, Rozhdestvensky, which is also called Gorodsky, and Lesnoy (or Levsky), and several small islands.
Ancient Kitezh-grad on Rostov land
The basis for the legend about the mysterious Kitezh-grad was a manuscript that appeared in the 1780-1790s and was copied many times by the Old Believers. It was called “The Kitezh Chronicler” and contained a story about supposedly authentic events that took place in the 12th-13th centuries. Echoes of this legend found their way into the novel by P.I. Melnikov-Pechersky “In the Forests” and spread in educated Russian circles.
The beautiful legend was liked and taken up. This is how N.A.’s opera appeared. Rimsky-Korsakov and famous paintings by artists M.V. Nesterov and K.I. Gorbatova.
If we compare the two famous lakes of the “Golden Ring” of Russia - Nero and Pleshcheyevo, then in the Rostov reservoir there will be 2.5 times more sapropel - more than 250 million cubic meters. m. Due to severe shallowing, Nero is now close to turning into a swamp. All industrial and domestic wastewater from Rostov goes into the waters of this lake. Almost no one swims in the lake or uses the lake water for drinking. So Nero has plenty of environmental problems.
Sights of Lake Nero
On the very bank of the Nero there are beautiful architectural ensembles of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery and the pearl of the city - the Rostov Kremlin. You can also take an interesting excursion along Nero from the pier, which is located not far from the Kremlin walls. This trip allows you to see the reservoir and the sights of its shores from board the ship.
On the southern bank of Nero, on the bend of the river flowing into the lake, the Sarskoye settlement was once located - the capital of the Finno-Ugric Merya tribe that lived here (VII-XIX centuries). It was the Merya who gave the freshwater body its two first names: “Kaovo” - the area where seagulls live, and “Nero” - a marshy muddy area.
The territory of the ancient settlement “Sarskoe Settlement” has been explored since the middle of the 19th century. And scientists have made many interesting archaeological finds - jewelry, household items, weapons and craft tools. Thanks to them, researchers established that the inhabitants who inhabited the settlement were engaged in farming, hunting, fishing, raised horses and cattle, and also knew how to process stone, leather, bones, and forge and cast bronze items.
In the village of Ugodichi you can see the bell tower of the Epiphany Church and St. Nicholas Church preserved from the 18th century. Previously, Ugodichi was called Ugozha. In terms of age, this settlement is equal to Rostov.
In the village of Porechye there is the famous “Poretsk Tower”. This is the name of the bell tower of the Church of St. Nikita the Martyr. The huge five-tier bell tower, 94 m high, is a significant altitudinal dominant of all the surrounding areas of Porechye and is visible from a distance of several kilometers. It was built in the 70s of the 18th century according to the design of the Rostov architect S.A. Kozlova.
Nero also became famous in the history of cinematography. It was on its banks that the beloved films “Sadko” and “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession” were filmed.
Fishing on Lake Nero
Nero is famous for its good fishing for perch, pike and bream. But there are also bream, silver bream, rudd and roach. According to documents, it is known that until the 18th century, the Rostov fishing settlement supplied freshly caught fish to the royal table for a long time. Local huge pike were especially expensive. Only suburban fishermen enjoyed the right to fish on Nero with nets. The rest had to be content with fishing with a rod.
Experts believe that the fish bite here all year round. And ice fishing enthusiasts from all over the Yaroslavl region gather for winter fishing on the lake ice. Bottom sediments of sapropel do not cause any harm to fish. The currents on the lake are not pronounced, so the local fish are energetic, which determines the characteristics of fishing on Nero.
Spinning fishing from a boat is popular here. Local fishermen also have the expression “gutter fishing.” This is what they call fishing in places where there are noticeable gullies on the lake bottom. Porechye is considered the best place for fishing. To get here, you need to turn left after the bridge over the Sarah.
How to get to Lake Nero
The lake is located in the Yaroslavl region, to the south of the city of Rostov the Great.
By car. The federal highway M8, connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk, leads to Rostov the Great. From the capital to the city - 220 km, and from Yaroslavl - 55 km. Along the highway you need to get to the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, located at the entrance to Rostov.
Nero (Rostov Lake) is a freshwater lake in the southwest of the Yaroslavl region of Russia.
Area - about 51.7 km². Length 13 km, width 8 km, depth - up to 3.6 m.
The lake is shallow. The banks are low.
The bottom is covered with a thick layer of sapropel. The lake freezes in November and opens in April.
The diet is mixed, with a predominance of snow.
In ancient times, the shores of the lake were inhabited.
legendary lake Nero near the walls 
The lake is estimated to be approximately 500 thousand years old. It is one of the few lakes from the pre-glacial period in central Russia. The etymology of the name Nero goes back to the ancient lake-river term ner-, from the same root the Nerl River is called.
The first people settled on the lake about 6 thousand years ago. According to a number of researchers, it had a capital in the Sarsky settlement on the southern shore of the lake. There were also Merya settlements on small rivers in the vicinity of Lake Nero.
In the 9th century, Eastern Slavs settled near the lake. They named the lake Rostov.
There are several islands on Nero: Lvovsky (“Forest Island”), Rozhdestvensky (City Island, this island formed into a monolith during the pre-glacial period), as well as several unnamed islands at the source of the Vyoksa River. Eight tributaries flow into Lake Nero: Sara, Ishnya, Kuchebesh, Mazikha, Varus, Chucherka, Unita, Sula. The Vyoksa River flows out.
Fishing: bream, perch, pike, etc.
On Lake Nero there is the city of Rostov (on the western shore), the urban-type settlement of Porechye-Rybnoye, the villages of Ugodichi, Vorzha, and Lviv.
The first steamship "Emelyan" appeared on the lake in 1883.
view of the lake from the Kremlin Water Tower Lake Nero 
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LAKE NERO
This reservoir is already 500,000 years old. It was finally formed 60,000 years ago under the influence of a receding glacier. Then its area was about 25 times larger.
Now this is the largest lake in the Yaroslavl region, measuring 12 by 8 km, with an area of 54 square meters. km and with a 48-kilometer coastline.
The average depth is 1 meter, the greatest is 4m; at its bottom there are deposits of silt up to 20m thick.
Lake Nero in Rostov is flowing, fed by 8 rivers with names in the language: Sara, Ishnya, Varus... The powerful Vexa River flows out, which then merges with the river mouth in Kotorosl and flows into the Volga.
There are four large bays (Makarikha, Bateevo, Klyuchi, Varus) and two large islands - Lesnoy and Gorodskoy. The city island lies on a 20m high stone monolith, once brought by a glacier.
The city has legends that Rostov Lake stores at its bottom rich treasures left by local residents during the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
They still fish on the lake - bream, perch, pike, pike perch, ide, rudd, roach.
Lake Nero is a quiet and ecologically clean place, since industry here has never been particularly developed, and in recent years has almost disappeared, which has had a very good effect on the number of fish. It is not for nothing that these places are included in the Golden Ring of Russia.
The Avraamiev and Dimitriev monasteries open from the lake. One of the most popular Soviet films, “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession,” was filmed in the Rostov Kremlin.
view of the lake from the walls 
ARTICLE ABOUT LAKE NERO
An ancient Greek saying says: “You cannot step into the same river twice.” But why only in the river? Into the lake too. After all, it is also constantly changing in its endless movement and carries its waters, filled with life, through time.
Rostov residents cannot imagine either themselves or their city without a lake. And even though several of its names have changed over the last thousand years, for the residents of Rostov and coastal villages it was and is the Lake, the beginning of beginnings, the source of everything that exists around.
The shores of the Lake, whose age is about 500 thousand years, were formed by a glacier that melted here, according to some sources, 60, according to others, 20 thousand years ago. Oh, how huge and deep it was in those days! The lake filled the entire present-day lake basin and occupied 750 square meters. km. Its modern dimensions and outlines took shape about 5 thousand years ago.
And today it is the largest lake in the Yaroslavl region. The length of its coastline is about 48 km, the greatest width is 8 km, the greatest length is 12 km, and the area is 54 sq. km. But the greatest depth is only 4 m, with an average of slightly more than 1 m. The bottom of the Lake is multi-meter (up to 20 m) silty deposits.
The lake shores are marshy and low, abundantly overgrown with cattail, susak, telores, reeds, reeds, and willows.
Despite the fact that the lake is flowing, in summer most of it is overgrown with algae, which is called “tarnava” here. This may be why the water from the Lake is tasteless and not suitable for drinking. Although until the end of the 19th century. most residents of Rostov were forced to use it. There is an extremely expressive statement about the properties of the Rostov area: “The land is damp, the water is rotten. The people are like an oak.”
