Decorative structures made of stones can be found in every corner of the world. The more tourists visit this place, the more such pyramids are built. This stone town is located on the way to Teriberka. It is difficult not to notice it, which is why many guests of the village do not pass by, but stop to complement the composition with their work.

Vladimir Isaev: “It has a magical meaning, yes. The most important - good wishes to all the people who live, lived, and, God grant, that our lives continue. For us, our family, friends and children.”

Such buildings are called tours. In ancient times, they were monuments and were used for astronomical purposes. Such a pyramid could contain some kind of message or indicate the path through mountain glaciers. In North America, tours were laid out on trails where bison walked, in the Arctic they marked the length of the path or indicated the direction, and in the coastal provinces of Canada they served as a guide for boatmen. Tourist tours, as a rule, do not large sizes and have no practical use. But many believe in their magical properties.

Irina Tretyakova: “They told me that if you build this pyramid, then when you build it, you have to make a wish. Well, at the moment my husband is in the hospital and I wished for him to recover quickly. I think it must come true. I climbed, as I think, to the very height. Here, I made myself a pyramid.”

Similar structures, only larger in size, were built by the Sami. They are called seids. Murmansk resident Iraida Glebova is convinced that these structures can also be called seids.

Iraida Glebova: « The word "seid" comes from the Finnish language. No one knows for sure why they placed pebble on top of pebble and so on the hills there stands, for example, seid - big Stone on two small ones. And it doesn't fall. This is where the laws of physics for some reason don’t work.”

For some it is a memorial sign, but for others it is a big creative work. Stone balancing is developing as an art form. And very difficult. This is not to say that the laws of physics do not apply to these buildings. Accurate calculations, selection of stones and long, painstaking work - such a masterpiece cannot be built just like that. And it will most likely not last long - the fragile structure can be broken by a bird or even the wind.

For tourists, simplicity and reliability of the design are more important. Is it really that easy to create a tour? Curiosity forces you to go in search of free stones.

Even a simple pyramid is not very easy to build. There are no perfectly even stones here, and stone polygons do not always want to be adjacent. Without patience, you can’t even make three stones. Therefore, you have to exhale and take on a new job.

I have already written that the Buryats profess Tengeri, an ancient shamanic religion, and now I want to talk in more detail about the shamanic practices of Baikal. It seemed to me that those Buryats who live on the western side of Lake Baikal more actively profess shamanism. Along the road from Olkhon, which has now become extremely popular because of the shamans, every now and then there were bariss - places of power. Only in Buryatia are they marked with a serge - a special hitching post - a boundary sign.

And only in Buryatia places are designated road sign"Resting-place". I used to think that it depicted a Christmas tree falling on a bench. And now I know that this is serge - a hitching post, near the sacred larch. We called these sites that way until the end of the trip. The first serge met at way back from Olkhon near Ust-Ordynsk. Apparently some spirit in the form of a puppy, like Castaneda, accompanied us all the way.

Serge meant that the land had an owner. And the serge pillars mark out, but not only the ground. The upper part of the pillar is for heavenly spirits, the middle for earthly horses, the lower for horses of the underworld. Serge was placed during the initiation of a shaman. When he died, they erected a very large serge made of stone. Shamans, by the way, were not buried in the ground, but tied to tall sacred larches. On the 49th day, his remains were burned, the ashes were put in a bag and walled up in a pine or other evergreen tree. Because the black shaman (the elder could also be white) was engaged in defense against the chthonic spirits of the earth. He couldn't go into the ground.

Burial of a shaman on a tree. Photo from an article about Yakut shamans

On Serge they communicate with the spirits of the place and come to an agreement. They bring gifts in the form of cereals, sweets, buttons, cookies, copper coins and... cigarettes. And I don’t mind drinking perfume either. There was a whole bunch of vodka caps on this serge. Apparently they were brought to the spirits and the contents were drunk. Previously, they drank Tarasun here, a dairy alcoholic product with a strength of 15-20, but now they have found a stronger drink - vodka. By the way, I found a couple of dozen empty vodka bottles behind the door in one of the churches of the Ivolginsky datsan. Apparently, they also brought the perfume to smell.

