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Images taken at Lake Teletskoye show a Soviet pier submerged for more than three decades, with parts of the structure still visible at the bottom of the water and incorporated into the ecosystem of a protected area in the Golden Mountains of Altai, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Images taken by divers in May show an ancient submerged pier in Lake Teletskoye, in the Altai Republic, southern Siberia, Russia. Built during the Soviet period, the structure sank in the early 1990s and has remained at the bottom of the water for more than three decades.
In the released records, part of the logs appears aligned and secured by chains and metal fastenings, elements used in the original construction. Once used to support boats and local activities, the pier has become part of the lake’s underwater environment.
Soviet pier was built to protect boats
According to the Altai Nature Reserve, the first version of the pier was erected in the 1960s with cedar logs. The structure was intended to protect boats from storms that hit the region, especially during the Siberian winter.
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Over the years, the construction received extensions to accommodate a meteorological station installed nearby. One of the added parts used a section linked to the Bottom Monitoring Station of the Soviet Union’s Hydrometeorological Service.
According to the publication cited by the reserve, this extension was made in the early 1980s, with pine wood. The information indicates that the pier had different phases of construction before sinking in Lake Teletskoye.
The released version states that the structure sank in the early 1990s. Since then, the wood has remained submerged in an area known for cold, clear, and deep waters, characteristics described in records about the lake.
Submerged structure became a shelter in the lake
The released images show that the old pier retained recognizable parts after decades underwater. In some sections, logs remain grouped, while chains and metal pieces appear among the wooden elements.
Over time, the structure began to function as a shelter for aquatic organisms. Reports on dives in the region describe the pier’s remains as a point used by different forms of underwater life in Lake Teletskoye.
The presence of the construction at the bottom of the lake gathers remnants of the old Soviet infrastructure and elements of the local biodiversity. Without its original function of supporting vessels, the pier has become part of the submerged landscape of the reserve.
Even after a long period of exposure to water, part of the structure still allows for the identification of the organization of the old work. This condition was recorded in images taken by divers and released from the protected area.
Lake Teletskoye is located in a protected area of Siberia
Lake Teletskoye is one of the main natural formations in the Republic of Altai and is located within the area associated with the Altai Nature Reserve. NASA describes the lake as a narrow and deep body of water, surrounded by mountains and taiga forests.
According to the American space agency, Teletskoye is almost 80 kilometers long, about 5 kilometers wide, and has a maximum depth of 325 meters. NASA also reports that the lake is part of the Altaisky Zapovednik, a protected area of approximately 9,000 square kilometers.
The lake receives water from the Chulyshman River and dozens of other rivers and temporary streams. Then, its waters flow north and become part of the hydrographic system that forms the Ob River, one of the great rivers of Siberia.
Besides its geographical features, Teletskoye is mentioned in scientific studies for its sediments at the bottom of the water. Research has already used sedimentary records from the lake to reconstruct temperature and precipitation variations in southern Siberia over centuries.
Altai Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Altai Nature Reserve and the protection zone of Lake Teletskoye are part of the Golden Mountains of Altai, a natural site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The area also includes the Katunsky Reserve, the Belukha Mountain region, and the Ukok Plateau.
According to UNESCO, the protected ensemble includes a sequence of altitude vegetation zones in Central Siberia. Among the environments present are steppes, forests, subalpine areas, and alpine zones.
The organization also highlights the region’s importance for endangered species, including the snow leopard. In this context, Lake Teletskoye is mentioned in official sources for its role in the conservation of mountain ecosystems.
In the case of the submerged pier, the record combines information about an old structure built for practical use and its current presence in the aquatic environment. The construction, once linked to vessels and technical activities, remains as a material remnant at the bottom of the lake.
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