Bolaq - Natural History of Bolaq

Natural History of Bolaq

Bolaq, as a part of Qaban lake system once was a part of Volga's riverbed, but then Volga came some kilometers to the west. By the results of geological and hydrological researches nearby thousand years ago Bolaq was a natural river (width 60 m, depth 6.5 m). Bolaq had a delta of many distributaries. With time Bolaq became shallow. The number of branches in delta decreased and for several recent centuries there were only two: Zur (Big) Bolaq and Çerek (Foul) Bolaq.

In the 15th century Bolaq's valley was covered with brake. A water of Bolaq was used for drink and dough that time. The shore protection of Bolaq was firstly realized in the Khanate's epoch. Cheremis workers set logs to the bottom of natural river. That period Bolaq was navigable channel, sluice in the mouth kept the level of Bolaq stable. The berths of Bolaq supplied for the Taşayaq trade fair. During the storm of Kazan Kazan Chronicle reported that Bolaq was already swamped and served only as defence zone. In 19th century as the result the of city's economical development Bolaq was reconstructed, embankments were built on apartments and depots, first wooden bridges were built. The first arched stone bridge was built in 1907 by the project of Lev Kazimirovich Khrshchonovich.

In the 1940s tramway was installed at the embankment and in one site it was preserved until 2000s. In the 1940s–1950s five bridges of reinforced concrete were built, the embankment was covered with iron grate, slopes were matted by the project of Ü.G. Alparov and Ye.Yu. Brudny. With the infill of Kuybyshev Reservoir and the constructing of check dams the lower stream of Bolaq was covered up with earth and divided from Kazanka in 1955–56. In 1967 the subterranean channel (546 m) was constructed to connect Bolaq and Volga. As natural the level of Bolaq and Qaban is much lower than that of Kuybyshev Reservoir, pumps throw out the effluent water. The last reconstruction by the project of Y. V. Grebnyov was started in 1986. It was proposed to make embankment vertical. But socially active people protested, as it was in dissonance with Kazan traditional architecture. Only the ends of canal still have vertical embankment, the major part is still has matted slopes. The reconstruction was finalized in 1993. Fountains were set all over Bolaq. In the 1980s Bolaq was considered to be a dead reservoir, as the poisoned by chemicals plants water of Qaban penetrated the channel. Today the main pollution source is traffic of cars. Nevertheless some fishes and wild ducks live in channel.