The lake is fed by 17 rivers and rivulets, the names of which are reminiscent of the Meri people who once lived here: Ishnya, Kuchibosh, Varus, Mazikha, Chucherka, Unita, Suda... The largest of the rivers flowing into it is the Sara, in its lower reaches the name Gda . Its powerful stream (local name is “sastruga”) passes through the entire Lake and flows out of it by the Veksa River, which, connecting with the Ustye River, forms the Kotorosl River (formerly Kotorost). In Yaroslavl it flows into the Volga.
In its southwestern part, the Lake forms several bays - Varus, Klyuchi, Makarikha, Bateevo. Levski Island is located near Varus. The second island is located opposite Rostov and is called Gorodskaya. They are both low, swampy, and flooded during the spring flood. At the base of City Island lies a huge stone monolith brought here by glacier, its height is 20 m.
The first people appeared in the Lake Basin 6 thousand years ago. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds - Neolithic stone and bone tools, fragments of ceramics.
The first local inhabitants, whose name was conveyed to our time by ancient Russian chronicles, were the Finno-Ugric tribe Meri (VII-XI centuries). Obviously, it was they who gave him the first two names of the Lake - Kaovo and Nero. Modern linguistics gives the following interpretations to these names: Kaovo - “the place where seagulls live” (and indeed, they still live here), Nero - “a muddy, swampy place,” which is also true.
Later (and for a very long time!) the Lake was officially called simply “Rostov” - after the name that arose on its northern shore and was first mentioned in the chronicle in 862. And from that time on, the City and the Lake are united and inseparable.
Paradoxically, until 1917 the Lake did not belong to Rostov. At different times it was owned by: the State Treasury, landowners, and later - peasants of the lakeside villages of Ugodichi and Poreche-Rybnoye.
The lake abounded in fish. An old song says this:
“Oh, you goy, muddy sea,
The sea is muddy, you are alien,
Why are you called lake?
That's why they call me lake
That there is no sand at the bottom of me,
And that there are no foreign fish in me,
Only the ruff and pike live in me,
Small raft with crucian carp,
Redfin perch with burbot,
Another catfish when it complains,
From the fast Volga River,
With ide fish and bream.”
Note that fishing on the Lake was clearly distributed and regulated by decrees.
Until the end of the 17th century. in Rostov there was a Fishing Settlement, the inhabitants of which were obliged to supply fish: pike, tench, carp, perch to the royal table. The rest of the residents had the right to fish only with a fishing rod.
Peasants of the village had the exclusive right to transport goods and people. Please. For a fee, they delivered passengers from one shore to another on large rowing and sailing boats - “catfish”.
Steamship traffic on the Lake opened on April 23, 1883. The owner of the first steamship was the Rybinsk merchant Emelyanov, who paid peasants from the village for the right to transport. Give a certain amount.
But Rostov residents were never forbidden to ride around the Lake in their boats; boat trips were their favorite pastime. From the Lake, Rostov is amazingly beautiful.
Its numerous domes float above the water, forming a fabulous necklace: in the east one can see the oldest Epiphany Abraham Monastery in Russia (XVI - XIX centuries), in the center - the Nativity Maiden Monastery (XVII - XIX centuries), and the majestic ensemble of the Kremlin (XVI - XVIII centuries), in the west - the most famous of the Rostov monasteries - Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery (XVII - XIX centuries).
In addition to Rostov, on the shores of the Lake there are ancient villages: Vorzha, Ugodichi, Porechye-Rybnoye, Lviv, etc.
From the Rostov coast in clear weather, the village of Ugodichi (in ancient times Ugozh) is clearly visible - one of the oldest villages, equal in age to Rostov, the traditional center of Rostov gardening. The bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany and St. Nicholas Church (18th century) have been preserved here to this day.
To the right, on the same bank, rises the famous “Poretsk Tower” - the bell tower of the Church of St. Nikita the Martyr p. Porechye. The five-tiered structure easily soared into the air, and its expressive silhouette is visible for many kilometers. The bell tower was built in 1772-79. local self-taught architect A.S. Kozlov. Its height is 94 m, which is 6 m higher than the famous Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Moscow Kremlin.
“And the bell tower is like a royal bride!
Will the Almighty not hear her bells?
I won't say that there is no better place in the world,
But no slimmer. And she is not higher
Throughout Holy Rus'. Well, how can you not marvel?!
