Graveyard of ships Bashny.Net

In 40-ies of XX century, the USSR launched an ambitious project for the extraction of water for irrigated agriculture from the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers. Very quickly, the economy of the Central Asian republics has soared to unprecedented heights. But after 20 years of success turned into an ecological catastrophe.

In the 60 years because of the excessive intake of water from the Amudarya and Syrdarya level of the Aral Sea began to fall. For 40 years, the area the fourth largest lake in the world fell by three quarters, and the salinity increased 15 times.

In 1989, the lake was divided into two parts - the Large and Small Aral. Construction in 2005, Kazakhstan Kokaral dam finally separated the Small Aral from Big. Now, all the waters of the Syr Darya received only the Small Aral Sea. Therefore, in the Big Aral situation is sad. He gradually dries. First Large Aral Sea is divided into two parts - east and west. In 2008, the eastern part of the Aral Sea is almost completely dried up. Now the territory of the Eastern Aral Sea - a dry bottom, covered with salt. Western Aral still alive.
12 ph © Ilya Varlamov

On the former site of the port is now a monument to the Aral Sea. Previously, there was a monument to World War II, but it was moved to the center of the village. The place was not chosen by chance. During the war there was a jetty, where recruits were sent to the front. They gathered in the surrounding villages and transported by barge to Aralsk, where after three months of training were sent to the Stalingrad front. Mothers of soldiers attempted to escort the barge boats, some drowned in the storm.

Witnesses say that the first time the sea receded per night for 30 meters in 62. People were stunned, but they had no idea that the sea can go 180 km.

At first, people were trying to dig a canal to connect the port Muinak with the open sea. The channel length of 22 km, but the struggle with nature was useless, the water goes too fast, many ships had remained on the banks of the canal.

Most of these ships residents cut into scrap metal, some were rescued, and now they are on the site of the former pier.

Muinak had a very important significance in the logistic supply system of Central Asia. In Aralsk was a huge container port, from where the containers were loaded with railroad on ships and sent to Muinak, and further across Central Asia.