“Peschanaya” bay

Is one of the most popular places at the Baikal Lake. It is located on the west coast of the lake, between the villages Bolshoye Goloutstnoye and Buguldeika. The climate is soft, with a lot of sunny days. This is the warmest place at the Baikal Baikal, here taiga slopes of Baikal ridge go down to the lakeside. In the middle of the forest which grows around the bay, huge rock formations stand out like bell towers.

Famous “stilt” trees grow the bay’s sandy coasts. Winds blow the sand out of their roots, the lake waters wash the soil out and it seems that the trees are walking along the beach. Pines and larches have crumpled branches and roots and stand high above people’s heads.

Some people call the bay “Siberian Riviera” and it is declared to be a natural monument. Unique sand dune makes a 30 meters wide beach with an elevation of 750 meters. There are picturesque rocks Small Towel Bell and Big Tower Bell stand hemming round the beach. From the top of the Big Tower Bell people can see an amazing panoramic view of the “Babushka” bay.

Catholic Parish of John Paul II

There is a spiritual catholic center "Unity" in Lostvaynka, named after the Pope John Paul II in his lifetime.Sisters work in this parish and they are called "Servants of the Holy Spirit". 

Church of Saint Nicolas

Saint Nicolas is very respecter in Baikal Lake region. Blessed by their prayers to him, many people survived during the storms at the lake. Such stories traditionally end up with a building of new church. The Church of Saint Nicolas has been built exactly that way by the merchant Xenofont Sibiryakov. The Church is situated in the village Nicola on the way to Listvyanka. Xenofont has make a vow: “At the spot where will I descend to the ground there I will build a church”. He could descend only in Nicola village because only there it was a pier. Later, blessed by Nile Archbishop who was the founder of the Nile desert in Tunkinskaya valley, the church has been moved to a new place at the coast of the Baikal Lake.

In Soviet times the church has been moved for several times, but at the same time a unique collection of icons has been saved. For example an icon of Saint Tikhon Zatonsky from destroyed Kazan Cathedral was moved to the Saint Nicolas Church. It also has a unique Kazan icon of Holy Mother is very respected by local parishioners because they believe it is a thaumaturgic icon.

The Church is located in Listvyanka village, 68 kilometers away from Irkutsk.