Turmush — In the syrt zone of the Jeti-Oguz district of the Issyk-Kul region there is a lake in which a mother and child drowned.
Information about the lake is available in the regional encyclopedia.
Lake “Okurgon-Kol” (“Sobbing” lake) is located in the mountain ranges of inland Tenir-Too, on the northern part of Mount Jeti-Bel, on the right side of the Taragay River, at an altitude of 3628 meters above sea level.
According to one legend, in 1916, entire families died during the uprising. In one family there remains only one young woman with a small child. Taking the baby, she sets off on a camel towards China. 2-3 days on the way. On the way, she sees many bodies of dead people. Suddenly she heard the howl of wolves approaching from different directions. With fear, the woman reaches Mount Zhetim-Bel, where she sees a lake. It’s starting to get dark, so she decides to cross the frozen lake on a camel. When they get to the middle of the lake, the ice breaks and everyone falls into the water. At that moment, the cry of a woman, a camel and the cry of a child are heard. Thus, the woman and child die.
Villagers note that after the tragedy, people still hear these screams and cries during storms and strong winds. That’s why the lake is called “Okurgon-Kol”. In winter, ice forms on the surface of the lake, and in summer you can see waves.