And, one must assume that this takeoff was necessary,
Not to belittle the dignity of the capital,
But to show that, supposedly, we are no worse!”
Both of these villages - Ugodichi and Porechye - have long been arguing for the right to be called “the birthplace of Rostov gardening.” Growing (or, as they said here, “raising”) vegetables was the main occupation of the peasants of the entire lake basin, the lands of which are distinguished by high fertility and in the old days were even called “Rostov scrofula.”
The “arrogant Rostovites” did not disdain gardening either. There is a well-known expression that came to us from the Census Books of the 17th century. And it became winged - “... plows the onion and garlic, and that’s what it feeds on.” That is, the cultivation of vegetables here had a truly commercial character. It’s not for nothing that local gardeners still call all the vegetables they grow for sale simply “commodity.” But the famous Rostov onion brought special fame to local gardening. The technology of its cultivation has been developed for centuries. And only in Rostov onion seeds are called “chernushka”, the onion of the first field (year) is called “senchik”, and subsequent years are called “selection”. Rostov onion is still considered one of the best varieties for central Russia, since its main advantage is “multi-family”, i.e. You can get up to eight from one sample bulb. It’s funny that in the old days, a rich bride here was called the “Rostov onion.” The people’s ability to poeticize the most ordinary things and phenomena is amazing! The Lake itself is covered with many fairy tales, legends and traditions.
Epiphany Abraham Monastery Lake Nero 
TRADES AND LEGENDS OF THE LAKE
Even before the scientific interpretation of the name "Nero" appeared, explaining it. According to one of them, during an enemy raid Rostov was destroyed to the ground, and its inhabitants fled.
Time passed, the city rose from the ashes, but the enemies did not know about it. And when they again moved to Russian soil under the leadership of an old warrior and came out of the forest thicket to the shore of the lake, they unexpectedly saw a beautiful city above its surface.
The old warrior was so amazed that the words involuntarily escaped him: “This is not Ro...” - he wanted to say “this is not Rostov.” But he didn’t have time: an arrow shot from the fortress wall pierced his throat, and he collapsed on the shore of the lake. So it became known as Nero.
Another legend tells that Tsar Ivan the Terrible, angry with the Rostovites, decided to take the Lake from them and assign it to the village. Please your patrimony. He called the clerk and began to dictate to him a decree: “From now on, consider the lake not Rostov, but Ugodic.” But suddenly he was struck by muteness, and he only managed to say “And from now on, consider the lake not Ro...”.
And there is a belief in Rostov: his owner Vodyanoy lives at the bottom of the Lake in the thickets of the Garnava. He collects tribute from fishermen: he will not “close” or “open” lakes without human casualties.
And indeed, every year in late autumn and early spring, people still drown in the lake, despite its insignificant depth. Lake Nero 
In an 18th century manuscript. The fairy tale about Ersha Shchetinnikov has come down to us, composed in the same way that ancient court papers were written.
“Boyar son, Bream of the Rostov Lake with his comrades hits the judges with his forehead: Sturgeon, Beluga and White fish on Ruff Shchetinnikov, who impudently took possession of the Rostov Lake, that he, Ruff, stabs them with bristles and drives them out of the hereditary Rostov Lake.
Ruff is a whistleblower (defendant), a lot of witnesses are called in his case, some of them in their testimony give an excellent description of the accused. The judges interrogate Ruff. Ruff replies that Lake Rostov was still behind his grandfathers, and that he himself is known as a good man in Moscow and in other great cities by princes and boyars, stewards and nobles, clerks and clerks:
“They buy me,” he says, “at a high price and cook me with pepper and saffron and put me before them honestly.”
Bream puts forward Whitefish on the Narva River and Loduga in the Volkhov River as witnesses to his case.
And Ruff takes these witnesses away: they, he says, are the same rich people as Bream, and will take his side. Then Bream points out another witness - Herring from Lake Pereyaslavl.
Ruff tried to take this witness away too:
“And Whitefish, and Loduga, and Herring are related and live in the same neighborhood, eat and drink together,” but the judges still sent the bailiff-Okun with witnesses - Burbot, Golovl and Yazem - for Herring to Lake Pereyaslavl.
