In recent years, Baikal has become a real mecca of skillful craftsmen who produce ecological and useful souvenirs. These things will not be just a reminder of a trip, but they will really serve you well.
It's been said that everything in the Siberian cedar has curative effect: from green needles and pieces of bark to a drop of cedar oil. Usually tourists bring from Baikal pine nuts, which are of a really excellent quality. However, the experienced travelers take cedar oil from the Baikal. Siberians joke that cedar oil can replace all the known oils, but it is impossible to replace cedar oil with anything. Cedar cake is a mine of proteins that are required for humans and which are not produced on their own. Cedar cake is indicated for people who had suffered of a serious illness, as it helps to regain strength.
Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium, rosebay willowherb) is known in Russia for dozens of centuries. This originally Russian fragrant, slightly tart drink with a fine honey-fruit note is not only tasty, but also very useful for the whole organism. Fireweed beats all other currently-known varieties of tea in terms of its strength and the range of beneficial effects it has on the human body. It's hard to believe, but only a hundred years ago, fireweed was the most popular drink in Europe and Asia and it was a powerful competitor to Indian and Chinese tea. Fireweed cleanses the blood, has a beneficial effect on hematopoietic function, heals ulcers of the digestive tract, improves metabolism, it is useful for gout and imbalance of salt metabolism, stones in the liver, kidneys and diseases of the spleen.
This is truly a unique product that can only be brought from Siberia. It is believed that the homeland of saffron milk cap oil was Central Asia. According to some hypotheses, it came from the territory of modern Ukraine to Siberia, but it quickly became a traditional product. It was the main oil used for food until the beginning of the XX century, but with the advent of sunflower it lost popularity. Saffron milk cap oil contains a huge amount of Omega-3, Omega-6 fatty acids (but not only exclusively them!), which are necessary for the body metabolism every day. Also there are other important elements among the useful components - phospholipids, magnesium, extremely important for heart function, and others.
This fun and original souvenir will surely appeal to children. When you turn over the pages of the notebook, the Baikal animals come to life on its pages - a bear, a seal or a sable. Covers have information about the animals, so be prepared that your child will know everything about Baikal animals and probably want to see them in the real Siberian forest.
The factory "Old Irkutsk" makes chocolate with honey from the Baikal grasses: this gift will certainly please the sweet tooth and will not harm children, as it doesn’t contain sugar. Tasty and useful additives are used in this chocolate: nuts, Baikal raisins, dried cranberries, rock salt, laminaria, plant seeds, spices and other ingredients.
And there are good wishes from the Baikal land and old photos of Lake Baikal, Irkutsk on every label, so this delight will be an excellent souvenir for friends.
It is a gift for young and curious travelers, which in simple form helps to learn everything about Baikal and its unique animals and plants. Such games from childhood teach to save the nature and respect everything that the nature gives us. Furthermore, it's a great way to have a lovely family evening and to dream about a trip to Baikal.
If you return from Baikal without local cosmetics, you just will not be understood. Everyone knows the miraculous power of its herbs and water, and local craftsmen have learnt to use them for the benefit of our body and skin and offer a wide range of creams, soaps, shampoos and other female joys. A lot has been written and said about how household chemicals affect our life and body, so the future is for organic cosmetics. Irkutsk masters approach to the production of organic cosmetics with special love, using only natural ingredients that were born in the Baikal.
Fashion for wooden fir-tree toys is returned: firstly, they are environmentally friendly, secondly, they are safe, and thirdly, they are beautiful. Decorating your Christmas tree with wooden toys, you will surely remember Lake Baikal, the scents of its forests, the sound of water and you will certainly want to come back here again.
We proceed with introducing the surprising villages of Lake Baikal to you. The subject of this article will be the village of Khor-Tagna that was included into the list of “The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of Russia” in 2019. This place is really amazing. “Key to Baikal” will tell you why you should visit Khor-Tagna and its surroundings.