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Talovskiye Chashi

Talov's basins are calcareous formations in the shape of bowls (basins) , which are filled with water. It is a national monument in Tomsk region, located 40 km southeast of Tomsk, in the source of Berezovskaya river and called in honor of Talovka (countryside).The nearest settlement locality is Basandayka (village). Talov's basins are situated in a small overgrown meadow in the forest. There is a unique natural monument, characterized as calcareous formations, filled with water. The monument includes 4 big bowls and some little ones. The basins are constantly increased by overflowing water, which stores new salt’s groups. The walls of basins consist of rare mineral Bernesite. It is the second finding of Bernesite in Russia. The water his extremely salty and doesn’t freeze in winter.

For the first time these basins are mentioned in 1895. The first Professor of the Faculty of Biology of Tomsk State University A.M. Zaitsev found and described them. Talov's basins or as they could say “Taloviye basins is one of the most important monuments of Tomsk region.

They got their name in honour of “Talovka” and they are similar to bowls, reaching a height of 1m and consisting of calcareous tuff. The scientists associate Talov's basins with Grail’s bowl. This image was brought by Goth tribes from the Siberian East. The tribes migrated to the West at the beginning of our era. Many scientists believe that Grail’s bowl could be hidden in Siberia. According to the legend, Ivan’s Kingdom is situated in Tomsk Ob. The Grail’s keepers brought the bowl here. The capital Grasiona was located in the territory of present Tomsk.

The natural monument includes four big bowls and some little ones. The biggest bowl is 2 m wide, 3.5 min length, 2 m deep, its walls are a half a meter and their thickness increases to the bottom, the diameter of others is from 0.5 to 1.5 m.

The main points:

  • The age of solid is more than 10 thousand years.

  • The basins are formed by calcareous tuff, which is also formed as a result of calcium salts’ deposition. The tuff’s composition includes Bernesite – rare mineral in Russia, giving the earthy colour. The water in the basins contains carbon dioxide and salts. The monument is unique for the tuff’s depositions on the moss. The formation of such unusual natural object in Siberia is singular.

  • The water is weakly mineralized, magnesian- siliceous- calcium, bicarbonate, the temperature is at +5+6 C and doesn’t freeze in winter, contains carbon dioxide and radon.

  • The calcium carbonate, assimilable by plants, appears due to the pressure and gas evolution at the outlet to the earth’s surface.

  • Bernesite is a rare mineral, representing Manganese oxide of complex composition. It’s amazing to see the water, running off and towering above the top.

  • We can see the water in other way in nature: it occupies depressions in the relief, located below the observer. Here, all the way round. There is an unusual cupped form of wellspring, helped in skin, eye, and gastrointestinal tract diseases.

  • The basins are formed by the exit to the surface of water saturated with limestone. The water helps in stomach, bowel, liver, pancreas, gallbladder diseases. The healing water removes from the fatigue from the eyes, compresses support low vision and relieve swelling of the eyelids. The water doesn’t freeze due to a highly concentrated composition of salt. Zvezdniy Kluch is similar to Talov's chalices in composition of waters and degree of mineralization. There is an opinion that this water with high content of calcium comes from deep sources, which have located in fault zones of Paleozoic sediments not of groundwater.

  • The water’s composition is calcium is 156,0, magnesium is 23,2;solium is 16,1; calcium hydrogen carbonate is 610,0; chlorine is 8,52; SO42 is 8,0; CO2 is 70,4; manganese is 0,5;orthosilicate is 14,8; aluminum is 9,8; copper is 0,091; zinc is 1,32; Tiberius is 0,44; barium is 1,32. The general mineralization is 821,82 mg\l.

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