Deep in the heart of Siberia lies Lake Baikal, a lake of superlatives and stories. More than a mile deep, it plunges farther than any other lake on Earth, holding more water than all five of North America’s Great Lakes combined, making it the most voluminous as well. And with over 2,000 species of plants and animals identified in the lake so far, nearly two-thirds are endemic—found nowhere else on Earth. This makes Lake Baikal one of the world’s key geographic centers of biological origin and evolution. However, Lake Baikal’s delicate ecosystems are facing the pressures of a rapidly warming climate and aging human infrastructure.

The story of Lake Baikal is also deeply human. In 1643, as Cossacks pushed eastward in search of furs, they arrived at this vast inland sea and brought the surrounding land of Buryatia into the Muscovite empire. Centuries later, the Trans-Siberian Railroad reached its shores, connecting distant corners of Russia. For the indigenous Buryat Mongols, however, Lake Baikal has always been far more than a resource or a crossing point. Its deep blue waters hold profound spiritual meaning, woven into centuries of Shamanist and Buddhist belief that continues to shape the region’s identity today.

Historian Daniel Schlafly and limnologist Michael Meyer explore the intertwined natural and human histories of Lake Baikal, from its geological origins at least 25 million years ago to the present.

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