Russians treated this ritual with understanding and drink with pleasure. And the authorities are not averse to joining the rituals. Our bosses go to churches and hold a candle at prayer services with their right hand, like a glass. But the local authorities have a hard time. He should communicate with shamans, and then hold candles. For example, like the deputy governor of the Irkutsk region, Anatoly Dyachenko, who arrived at the “Tengriin Yuhen noedto” - a ritual of honoring the spirits of the blue sky, which took place on June 26, 2009.

Now there is a revival of ancient traditions, says Anatoly Mikhailovich. - This is aimed at the benefit of the people. This is the second time I am taking part in the tailagana; the first time I attended a prayer service in front of the Altargana on Olkhon Island. Today I stood in line and submitted a note asking them to pray for my family and my friend’s family. I tried to follow all the rules; I am here not as an official, but as an ordinary citizen, a resident of this land. The prayer service lasted until late in the evening, during which a sacrifice was made to the gods in the form of a horse and nine sheep. Despite the fact that rain was promised that day and the sky was gloomy in the morning, nature treated the people favorably, which was regarded by those present as a good sign.

And Anatoly Mikhailovich certainly considers himself Orthodox. I wonder if he goes to church later?

The sculpture of a Buryat horsewoman (?) on the Yakutsk highway near Irkutsk is tied with a hall

The Russians also quickly adopted from the pagans the custom of tying zalaa, a colorful ribbon, on everything they found. This is actually a widespread pagan custom. Pagan Finno-Ugric people tie ribbons. Now in Kolomenskoye there are quite a few ribbons tied to the pagan stones (by the way, now there is a serge in Kolomenskoye too). And in Buryatia, everything that relates to places of power is tied to the hall.

The trees near the main shamanic place of Mount Shaman on Olkhon (Khuzhir) are all tied with zalaa

A ribbon is an economical way to remind the spirit that you asked for it. The wind sways it, and seems to read the desire. By the way, text can be written on the tape, like on a prayer drum.

Khurde - a prayer drum in the Ivolginsky datsan in Buryatia tied with a hall

It must be said that the Russian population has adapted not only to celebrate places of power with the Buryats. Since busy Buryats often don’t stop at barises and simply honk and throw a handful of coins out the window, Russian grandmothers have adapted to collecting coins near especially popular places. I wonder if this is not an insult to the religious feelings of the spirits?

I found another manifestation of shamanic practices on a mountain near the Olkhon Gate Strait. This cairn is obo. Obo is an ancient sanctuary, the seat of the spirit masters of the area, a place where spirits should be worshiped. Usually it is built in special places where spirits have manifested themselves or where they operate. When we were leaving Olkhon, a Buryat girl working in a local cafe said that they have a belief that you need to bring as many stones to the mountain as you want to atone for your sins.

Visitors to the Pribaikalsky National Park lay out numerous tours from stones of different sizes: from small pyramids to impressively sized “monuments” of various shapes.

On September 23, scientists from the Baikal Nature Reserve and volunteers began dismantling stone turks on Olkhon in order to restore the natural habitats of the Olkhon vole. Volunteers dismantled pyramids on the tops of six hills on the Kobylya Golova Peninsula.

It is here, on rocky, stony areas that the Red Book Olkhon vole lives.

The animal is very conservative in choosing a place of residence, it needs strictly defined conditions, and once choosing appropriate place, the vole settles there for many years. Human activity in these areas can cause irreparable damage to the population, up to and including the complete extinction of this vulnerable species, reports the press service of the “Reserved Baikal Region”.

Most visitors to the national park are unaware of the damage they cause to nature by constructing various stone “structures.”

By lifting and dragging stones found around, people destroy the natural microrelief and deprive many species of animals of their usual shelters - from small beetles to large animals. The Olkhon vole, an already vulnerable and rare species, is especially affected, the national park notes.

Some guides, in order to entertain tourists, call for making a pyramid “for good luck.” Others argue that what bigger stone the man carried it up the mountain, the greater the sin he removed from his soul. However, the indigenous inhabitants of Olkhon never had a tradition of building stone pyramids.

By assembling a pyramid, you are unlikely to be able to remove a sin or achieve the fulfillment of desires, but to receive a sin for the death of a rare animal is quite... The destruction of shelters noticeably weakens vole colonies and often leads to the death of animals, says the leader of the action, head of the science department of the “Reserved Baikal Region” » Oleg Berlov.

Human influence on the nature of Lake Baikal is increasing every year. It’s hard to imagine, but even such seemingly harmless things as stone slides, which tourists love to build from Baikal stones, can seriously harm the animals of the region. Last weekend, scientists from the “Reserve Baikal Region” and volunteers began dismantling such tours from stones on Olkhon in order to restore natural habitats for Baikal animals. Volunteers dismantled the pyramids on the tops of six hills.

“Many visitors to Pribaikalsky climb higher, to the tops of the Olkhon hills, to take pictures against the backdrop of breathtaking views of Lake Baikal. At the same time, tourists unknowingly change the appearance of rocky biotopes - they lay out numerous tours from stones of different sizes: from small pyramids to impressive size “monuments” of various shapes,” says an employee of the “Reserved Baikal Region”.

Tourists have been dismantled on Olkhon

Meanwhile, it is here, on rocky, stony areas that the Red List Olkhon vole lives. The animal is very conservative in choosing a place of residence, it needs strictly defined conditions, and, once choosing a suitable place, the vole settles there for many years. Human activity in these areas can cause irreparable damage to the population, up to and including the complete extinction of this vulnerable species.

Most tourists do not even suspect the damage they cause to nature by constructing various stone “structures.”

“Some guides, in order to entertain tourists, call for making a pyramid “for luck.” Others claim that the larger the stone a person carried up the mountain, the greater the sin he removed from his soul. However, the indigenous inhabitants of Olkhon (from the Kurykans to the Buryats and Russians) never had a tradition of building stone pyramids. Therefore, when assembling a pyramid, you are unlikely to be able to remove a sin or achieve the fulfillment of desires, but it is quite possible to receive a sin for the death of a rare animal... The destruction of shelters noticeably weakens vole colonies and often leads to death,” says the leader of the action, head of the science department of the Zapovedny Baikal region" Oleg Berlov.

The administration of the “Reserved Baikal Region” thanks the volunteers of the charity foundation “Give the Planet Life” for their help and plans to continue carrying out events to dismantle artificial structures made of stones.

The places that will be discussed are incredibly beautiful, mysterious and unique, but not spoiled by the attention of tourists. All of them are located on the territory of Russia. However, getting to them is very difficult. The lack of at least some kind of transport and the presence of government agencies, with which one must coordinate one’s “invasion” into these territories, is the main, but not the only obstacle. However, if you are one of those people who are only attracted by difficulties, we will show you the way to seven amazing sites in Russia that few people know about. Only a few saw them with their own eyes.

Naukan - the ancient capital of the Eskimos

The ruins of the largest Eximos settlement, liquidated during the “consolidation of villages” in 1958

Where: Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Peninsula

The discovery of the Okvik, Birnirk and other Paleo-Asian cultures that succeeded each other in this place for three millennia belongs to the permafrost, which pushes any foreign body to the surface. All that today reminds us of the capital of the last of these cultures - the Eskimos - are whale ribs protruding from the coastal grass, as well as numerous bone artifacts of unknown age and purpose, which are not difficult to find among what remains of the barracks built in the 1930s. It’s hard to call the capital of the Eskimos dead. Firstly, unlike the warlike Eskimo islanders from Ratmanov Island, who perished on mainland collective farms in one generation, the sea hunters of Naukan retain their identity even in exile. Secondly, whales still enter coastal waters every summer. Experts in Eskimo folklore will confirm: whales are looking for their earthly science lovers who have left these places.

How to get there: from Anadyr to the village of Lavrentiya by regular flight of the Chukotavia airline, then to the village of Uelen (flight depends on the weather). Alternatively, you can board a whaleboat, which sails the Bering Strait from June to August.

