Tobechikskoye takes a special place among the famous salty Crimean lakes. Mud treatment was practiced here since ancient times, and the salt extracted on its shores was exported far beyond the Kerch Peninsula due to its excellent quality.
Salt Lake Tobechik is located 12 kilometers southeast of Kerch near the village of Chelyadinovo. Its interesting name translates from Turkic as «small hillside» and is explained by the fact that the shores of the lake are quite high and precipitous, so from afar behind them you can not see the water surface. It seems that this unique corner of the planet was hidden by nature itself.
In times immemorial, Tobechik was one of the largest bays of the Kerch Strait. Today, separated from the strait by a small sandy spit, it is considered one of the largest salty lakes of the Kerch Peninsula. The area of the water mirror is about 18 square kilometers, in length it reaches nine kilometers, and in width — two kilometers. At the same time, the depth in Lake Tobechik is shallow — up to two meters.
The isthmus of shell sand separating Tobechik from the Kerch Strait is considered one of the best beaches in the vicinity. In width it is 60-100 meters, and in length — about a kilometer. Natural pictures of the views of the lake, the strait and the surrounding picturesque nature can not fail to impress. Especially when the water surface turns red-pink, reflecting the blue sky and snow-white clouds. This is due to the rapid activity of microorganisms living in Tobechik, which make its brine and mud therapeutic.
The bottom of the lake is covered with mud volcanoes — another natural phenomenon that made the Kerch Peninsula famous. From the very bowels of the earth they supply healing substances — mineral salts and mud — to the bottom and water. At the bottom of the lake were found massive layers of gray and black therapeutic mud, covering its entire area and especially powerful on the eastern side. These muds by their chemical composition are similar to the muds of Chokrak Lake and help treat diseases of cardiovascular, central and peripheral nervous systems, musculoskeletal organs, digestion, skin and gynecological diseases, as well as many other ailments.
It is known that the first mud cures appeared on the shores of Tobechik even before our era in ancient times. This is evidenced by the remains of public-cult buildings and fragments of dedicatory inscriptions found by archaeologists near the lake, confirming the fact that these structures were used as mud baths. In the XIX century, the mud of Lake Tobetchik was exported even to Italy, where it was in great demand among the nobility and was used for the treatment of spinal cord diseases, skin, joint, gynecological diseases and consequences of severe traumas.
The last mud bath on the shores of the lake was closed in the early XX century for unknown reasons. Since then, the huge potential of the unique lake is used only by a few tourists who know about Tobechik, who, deciding to spend their holiday in Kerch, necessarily come here to be alone with nature, to recover and enjoy the beautiful natural pictures in peace and quiet.
Unfortunately, the future fate of this invaluable attraction of Crimea is now jeopardized: the government intends to build an international seaport on the lake. But thanks to the initiative of people who are not indifferent to the preservation of the natural heritage, so far it has not reached the construction stage. Only attention to the huge potential, which was used by wise ancient Greeks, and wonderful opportunities for recreation will help to save the Tobechik salt lake from the destructive future.