Lake Sapsho, Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park

Lake Sapsho is a glacial lake in Demidovsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is the largest lake of the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park. It is situated northeast of Demidov in the northwestern part of the oblast, near the settlement of Przhevalskoye. A famous 19th century Russian traveller Nikolay Przhevalsky compared the lake with Lake Baikal in miniature. The lake is a natural monument. It is connected with the Baltic Sea by the Sapsha, Vasilyevka, Yelsha, and Daugava rivers. There are 4 big and 2 small islands on the lake. There are a lot of tumuli of the Tushumlin culture by Lake Sapsho. The flora and fauna of the lake are very diverse. Yet in the beginning of the 20th century there was the industrial fishery. Though now any industry is prohibited here. A lot of species of the flora and fauna of the lake are in the Red Book. ()