Lake Sindori is part of the prehistoric sea, controlled by the Federal Penitentiary Service

The only natural monument in Russia, access to which is controlled by the penitentiary service

Where: Knyazhpogostsky district of the Komi Republic

A taiga lake of unprecedented beauty, left over from a prehistoric sea, its area is comparable to the island of Valaam. It was on its banks that at the beginning of the 20th century many sites of primitive man were discovered, and some time later the M-222 correctional labor institution was built here, which ceased to exist quite recently. First of all, M-222 is known as the place of detention of most of the doctors convicted in the famous case, and also because Sergei Dovlatov served as a warden here. Here, nearby, according to numerous folklore sources, Yirkapa, the cultural hero of Komi, died. Having lost his magical power, after he did not spare the daughter of a sorceress during a hunt, who turned into a deer (according to another version - a magpie), Yirkap simply drowned in Sindor. Finally, Lake Sindorskoye is the habitat of Nikolai Prokushev. This is exactly how a neat 50-year-old bearded man presents himself - a forest hermit, a lone hunter and an original thinker.

How to get there: from the Yaroslavsky station by train Moscow-Vorkuta to the Sindor station, then by passing trolley along the Sindor narrow-gauge railway to the camp site of the institution M-222. The so-called camp site consists of several houses on the territory of a former camp, adapted for overnight stays for fishermen on the banks of the Ugyum River, two to three kilometers from the lake. Attention: all the personnel of the once built for the needs of Ust-Vymsklag and the still operating Sindori narrow-gauge railway (including diesel locomotive drivers) are prisoners, and the road is still under the jurisdiction of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Tsoi-pede - Chechen City of the Dead

A medieval Chechen fortress-necropolis, which can only be visited with permission from the FSB

Where: Itum-Kalinsky district of the Republic of Chechnya

The cape at the confluence of the Argun and the mountain river Meshi-Khi is surrounded on three sides by icy water and connected to the rocky ridge only by a narrow isthmus. In fact, Tsoi-pede is an impregnable cemetery. The earliest of the 42 crypts date back to the 14th century, and according to a popular but unproven version, it was founded during a devastating epidemic, and the sick came here to die themselves - there was no time and no one to bury the dead. However, this romantic hypothesis is easily refuted by the fact that the neighboring village, located somewhat to the south of the burials, too often fought with its neighbors and could not do without a capacious necropolis for the burial of dead soldiers. They say that the ancient weapons that rested in the crypts of Tsoi-pede, like other valuables, disappeared from here immediately after the deportation of the Chechens in 1944. Today, those who come to Tsoi-pede are greeted by two pagan pillar altars, protective swastikas, crosses and solar spirals on the walls, and the image of a human figure can still be discerned on the watchtower. It is believed that this is the Christian Saint George - baptized Georgia is nearby, and the proximity of this border actually explains the need to obtain FSB permission to visit the City of the Dead.

How to get there: from Grozny to the regional center Itum-Kali - by minibus, then by hitchhiking and on foot. FSB permission is required to enter the border zone.

Uchar Waterfall - the youngest waterfall in the world

160-meter waterfall, which was discovered only 35 years ago

Where: Ulagansky district of the Altai Republic

The youngest waterfall known to science - Uchar on the Chulcha River - was unknown to official science until the 1970s. However, science did not live in the dark for very long, since, as is commonly believed, the waterfall was formed as a result of a powerful earthquake only about 200 years ago. The water has not yet had time to crush the fragments of rocks that form its cascades, and the black stones measure in height with the neighboring pines. All this is overwhelming in its scale and makes the difference between a person and an ant practically insignificant. The path to Uchar passes over a cliff and crosses numerous mountain streams, which are not recommended to cross without insurance. An important practical note: when moving away from populated areas and roadways, a tourist who finds himself in this part of Altai should not forget about the Emurans. It is precisely the malice and deceit of these animals that the local population usually explains to the newcomers the sudden disappearance of their provisions, as well as tires, cigarettes, cash, etc. Something between a gopher and a jerboa, the emuranka (which Dahl’s dictionary characterizes as an “earth bunny”) is really not is afraid of humans and is able to come very close. However, the Emuran woman still does not eat money or cigarettes.

