Siberia

Imagine a land so big it feels like it could go on forever. In the winter, my ground is covered in a thick, white blanket of snow that sparkles like a million tiny diamonds under the moon. My forests are deep and quiet, filled with tall trees that wear snowy hats. The air is so crisp and cold it makes your cheeks rosy. At night, something magical happens. Colors dance across the sky—green, pink, and purple lights that swirl and play hide-and-seek with the stars. People call them the Northern Lights, and they are my special secret. I am a place of quiet wonder, a giant land of winter sparkle and warm summer sun. I am Siberia.

For thousands and thousands of years, my lands were home to ancient peoples who were brave and strong. They lived alongside giant, fuzzy animals with long, curly tusks called woolly mammoths. My ground is so cold that it has kept some of these amazing creatures perfectly frozen, like a picture from a long, long time ago. It’s my way of remembering them. Much later, new footprints appeared in my snow. Brave explorers came to see my vast forests and wide rivers. One of them was a man named Yermak Timofeyevich, who arrived in the 1580s with his friends. They were amazed by my size and beauty. But the biggest change for me came when people decided to build a giant railway right across my body. On May 31st, 1891, the work began. They laid down a long, shiny track that looked like an iron ribbon stretching from one side of me to the other. They called it the Trans-Siberian Railway. It was like I had a new spine that connected all my little towns and villages. The train chugged along, bringing new people, new ideas, and new sounds to my quiet heart. It said, “Hello, Siberia. We want to get to know you better.” And I was happy to meet them.

Even today, my wild heart beats strong. I am home to the deepest and oldest lake in the whole world. It is called Lake Baikal, and its water is so clear you can see pebbles deep, deep down below. It’s like a giant blue eye looking up at the sky. Special animals live here that you can’t find anywhere else. The powerful Siberian tiger, with its beautiful orange and black stripes, silently pads through my forests. And in my special lake, cute and chubby Baikal seals swim and play. They are the only seals in the world that live in fresh water. People still come to visit me from all over the world. Scientists come to study my ancient ice. By looking at the tiny bubbles trapped inside, they can learn what the Earth was like thousands of years ago. My wild beauty inspires people to be adventurous, to climb mountains, and to explore forests. I teach everyone that our planet is full of amazing wonders, and it is our job to protect them for many years to come.