Created in the 1930s, this body of water was originally intended for irrigating agricultural lands. Over time, a variety of fish settled in it, and the reeds became home to pheasants and numerous wild ducks. After nearly eight decades, Melioration continues to attract fishermen, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Local historian and longtime resident Maxim Podgorny knows many fascinating stories about fishing and hunting at this pond.
“In the mid-1960s, a recreation area was established at Melioration for workers of the mining enterprise in Kara-Balta. This place also became an excellent hunting ground. In the early 1970s, the idea arose to breed rabbits to provide workers with dietary meat. To avoid problems with security and cages, it was decided to place the rabbits on an island in the middle of the pond. As a result, half a hundred rabbits were released onto the island, where they quickly began to reproduce, digging burrows in the clay soil. However, soon the joy of this idea turned into disappointment: snakes, such as vipers and grass snakes, appeared on the island and destroyed the rabbits within a few months. Since then, this island has been known as 'Snake Island,' and snakes still inhabit it,” he shares.
Among the comical hunting stories is the case from the early 1990s when a group of sports hunters came to Melioration. Instead of hunting for ducks, which were absent at the time, they decided to try their luck hunting for a wild boar. To do this, they bought a piglet from a nearby farm and released it on Snake Island. Before the hunt, many toasts were made for luck and accuracy. In the end, when the hunters started shooting at the running piglet, the pig itself remained unharmed, although ultimately, its fate was not a happy one,” Podgorny recounts.
In the video, the Melioration pond and Snake Island:
