Olkhon (; , Oikhon) is the fourth-largest lake island in the world. It is by far the largest island in Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia, with an area of . Structurally, it constitutes the southwestern margin of the Academician Ridge. The island measures in length and in width.
There are two versions regarding the origin of the name of the island and both are derived from the language of the Buryats, the indigenous people of Olkhon. The first is that the island's name comes from the word oyhon – “woody”, and the second is that it comes from olhan – “dry”. It is still debated which of the two is the actual origin of the name Olkhon as both words describe the island perfectly. Much of the island is still covered by forests and the amount of precipitation is extremely low – about per year.
thumb|View over the Maloje More Strait from the island with the [[Primorsky Range in the background]]
Population
The population of the island is around 1,744<!--
thumb|A Buryat shaman on Olkhon Island
There are several settlements and five villages on the island: Yalga, Malomorets, Khuzhir, Kharantsy, and Ulan-Khushin. The village of Khuzhir is the administrative capital of Olkhon, designated as such in April 1987 when the Soviet government issued a comprehensive decree protecting Lake Baikal. Khuzhir is home to about 1,200 residents and boasts a museum of local nature and history.
Economy
Most residents are fishermen, farmers, or cattle-ranchers. Due to an increasing number of tourists from all over the world, many residents work in this sector as well, and tourism has become an important part of the economy in Olkhon.
Culture
thumb|A series of [[Serge (religious)|serges at Shamanka on Olkhon Island]]
The indigenous Buryats, adherents of shamanism, believe the island to be a spiritual place; one of the groups of deities revered in Buryati yellow shamanism is called the oikony noyod, the "thirteen lords of Olkhon". On the western coast, close to Khuzhir, is Baikal's most famous landmark, the Shamanka, or Shaman's Rock. Natives believe that Burkhan, a modern religious cult figure of the Altai peoples, lives in the cave in this rock. Olkhon is considered a centre of Kurumchinskay culture of the 6th–10th centuries.
The museum at Olkhon, named after Revyakin, has exhibits on the nature and ethnography of the island, including pipe-smoking and a samovar collection.
History
The island has a long history of human habitation. The original Indigenous peoples were the Buryats and the Yakuts.
Russian explorers first visited during the 17th century. is the main village on Olkhon Island and contains <!--This needs to be made more specific.--> shops, and homestays.
thumb|Coast of Olkhon Island
thumb|Beach north of [[Khuzhir, Irkutsk Oblast|Khuzhir]]
The National History Museum of Revyakin N. M in Khuzhir contains collections of historical items linked to the life and culture of the people of Olkhon from Neolithic times to the present day. Here, visitors can see various items such as stone arrowheads, badges of Mongolian soldiers, and materials used in cremation rituals, and can learn about life on this island of political exiles in the Soviet era, as well as the unique flora and fauna that can only be found on Olkhon Island.
The Revyakin Museum was originally named after a famous geologist, paleontologist, geographer and writer of science fiction, Obruchev. However, it was later named after its founder, and a teacher of geography, N. M. Revyakin.
thumb|right|Semi-desert landscape on Olkhon Island
Peschanaya Village is an abandoned settlement famous for its picturesque sand dunes and the unique appearance of the trees found here – stilted trees with their roots exposed above the sand. The constant winds that blow from the sea towards land move the sand away from the shore and form high sand hills, which are called "moving sands", as these sand dunes constantly change location depending on the direction of the wind. This strong wind has also resulted in the exposure of roots of trees near the shore, giving the trees the appearance of a standing person, thus earning them the name "walking trees".
Furthermore, there used to be a gulag fish factory here where prisoners worked during Soviet times. However, after Stalin's death, these prisoners were released, and the factory has been abandoned since the 1950s.
Three Brothers Rock, or Sagaan-Khushun Cape, is one of Baikal's natural monuments and another popular tourist sightseeing spot. It is easily recognised as three big rocks standing in a row overlooking Lake Baikal. According to an old Buryatian legend, there once lived three brothers on Olkhon Island whose father had supernatural powers. Once, their father turned them into eagles but only on the condition that they would not eat dead meat. The brothers were extremely happy with their newly gained freedom as eagles and decided to fly around the island after promising not to eat dead meat. However, when they were flying around the island, they became hungry and found a dead animal. Despite their promises to their father, they ate this dead animal. When their father learned about it, he was furious and turned them into the three rocks that we see today.