And Herring showed at the trial:
“Bream and his comrades know. Bream is a good man and a Christian of God, he lives by his own, and not someone else’s, power, but Ruff, gentlemen, is an evil man, Bristle.” Judge Sturgeon said: he himself heard about Ruff, “that they boil him in the ear, but don’t eat him as much as they spit him out,” and he told how Ruff offended him: he deliberately led him into a net, and then laughed at him. And all the judges judged:
“Give the plaintiff Bream that Ruff with his head and order him to be executed by trade execution. At the court case there were: Catfish with a large mustache and the closer Karas, and the list of the court case was written by Vyun, and Rak printed it with his back claw, and Snyatok (Vandysh) of Pereyaslavl sat at the seal. Ersh listened to the court's decision and said:
“Gentlemen judges! You did not judge according to the truth, you judged according to bribes. Bream and his comrades were cleared, but I was accused.” Ruff spat in the judges' eyes and jumped into the brushwood; only that Ruff was seen.”
TREASURES OF THE LAKE
From generation to generation in Rostov, stories are passed on about supposedly countless treasures lying at the bottom of the lake - golden gates, rich church utensils, jewelry, weapons, etc. True, no one has yet found even the smallest fraction of them.
But the Rostovites were and still are attracted to the lake not by its ghostly treasures. There is something inexplicably attractive about him. Like the ancient pagans, it appears to us as a living being, with which everything around us is connected by invisible, but quite tangible threads. Capable of somehow incomprehensibly influencing the climate, nature, city, people, animals...
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery on the shore of Lake Nero 
THE SECRET OF LAKE NERO
The Great Mystery of Lake Nero
In 1999, Mikhail Sudarushkin’s local history book “Journey to the Origins” was published, in which he expressed his view on the initial history of Rostov. In the chapter “Where to look for ancient Rostov,” he drew attention to the fact that the date of the first mention of the city in the chronicle - 862 - does not find archaeological confirmation because the oldest part of Rostov is flooded by Lake Nero, which for some reason expanded its shores.
After Mikhail’s death, his book “Stories about Rostov History” was published, which included essays from the book “Journey to the Origins”. A very kind review of it was written by journalist, local historian and ecologist G. S. Zaletaev. Having highly appreciated the content and nature of the presentation of Mikhail’s local history essays, Georgy Sergeevich, however, did not agree with the assumption that the lake could have increased in size due to a geological fault, making the following remark: “The fact is that the very structure of the Russian platform on which Rostov is located, does not allow the hypothesis of a fault, since the platform is covered here by a huge thickness of sedimentary rocks in which faults simply do not exist. It’s interesting that a similar mistake was made by A. A. Titov, who wrote that a volcano formed in the vicinity of Petrovsk about 5 thousand years ago.”
But Mikhail did not insist specifically on a “geological fault,” but wrote about the possibility of “some other catastrophe.” In addition, he considered it possible that the increase in the size of the lake could occur gradually, and accordingly, the city moved further and further to the west over time. This option at least explained why there were no oral or written sources about the transfer of the city.
At the conclusion of the chapter “Where to look for ancient Rostov,” Mikhail wrote: “The version about the absorption of the original Rostov by Lake Nero sounds unexpected, it seems to be not mentioned anywhere, but at least it explains at least one mystery of Rostov: why the first chronicle evidence about it does not find archaeological confirmation." Lake Nero 
By chance, I had a conversation with a man who, as a child, lived in one of the villages on the shores of Lake Nero. He remembered the stories of old-timers, how during the Great Patriotic War, when private owners were prohibited from cutting down forests for firewood, the residents of their village walked far into the lake in shallow water and uprooted huge roots of centuries-old trees from the water. This means that indeed, as Mikhail assumed, in ancient times, for some reason, Lake Nero expanded its shores.
I tried to find confirmation of this story in a book published by employees of the Rostov Kremlin museum-reserve, “There was a war...” with the subtitle “Collection of documents and memories of Rostov during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.” Procurement of firewood for the railway, local enterprises and institutions was mentioned several times in the book, information was given on how severely they were punished for shirking this labor duty, but, unfortunately, it was not mentioned how ordinary residents of the Rostov region solved the “fuel problem”.
And only in the memoirs of a native of the village of Porechye, Anna Dmitrievna Marinina, did I find indirect evidence that this problem was indeed very acute during the war. She wrote: “The streets of Porechye were clean during the war years. In the summer, houses have flower beds and beds with flowers. Why was there no garbage? But every twig was selected to heat the stove.”
