Kezenoyam, Alpine lake at Vedensky and Botlikhsky districts, Russia.
Kezenoyam sits at 1854 meters above sea level on the border between Chechnya and Dagestan, extending nearly three kilometers from west to east. The water reaches depths of up to 74 meters in places, filling a basin framed by forested slopes and mountain ridges.
The body of water formed when a landslide blocked a river centuries ago, flooding the valley below. Herders and hunters have used the surrounding area ever since as grazing ground and a source of drinking water in the highlands of the North Caucasus.
The waters of Kezenoyam feature in numerous tales of the Chechen and Dagestani peoples, reflecting their connection to this natural formation.
The drive from Grozny takes about two hours, with the final 30 kilometers following narrow mountain roads that can become slippery in rain. Visitors arriving in summer will find shallow spots along the shore for wading and shaded areas beneath trees.
The clear water is home to a species of trout found nowhere else on Earth, adapted over thousands of years to the cold conditions. Researchers monitor this population to better understand the ecosystem of isolated high-mountain lakes.
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