| Other name | Олгуйдах / Олгуйдаах |
|---|---|
| Source1 location | Lake Toymoku Vilyuy Plateau |
| Source1 coordinates | 64°16′22″N 112°17′37″E |
| Source1 elevation | 427 m (1,401 ft) |
| Mouth | Akhtaranda |
| Mouth coordinates | 63°27′02″N 112°06′50″E |
| Mouth elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Progression | Akhtaranda → |
| Federal Subject | Yakutia |
| Length | 191 km (119 mi) |
The Olguydakh (Russian: Олгуйдах; sah: Олгуйдаах), is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a left hand tributary of the Akhtaranda, part of the Vilyuy basin. The river is 191 kilometres (119 mi) long and has a drainage basin of 5,450 square kilometres (2,100 sq mi).[1]
The river flows across an uninhabited sector of Mirninsky District.[2][3] An area where mysterious events reportedly took place lies near the abandoned Olguydakh village on the banks of the lower course of the river.[4]
Course
The Olguydakh belongs to the upper stretch of the Vilyuy basin. It originates in the northeastern end of lake Toymoku (sah: Тоймоку) of the Vilyuy Plateau. The river heads first northwards for a short stretch, then it bends and heads roughly southeastwards and southwards, meandering slightly for the remainder of its course. There are many small lakes in its basin.[2] In its last stretch the Olguydakh turns to the southwest. Its mouth is at the confluence with the 227 km (141 mi) long Alymdya from the right to form the Akhtaranda, 75 km (47 mi) from its mouth in the Vilyuy Reservoir.[5] There is a bridge of the Aykhal—Chernyshevsky highway over the Olguydakh.[6]
Tributaries
The main tributary of the Olguydakh is the 80 kilometres (50 mi) long Aallaakh (Ааллаах) from the left. The river freezes in mid October and stays under ice until mid May.[1]
Paranormal claims
Claims have been made dating back to the middle of the 19th century regarding large, copper, dome-shaped objects ("cauldrons" or "boilers," Yakut: олгуй) found in a region along the river known as the Valley of Death.[4] The alleged radioactive-like sickness hunters who spent the night in these cauldrom led to the area being deemed cursed by the local Yakut and given the name of Yelyuyu Chörköçüökh (Yakut: Өлүү Чөркөчүөх). A number of expeditions to Olguydakh and surrounding regions which report these stories have been made, such as those from Richard Maack and Ivan Mackerle.
See also
References
- ^
- ^ "Q-49-50 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "P-49-50 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ Mysteries of Siberia's 'Valley of Death'
- ^ Nature.ykt
- ^ Google Earth
