Baikal limnological museum

The first Baikal limnological station was opened in Listvyanka in 1928, and from this base in 1961 the Limnological institute was created. The museum acquired its status in 1993. About 50 thousand visitors come here every year. It is the only museum which entirely devoted to the history of Lake Baikal exploration, its flora and fauna. In 2004 living exhibition started at the museum in 11 aquariums where visitors may see 20 types of fish, 9 of them are gobies, 5 types of crustaceans, 3 types of sponges and 2 types of mollusks. The exhibition shows in details the life of all fish that live in the lake, as well as Baikal seal. The aquariums have a unique system of water supply and water cycle, which takes water from a depth of 500 meters. The conditions of living are arranged so as to be similar to the natural lake biocoenosis. There is an arboretum next to the museum where trees, lianas and some plans are being cultivated in open air soil. "Kamenushka" arboretum occupies a territory of 4 hectares together with a spring, forest and picturesque slope of Baikal shore. The Park's flora consists of 284 types of tracheal plants from 212 kinds, which represent 63 families. 29 types of these plants are protected on the local and state level. 259 types are medicinal herbs. Among them are gold rhododendron - representative of highland; ephedra - steppe inhabitant, and silver fur - resident of humid dark coniferous forest.