Vital for making its waters so 'pure', one theory is that rising underwater methane leaks are killing off the sponge, but is there a silver lining?
Swimming 1km, in the middle of the winter, in Siberia, at water temperature of zero Celsius and air temperature below -30C.
Sightings of 'primeval monsters' in Siberia's Lake Labynkyr were made before 'Nessie' was spotted in Scotland.
Up to 500 mother bears a year give birth on remote Wrangel island, also the last place to see woolly mammoths.
Dispute over poll refusal for Siberian 'Democratic Coalition' backing Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny.
The Russian president took part in the 'Flight of Hope', giving a flying lesson to young white cranes ahead of their epic 5,000 km migration.
Temperatures as low as minus 41C did not deter Russians immersing themselves as medics stood ready to offer help.
Marine life dying, pools polluted, power outages, no medicines for animals, and two years late, but officials say there is no cause for concern.
Eight seamen from the sunken Amuerskaya freighter remain missing from the gold carrying freighter which sank in a storm in late October.