How to get there: by car from Biysk to the village of Artybash (the route ends a few kilometers before the final destination), then by boat along Lake Teletskoye. You can also get there from Gornoaltaisk: first, hitch a ride to the head estate of the Altai Nature Reserve in the village of Yailyu, then on foot (a guide is required). Permission to visit the Altai Nature Reserve is required.

Porzhensky Pogost - a wooden castle on the site of a pagan temple

A well-preserved wooden pre-Petrine monastery, which is possibly the center of the Universe

Where: Kargopol district of Arkhangelsk region

The forest is guarded by an abandoned pre-Petrine monastery with well-preserved 18th-century paintings more reliably than the Ministry of Culture: the roads from the nearest villages are impassable and not known to every local. An empty church, surrounded by a chopped fence with numerous towers, peeks out from behind gloomy gray logs, and around there are only Karelian boulders and lakes. Like most ancient Christian buildings, the monastery, built in the 80s of the 18th century, most likely took the place of a pagan temple - its main chapel, as well as three surrounding churches of the same time, lie on a geometrically ideal straight line, stretched by who knows who and when from the south to north. On some forums, without any irony, the idea is discussed that it is in one of the towers of the Porzhensky churchyard that the so-called Aleph from Borges’ story of the same name is located, which Borges describes as the keyhole of the world - the place where all the points of the universe converge.

How to get there: by train Moscow-Arkhangelsk (departs from Yaroslavsky station) to Nyandoma station, then by bus to Kargopol, from Kargopol by bus to the village of Maselga, the last 15 km on foot

Averkin Yama - a cave hiding Pugachev's treasure

An unexplored cave, equipped for housing by unknown persons

Where: Satkinsky district of Chelyabinsk region

The entrance to the cave is an almost vertical 20-meter drop in a forested rock above the left bank of the Ai River and is practically invisible from the outside. Inside there are two grottoes with an area of ​​10 and 20 square meters. m, an underground lake with potable water and above-zero temperatures at any time of the year. The total length of the surveyed underground passages is about 100 m. Back in the 1920s, the inhabitants of the cave were known to local residents under the collective name Averkia. Rumor portrayed the caveman either as an escaped convict, a Tatar with his nostrils torn out, or as a holy elder, or as a Kerzhak Old Believer, invariably attributing to him superhuman lust and countless connections with the inhabitants of a nunnery. Also, according to popular belief, it was here that the gold looted by Emelyan Pugachev was once hidden. To eradicate all superstitions, in 1924 the local women's council sent a Komsomol expedition to the cave. During the investigation, a wooden door, a wooden machine of unknown purpose, a bed and many bones, including human ones, were discovered. It should be noted that subsequent expeditions invariably found gutters hollowed out of wood in the Averka Pit - the remains of an ancient pipeline, the purpose of which is still unknown.

How to get there: from Chelyabinsk to the regional center of Satka by bus No. 517, from Satka by bus (route without number) to the village of Ailino, then on foot.

Cape Ryty - shamanic pyramids on the shores of Lake Baikal

An unexplored monument of primitive architecture on a site sacred to shamanists

Where: northwestern shore of Lake Baikal

Formally, disembarkation of passengers on the cape, riddled with the beds of dry rivers and streams, is prohibited: this is the territory of the Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve. It is also prohibited informally: according to the beliefs of the Buryats, access of strangers to the shamanic place of power should be strictly limited. The shamans, apparently, have something to hide: science still does not know who, when and why built a stone wall on Rytoe exactly 333 m long and tightly surrounded it with stone cones and pyramids oriented to the cardinal points. In 2002, in the vicinity of the nearby village of Onguryon, biologist Alexei Turuta was hacked to death for disrespect for spirits, expressed in his refusal to tie a sacrificial ribbon to a sacred tree that the scientist was passing by. By the way, in addition to pagan piety, Onguren residents are also known for their technical ingenuity: in the village there is the only steam locomotive in Russia from the Second World War, converted into a power plant.

How to get there: from Irkutsk by bus to the Zama tourist center, then on foot to the village of Onguryona (hikes are possible, but there are no regular transport connections