I found an unexpected ally to Mikhail’s version that Lake Nero in ancient times was smaller than it is now in the person of a fisherman who knew the lake and its surroundings well. Firstly, he talked about the existence of so-called gutters at the bottom of the lake, which are very deep, and local fishermen even have such an expression - fishing in the gutters. Secondly, the same fisherman suggested that in ancient times the Sara River flowing into the lake and the Vyoksa flowing out of it formed a single whole, and the gutters were the remains of the bed of that ancient river. He even showed me on a map how this river roughly flowed.
As for the location of ancient Rostov, my fisherman acquaintance, like Mikhail, assumed that the city was not where it is now, but to the east, somewhere near Rozhdestvensky Island. This position of the city, in his opinion, explains why in ancient times the road to Rostov passed to the east: through Porechye, Ugodichi, Nikolo-Perevoz, Belogostitsky Monastery, Priimkovo. Most likely, somewhere between Porechye and Ugodichi (or a little further than Ugodichi) the road led to Rostov.
It seems that this assumption is quite logical, but let’s not forget that this is only a version, there is no direct evidence. To find them, it is necessary to carry out archaeological excavations at the bottom of the lake, however, due to the large layer of silt deposits - sapropel - this is almost impossible.
By the way, I wonder what exactly provoked the formation of such a huge amount of sapropel in Lake Nero and why it is not present in such quantities, for example, in Lake Pleshcheyevo? Is the formation of sapropel associated with an increase in the area of the lake?
Lake Nero, Rostov Veliky 
Why the lake overflowed is another question that geologists (or biologists?) should answer. The reasons may be very different, but the fact remains - for some reason Rostov was forced to move to a new place; as archaeologist A.E. Leontyev wrote, “on an inconvenient low section of the coast.”
Thus, Michael’s version is completely reasonable, and perhaps the only one that explains the discrepancy between the chronicle evidence and archaeological data. In any case, I think that when it comes to times and events that did not leave written sources, versions have a right to exist, even if someone doesn’t like them.
In connection with Mikhail’s version, one involuntarily recalls the legend of Kitezh City, here is its shortest retelling:
“There is a lake in the Vetluga forests. It is located in the forest thicket. The blue waters of the lake lie motionless day and night. Only occasionally a light swell runs over them. There are days when drawn-out singing can be heard from the quiet shores and the distant ringing of bells can be heard.
A long time ago, even before the advent of the Tatars, Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich built the city of Maly Kitezh (present-day Gorodets) on the Volga, and then, “crossing the quiet and rusty rivers Uzola, Sandu and Kerzhenets,” he went to Lunda and Svetloyar for “very beautiful "The place where the city of Kitezh Bolshoi was located. This is how the glorious Kitezh city appeared on the shore of the lake. Six domes of churches towered in the center of the city.
Having come to Rus' and conquered many of our lands, Batu heard about the glorious Kitezh-grad and rushed to it with his hordes... When the “evil Tatars” approached Little Kitezh and killed the prince’s brother in a great battle, he himself hid in the newly built forest city . Batu's prisoner, Grishka Kuterma, could not stand the torture and revealed secret paths to Svetloyar.
The Tatars surrounded the city with a thundercloud and wanted to take it by force, but when they broke through to its walls, they were amazed. Residents of the city not only did not build any fortifications, but did not even intend to defend themselves. Residents prayed for salvation, since they could not expect anything good from the Tatars. And as soon as the Tatars rushed to the city, abundant springs suddenly gushed out from under the ground, and the Tatars retreated in fear. And the water kept running and running...
When the sound of the springs died down, in place of the city there were only waves. In the distance shimmered the lonely dome of the cathedral with a cross shining in the middle. She slowly sank into the water. Soon the cross disappeared too. Now there is a path to the lake, which is called the Batu Trail. It can lead to the glorious city of Kitezh, but not everyone, but only those who are pure in heart and soul. Since then, the city has been invisible, but intact, and the especially righteous can see the lights of religious processions in the depths of the lake and hear the sweet ringing of its bells...”
The basis for the legend about Kitezh-grad was the so-called “Kitezh Chronicler”, created among the Old Believers-runners in the 80s - 90s of the 18th century. Another important monument is “The Tale and Request for the Hidden City of Kitezh.” Was it not the story of ancient Rostov, which sank to the bottom of Lake Nero, that served as the basis for the legend of Kitezh-grad? Its fate is associated with Lake Svetloyar near Nizhny Novgorod, but there is no evidence of its formation as a result of some kind of natural disaster or the presence of an ancient settlement at the bottom. In this regard, the “Rostov” version looks more convincing.
