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Monday, 20th July 2009 (1133 views)

A search is underway to retrieve a hoard of gold believed to have been seized by Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak's White Army and lost in Lake Baikal, southern Siberia, during the Russian Civil War.

It is thought that the trove could amount to 1,600 tonnes of gold - including 750 million golden roubles and gold bars - and the current £4.5 million exploration of the lake is seeking to find the lost gold.

Kolchak captured the gold during fighting against the Bolsheviks at the start of the 20th century.

However, there is no definite theory as to how the treasure ended up at the bottom of Lake Baikal. Some suggest that the gold was carried on a train that derailed and fell into the lake, while others indicate that it sank after soldiers tried to carry it over the lake while it was frozen.

Mini-submersibles are now combing the lake to search for the gold as part of a wider scientific study of the body of water's biodiversity. It is a joint effort between the Russian Academy of Science and investment group Metropol.

This follows a similar expedition last year that failed to find anything but ammunition boxes dating back to the era of the civil war, according to the Times.

Lake Baikal is almost 400 miles long and is 5,390 ft deep. It contains one-fifth of the world's fresh water.

According to the Fund for the Protection of Lake Baikal, the expedition will set a new world record for freshwater submersion.

 

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