Zagorsk Reservoir, reservoir in Bakhchysarai Raion, Crimea

Zagorsk Reservoir is a reservoir on the Kacha River in the Bakhchysarai district of Crimea, formed where the Stilya tributary joins. An earth dam 48 m high, 760 m long and 10 m wide at the crest holds back 27.85 million m³ of water; the reservoir is 3.25 km long, up to 0.75 km wide and 43 m deep, with about 11.2 km of shoreline at 340 m above sea level.

Built on Nikita Khrushchev's personal order alongside the Schastlivenskoye reservoir to supply water to Greater Yalta, construction began in 1964 when a 48 m high, 760 m long earth dam was raised across the Kacha valley at the mouth of the Stilya. Filling was completed in 1975. Five villages, including Zagorskoye, were demolished or flooded for the reservoir and its sanitary zone.

The reservoir is closed to visitors, a ban that has let fish such as silver carp, crucian carp, carp, rudd, perch and roach multiply in its water. Its name comes from the village of Zagorskoye, which was flooded when the valley was dammed; the villages of Lesnikovo, Shakhty, Shelkovichnoye and Okhotnichye were also cleared for the reservoir and its sanitary zone.

The site is enclosed by fences and access requires special permits from local authorities, making casual visits difficult without advance approval. Swimming and fishing are strictly prohibited, and visitors must follow posted regulations to maintain the protected status of the area.

The reservoir is fed by the Kacha River and Stilya stream, serving as part of a broader water management network for the region that helps balance water levels across multiple communities. Its shores remain largely undeveloped with minimal structures, preserving a sense of functional simplicity that contrasts with many engineered water projects.