Of interest is also the mention in the legend of Kitezh-grad of springs that broke through. It is known that many Old Believers lived on Rostov land, where they were persecuted. Was it not with them that the legend about the city flooded by springs migrated from the shore of Nero to the shore of Lake Svetloyar?
However, a version is just a version. On the other hand, how many correct answers to the mysteries of history were preceded by just versions? The most striking example is the discovery of ancient Troy by amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann thanks to Homer's Iliad. And it all started with an assumption...
FISHING ON LAKE NERO
Lake Nero is located in the city of Rostov, in the Yaroslavl region. The shores of this lake have been around for many years. The estimated age of this reservoir is about 4 thousand years. fishing on Lake Nero Lake Nero is the oldest body of water not only in the Yaroslavl region, but throughout Russia as a whole.
The lake feeds about seventeen small rivers, which in turn maintains a constant water level. The lake is a large basin, which means that the depth in Nero is very deep. The length of the lake is also large and is 48 kilometers, and the width is approximately 8 kilometers. There are a lot of fish in this lake and it pleases anglers with its size. Yaroslavl residents almost always visit lakes and catch good fish. The species composition of fish is not too large; the lake is mainly inhabited by roach, pike perch, pike, bream, rudd and perch.
The fish here grows very quickly, since there is a lot of food and there is no species struggle between the fish.
The bottom of Lake Nero is even, there is no strong difference in depth, the shallows gradually go deeper. There are a lot of eyebrows, there are also braids and pits. The average depth is 4 meters, but often these are areas with a meter depth. The bottom is rich in sediments that do not cause any harm to the fish.
There are many roads around the lake. There is an asphalt road, and local residents roll dirt roads in the summer, so getting to the lakes is not difficult, the main thing is desire. Since all rivers and lakes are different from each other, and fishing always has its own specific character, then on Nero everything is the same. It is necessary to note a characteristic feature of this lake: in summer, aquatic vegetation covers the entire water surface, but relatively all of it. For this reason, local residents do not use water from the lake as drinking water.
It is for this reason that there are a lot of fish in the lake; the grass is not aggressive towards the fish. Pike have proliferated in this lake very much, and the grass cover protects the predator and other fish from extreme heat and harmful sun rays. There is also a lot of vegetation along the bank of Nero, as well as on the water surface itself, mainly cattails and reeds, with arrowhead present. There is no current on the lake, so the local fish always have a lot of energy. The fishing features are also interesting.
Fishing with a rod.
You can take many sets of rods and equipment with you to Lake Nero. Basically these are rods of various lengths and action. For example, a three-meter soft rod is useful for catching bleak. But to catch roach you need to be a little rougher. Various equipment options are also used. Basically, there are two options for gear: with a running rig and with a dead rig, when the main line is tied directly to the tulip of the rod. The option with dead rigging is used when fishing is developing dynamically and every second is precious, but running rigging means calmer fishing conditions.
Spinning fishing.
There is a wonderful saying: the mouth rejoices at a large piece, this saying certainly applies to Lake Nero. The use of large baits always attracts large pike, and there are a lot of them here. Basically, it is excellently caught on wobblers and large wobblers of the minou class. Don’t miss the shore either; it’s near the shore where a lot of grass lives. In deep water, fishing is done with a jig. Jigs also use large baits that attract the attention of predators.
In autumn and summer, fishing on Nero is very interesting, spinning fishing from a boat is especially attractive. In autumn and summer, namely at the end of August and beginning of September, the toothy one actively feeds and gains fat for the long winter. Also during this period of time, pike perch become active. The fanged one loves rubber and is almost always caught with it. The fanged sites vary depending on the time of year. In the fall, for example, it goes to deep places, and in the summer it is content with a few holes and edges.
Finding a fishing spot.
Since fishing can be carried out not only from the shore, but also from a boat, the places will be arranged in a certain order. It is necessary to take into account that if you are aimed at catching a certain fish, then the place must be independent. Each fish has its own spot, but fish are often caught mixed together. Both white fish and predatory fish can be caught in one place. This apotheosis is incomprehensible, but fish of different species somehow coexist in one area. Don’t miss the edges, there are very few of them and therefore there is a large concentration of fish on them. Quiet backwaters also carry a lot of meaning; lovers of quiet fishing will rightfully appreciate such places.
