a river in Krasnoiarsk Krai, RSFSR. It is 532 km long, with a basin area of 12,600 sq km, and rises from the lakes in the central part of the North Siberian Lowland. Flowing eastward along the swampy tundra, it enters a small bay on the west bank of the Khatanga Gulf. It is fed by snow and rain, freezes over at the end of September, and opens up again at the beginning of June. The Bol’shaia Balakhnia is rich in fish: Coregonus sardinella, muksun, nelma, and char.