Lake Beloye (Vologda Oblast)
lake in Vologda Oblast, Russia
Lake Beloye or White Lake (Russian: Бе́лое о́зеро, IPA: [ˈbʲɛləjə ˈozʲɪrə]; Veps: Vaugedjärv, Valgjärv, lit. 'white lake') is a lake in the northwestern part of Vologda Oblast in Russia. Administratively, the lake is divided between Belozersky District (south) and Vashkinsky District (north) in the oblast. The town of Belozersk is located on its coast. In terms of area, Lake Beloye is the second largest natural lake of Vologda Oblast (behind Lake Onega), and the third largest lake also behind the Rybinsk Reservoir. It is one of the ten biggest natural lakes in Europe.
Geography
The basin of the lake includes parts of Belozersky, Vashkinsky, Babayevsky, and Vytegorsky Districts of Vologda Oblast, as well as minor areas in Kargopolsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Most of the basin lies north of the lake, in the Andoma Hills, and includes smaller lakes, many of them being of glacial origin. These lakes include Lake Kovzhskoye, Lake Kemskoye, Lake Kushtozero, Lake Sholskoye, Lake Druzhinnoye, and, south of Lake Beloye, Lake Lozskoye.
The lake has an approximately round shape with a diameter of 46 kilometres (29 mi). Its area is 1,130 square kilometres (440 mi2), and the area of its basin is 14,000 square kilometres (5,400 mi2).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lake Beloye (Vologda Oblast)” is lake in Vologda Oblast, Russia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lake, Beloye and Vologda, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “lake in Vologda Oblast, Russia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q953140. Authority coordinates are 60.167, 37.633. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Lake Beloye (Vologda Oblast)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.