Zaslawye Reservoir, Reservoir in Minsk District, Belarus
Zaslawskaye Reservoir is an irregular body of dark blue water with a broad main basin and narrow inlets and arms reaching into the land. A long thin arm curves inward near the southern shore, and another narrow arm ends in a rounded cove to the right. Its water mirror covers 31.1 km², it is 10 km long and up to 4.5 km wide, with a 55 km shoreline and 10 islands.
Work started in the mid-1950s to regulate floods and supply water for surrounding communities. Within a few years the basin filled and changed the landscape fundamentally.
The name comes from the nearby town of Zaslawye and marks a popular spot for anglers and boaters today. Along the shores you can see tents and small grilling areas that families use on weekends.
The reservoir lies about 5 km northwest of Minsk, with Zaslawye town at the Svislach inflow. The dam is an earth-fill structure 831 m long and 12 m high, with a concrete spillway of two 6 m bays. The shoreline runs 55 km; the southern and northern slopes are grassed, while the eastern and western shores are covered with mixed forest. The reservoir freezes in the first half of December and thaws in mid-April, with ice 50–70 cm thick.
The water stays relatively clear all year and attracts numerous birds that settle along the shores. When the water level drops, remains of old foundations sometimes emerge that stood here before the flooding.
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