The best time to visit Lake Nero is when many species of fish are feeding. In spring, white bream is caught well here. Bream and roach. In autumn, pike and pike perch become quite active. In winter, there is also a great prospect of visiting the banks of Nero. Thanks to the fact that the water surface freezes, you can explore the lake up and down, and in the summer, already having some idea, you will certainly catch the fish you are interested in!
view of the lake from the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery 
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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO
Team Nomads
http://www.vidania.ru/ozero_nero.html
Banige V. S., Bryusova V. G., Gnedovsky B. V., Shchapov N. B. Rostov Yaroslavsky. Guide to architectural monuments. / Ed. architect, candidate of art history V.V. Kostochkin. - Yaroslavl, Book Publishing House, 1957. 192 p., plan.
http://www.admrostov.ru
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-33536/
http://www.photosight.ru/
Arapov E. V. Rostov the Great. Album. - M., Soviet Russia, 1971. 168 p. (Series “Architectural Monuments of Russian Cities”).
http://fish-rifle.ru/stat/rybalka/obzory-vodoemov/?p=rybalca_na_ozere_nero
Tyunina M. N. Rostov Yaroslavsky. (Guide to the city and surrounding areas). - Yaroslavl, Verkhne-Volzhskoe book publishing house, 1979. 240 p.
http://tonkosti.ru/Sights_of_Rostov_Velikiy
Fedotova T. P. Around Rostov the Great. - M., Art, 1987. (Series “Roads to Beauty”).
Markin V. Two precious lakes of Russia // Science and Life, 1991, No. 11 - P. 16-22
Parfenov A. Shrines of Rostov the Great. Pilgrim's Companion. — 2004.
Krestyaninova E.I., Nikitina G.A. Rostov the Great. Guide. - M., 2008.
Rostov is home to one of the mysterious attractions of Russia - Lake Nero. It is already more than 500 thousand years old, but it is never forgotten by people. Tourists and local fishermen often come there for new adventures and experiences. The area of Lake Nero is 50 square km. It is shallow, muddy, the bottom is covered with algae, and because of this the water is undrinkable. Despite this, the fish here feels excellent. There are two islands on it: Lvovsky and Rozhdestvensky, they are also called Lesnoy and Zimny. Nero means "swampy, muddy area."
In Russia, many people strive to visit Lake Nero. Rostovites are proud of this enviable place. Fishing is allowed there, and anglers often leave satisfied with their catch. Despite the fact that the water depth does not exceed four meters, the lake is navigable. Recently, people have been sailing along it in boats - this is one of the entertainments for tourists.
Lake Nero is classified as pre-glacial, it is well preserved and is considered a rare body of water. On one of the banks is the monastery of ancient Rostov the Great. Along the rest of the perimeter there are floodplains - solid reeds that create the illusion of a dry shore. Often, inexperienced fishermen who fish near floodplains mistakenly believe that they are close to the shore. In fact, it could be kilometers away. It is worth visiting the lake once, and it becomes a favorite place to spend time. Unfortunately, the number of fish is decreasing more and more every season due to the growing number of anglerfish. Fishing is guaranteed for a man who visits Lake Nero. Even a beginner will be pleased with his first catch.
Fishing on the lake is popular in winter. Since the depth is shallow, the water freezes quickly, walking on the ice is quite safe. The depth of the lake and its vegetation are almost ideal for good growth and reproduction of fish. People here can catch perch and roach, which can be said to be the most permanent residents of Lake Nero, which is rich in fish such as pike, crucian carp, rudd, silver bream and white bream. A small number of pike perch and ruffe are observed. In winter, of course, fishing is more interesting, and it is more realistic to leave with a good catch. In summer it is much more difficult to do this. As already mentioned, this is due to the growing number of fishermen.
Lake Nero has a second name - Kaovo. There are many settlements on its banks, the largest being the Sarskoe settlement. Previously, there were many attractions here, but, unfortunately, now there are almost none left. Tourists are provided with such entertainment as sailing on private boats and walking on the Most importantly, the best aspects of the city and views of nature are best viewed from the water. From the middle of the lake you can see the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev and Avraamiev monasteries. In addition, two excursion ships sail on the water - “Rodina” and “Zarya”.
Traveling through your native land is an indescribable pleasure that is difficult to compare with any other!
