Novosibirsk, Russia – An industrial dump site in Siberia whose turquoise lake resembles a tropical paradise has become a magnet for Instagrammers who risk their health in the toxic water to wow online followers.
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Bikini-clad models, paddle-boarders and romantic couples are using a Novosibirsk energy plant’s ash dump site – nicknamed the local “Maldives” – as background for their snaps, posing as if relaxing in a holiday paradise.
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But the Siberian Generating Company, which owns the site, says the lake’s bright colours are due to calcium oxides – substances found in quicklime and harmful to humans – diluted in shallow waters.
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A spokeswoman told AFP that the site “isn’t poisonous” but has very high acidity.
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“The bottom of the ash disposal site is claylike, so if you fall there, it’s hard to get out,” she said.
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She added that while the company has placed roadblocks, they can be easily circumvented on foot.
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Despite the signs “Danger Zone”, the photographers keep coming, driven by the quest for Instagram “likes”.
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“I found out about this place from friends,” Alyona, a photographer, told AFP after taking pictures of a young woman posing in a bathing suit on the shore caked with white residue.
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“Turns out it’s a poisonous liquid and maybe we’re risking getting poisoned by the air too,” she said looking at the water.
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“It’s very pretty.”
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The best images are displayed on a special Instagram account called “Novosibirsk Maldives”. Locals also refer to the site as “Maldivinsk”.
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“The rash is gone already, but I would not recommend tasting this water,” said Alexei Cherenkov, whose photo on a unicorn float was “liked” almost 400 times.
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“I went there for a pretty picture. Our city is grey and this is one of the available ‘beautiful’ places,” he told AFP.
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Cherenkov said there was no security, and the lake attracts many weekend visitors. “Some people even go there for barbecues.”
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Photographer Yekaterina Aksyutina went to the lake with clients – a young couple who posed for romantic photos in wedding attire.
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“It was an important date in their relationship and they asked for a photo session there,” she said.
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“Nobody went for a swim or touched the water, we know it might be dangerous.”
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The Siberian Generating Company has cautioned repeatedly that the site is off limits.
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“The territory is an industrial zone, not a nature reserve or aquatic park,” it says on its website, warning people not to go into the water or use it to water plants.