Another Crack Forms in Lake Baikal Ice, 'Playing' as It Moves

Tourists are warned that venturing onto the ice may be dangerous after a new crack formed in the Maloye More area.

Feb 27, 2026

A crack has formed in the ice of Lake Baikal«s Maloye More area.
Source:
Press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) for Irkutsk Oblast

A crack running from Cape Ulan-Khada towards Cape Kobylya Golova has formed in the ice of the Maloye More (Small Sea) in the Olkhonsky District. According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) for Irkutsk Oblast, pressure from the crack is moving towards the ferry crossing.

«The width of the crack is 10–15 centimeters. It »plays« — contracting and expanding,» the statement said.

Tourists and visitors to the Pribaikalsky National Park are advised to be extremely cautious — there is a high likelihood of numerous cracks forming in the ice of Lake Baikal due to sharp temperature fluctuations.

Travel onto the ice is strictly prohibited. Previously, another crack formed in the ice of Lake Baikal — along the Circum-Baikal Railway (CBR). Its length is 10 kilometers.