Stop me if you’ve heard or seen the phrase: “do it for the ‘gram”. From cafes to old architecture, Insta-worthy spots are all the rave now. Forget culture and history, if it looks good, we need to go, and go early because you’ll be sure to see others there, or gasp queue for a photo.
We’re always on the look out for the latest travel trends and up-and-coming destinations for our next wanderlust adventure, and sharing on social media has since become an intrinsic part of that.
The Maldives of Novosibirsk
Well, up north in Siberia, in a wooded area just outside the city of Novosibirsk, is a serene turquoise lake that has become the new spot for influencers and bloggers to spruce up their feed and content.
The craze actually started way back when a local photographer posted a photo of a women next to the lake.
Since then, Instagram has come alive with photos of newlyweds and bikini-clad women posing in front what seems to be a picturesque cerulean lake that will leave any island-chaser jealous. I mean, with clear blue waters and a distant horizon in the background, it certainly looks pretty magical.
Only, it’s not truly a natural lake. Dubbed the “Novosibirsk Maldives” for its clear turquoise waters, this body of water gets it blue hue from the chemical ash residue deposited by the Siberian Generating Company, a coal plant that owns the lake.
The waters are not poisonous per se, but there have been cases where skin rashes have developed for some who have dipped into the waters. This has prompted the Siberian Generating Company to issue warnings that people should not attempt to enter the lake for any photos, though I’d wager the company never imagined the lake blowing up to become an Instagram sensation.
The (Unreasoning) Power of Instagram
But no number of skin rash cases have stymied the public from flocking to the Novosibirsk Maldives, spurring the Siberian Generating Company to employ guards and block off the dirt roads that provide entry to the lake.
If anything, the controversy may actually contribute to a larger number of people to get a photo with the calm lake, full-body rash be damned. Even if you’re an influencer or blogger, and the likes mean an incredible deal to you, taking photos at a lake filled with chemical ash reside seems a little… excessive.
This is yet another case alluding to the slightly worrying reality that our lives are being driven (subconsciously or not) by our Instagram feeds and the social validation that comes along with it. The outcry of Instagram implementing the hiding of likes in certain areas has hardly died down as well, regardless of the social media giant’s goodwill and warning towards the issue of mental health and stress.
When we have a conviction towards a certain objective, it’s amazing how humans can go the extra mile.
Only sometimes, it may not be entirely worth it.
Top photo from Shutterstock.
