The Barguzin is a river in Buryatia, Russia, 480 km long, flowing into the Barguzin Bay of Lake Baikal, the largest and deepest bay of Baikal. Barguzin is the third (by the flow amount) inflow of Baikal, after the rivers Selenga and Upper Angara. Its watershed area is 21100 km2. It is navigable for 204 km upwards from its estuary. Its main tributaries are the Gagra, Argada and Ina from the left, and the Ulyun from the right. In 1648, Ivan Galkin founded an ostrog on the Barguzin.

Valley

In its middle part, the river flows along the Barguzin Valley or Depression, which is 200 km long and up to 35 km wide and runs between the Barguzin Range (to the northwest) and Ikat Range (to the southeast). It also forms the western limit of the Southern Muya Range. In the valley, the river branches, loops, leaves old riverbeds, and creates a swampy water network with more than 1,000 lakes. In the valley is the Dzherga Nature Reserve encompassing 2387 km2.

Wind

The river also gave its name to a steady, strong wind on Baikal. The air flow rushes onto Baikal from the Barguzin Valley and blows across the lake at its middle, mostly for no longer than a day (starting at sunrise and ending by sunset). Usually it brings sunny weather. In Barguzin Bay, it may be of hurricane strength, but its average speed is usually less than 20 m/s. The wind is commemorated in the Russian folk song about a runaway from the Akatuy katorga: