This 'fairytale location' in Siberia is actually an industrial waste dump (PHOTOS)
A human-created lake described as a “must-see fairytale location’ is actually a chemical waste site in Siberia according to officials, but that hasn’t stopped people from flocking to the location to fill their Instagram feed.
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Located in the city of Novosibirsk, the body of water is a bright turquoise in colour and resembles the waters of more tropical locales.
But that’s largely where the similarities end.
According to a Siberian Times report, “the dazzling turquoise waters are far from a natural phenomenon or a Siberian Seychelles but rather the result of a chemical reaction from the waste from a nearby power plant.”
The report says that “several dozen shrivelled up trees in or near the water testify to the reality that all is not well here.”
Still, “tens of thousands of Novosibirsk citizens and guests’ have descended on the place by car, horse, quad bikes, with barbecues (and) beer.”
While “the water is, strictly speaking, not poisonous, it can be harmful to human skin due to the high content of minerals,” the report says. “It is also exceptionally muddy – so bathers can find it hard to extricate themselves from the blue waters.”
In a statement posted online, the Siberian Generating Company was little more blunt about the whole situation: “You can not swim in the ash dump.”
Despite the warnings, the location is clearly still a popular photo spot. So popular in fact, that the Instagram account maldives_nsk exists solely for the purpose of sharing and featuring shots from others who have visited the site.
Anything for the ‘gram, right?
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