Karelia: a guide to places of power. Northern tales about places of power

Karelia, like the Russian North as a whole, is a region full of unsolved mysteries and amazing mysteries. To unravel them means to understand our past and present. The greatness and historical immortality of a people are determined by the spiritual culture that representatives of even the smallest ethnic groups managed to preserve and convey to their descendants. Is the spiritual culture of the ancient peoples, who have long lived on the vast territory of modern Karelia, less ancient than the culture of any of the Western European peoples? Is the Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala" less poetic than the Scandinavian "Edda", the French "Song of Roland" or the German "Nibelungs"?

Earthly paradise

In 1916, Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich, an outstanding artist and thinker, arrived in the city of Serdobol, present-day Sortavala. This was not Roerich’s first trip to Finland and Karelia. Roerich's interest in the North was inseparable from his interest in Russia's past, in its history. He was keenly interested in the study of ancient magical Knowledge, the existence of which in ancient times was associated with the northern territories. From time immemorial, the Russian people, dreaming of better life, directed his gaze to the North. It was here that, in the opinion of many Russian scribes and preachers, was located that happy and blessed country, which can only be compared with earthly paradise, preserved in popular memory under the name Belovodye. Belovodye is not an objective, but a spiritual reality, which has accumulated in its image all the thousand-year wisdom of humanity. The origins of the doctrine of mysterious country and tried to find Roerich in the North.

He was engaged in a serious study of northern legends, conducted scientific research, and painted. The result of his research was the idea of ​​the existence of an ancient spiritual tradition in the form of a single and unbroken chain, the beginning of which was in the North and the end in the East, in Tibet and the Himalayas. And Nicholas Roerich went on an expedition to Altai and Tibet to continue his research there. “In distant countries, behind the great lakes, behind the high mountains, there is a sacred place where justice flourishes. There lives the Highest knowledge and the Highest wisdom for the salvation of the entire future of humanity. This place is called Belovodye,” wrote N. Roerich in his book - diary "Altai - Himalayas".

And in one of the legends, which was sacredly kept by the Old Believers of the Vygovsky Community, it directly says that Belovodye is located near Lake Lopon. This lake is not on geographical maps. But “lop” is the Old Russian name for the indigenous population of Karelia and the Kola Peninsula - the Sami. The already well-known Lapland gets its name from the word “burp”. So, maybe Belovodye itself is somewhere very close?

Mass hypnosis

In 1921, the first scientific expedition to the Kola Peninsula was organized. This expedition was carried out under the personal supervision of Dzerzhinsky, and was headed by Professor Alexander Vasilyevich Barchenko, who acted with the mandate of the Institute for Brain Research and with the personal blessing of Academician Bekhterev. A.V.Barchenko, who had psychic abilities, was recruited to work in the Soviet state security agencies, where he headed a top-secret occult laboratory. The purpose of the expedition was to search for the remains of ancient civilizations, which, according to the concept of A.V. Barchenko, possessed universal Knowledge, which included knowledge of other sources of energy and effective means of mental influence on people. A.V. Barchenko assumed that this knowledge did not disappear without a trace, but was preserved in encoded form in megalithic monuments, legends, traditions and they can be found and deciphered. Interesting are his studies of a number of places in the Murmansk region, in which people fell into an unusual state, similar to mass psychosis, called “meryacheniya”. It usually manifested itself during magical rituals (according to official sources- far from rare even at the end of the 19th century), but could also arise spontaneously. At such moments, people began to repeat each other’s movements, unconditionally carry out various commands, etc. Using modern terminology, it is quite possible to call this “zombieing.”

The “measuring” effect is, in essence, the effect of mass and targeted hypnotic influence, the source of which is completely unknown to science. Similar phenomena of “measuring” are observed to this day in a number of places in Karelia, on the territory of which the remains of ancient sanctuaries are still located. All this requires careful study not only for scientific, educational interests, but also from the point of view of the possible practical use of this type of magical energy, for example, for medicinal purposes.

Karelia (North of Russia as a whole) has deep and strong traditions associated with the preservation of esoteric (secret) magical Knowledge, originating from the ancient, powerful and mysterious Hyperborea. Since time immemorial (even from the point of view of the historical approach), the territory of Karelia has been included in the general planetary and geocosmic “program” for the preservation of esoteric Knowledge, which is fundamental in the general context of earthly evolution and fragmentarily recorded in various kinds of historical, ethnographic and cultural discoveries of our time. There are ancient maps that depict the disappeared polar continent - Hyperborea. The works of Gerhard Mercator, the most famous cartographer of the 16th century, have survived to this day in copies. One of his maps (1569) reproduces the outlines of the Northern Land most completely, without amendments to new ones geographical discoveries. If you superimpose Mercator's map on the map of modern Scandinavia, amazing correspondences are discovered: the southern border of Hyperborea passes through Ladoga and Lake Onega, through Valaam and Vygoretsia. “The magical cliffs of Valaam, so similar to man-made strongholds, were once an island in an ocean bay off the coast of Hyperborea - northern Ladoga has preserved the immensely ancient contours of this bay,” writes the famous Russian researcher of Hyperborea E. Lazarev. “A similar island, apparently, there was also the granite monolith of Solovki: similar, but still different. It was not for nothing that the mystical feeling of the northern monks found for them different sacred names: northern Athos - for the hidden Valaam and New Jerusalem - for the harsh Solovetsky Islands.

The end of the 20th century was marked by serious archaeological discoveries on the territory of modern Karelia. In the early 90s, on the northwestern coast of Lake Onega, a Neolithic sanctuary was opened, called Pegrema, which included zoomorphic idols, sandstone disks, etc., which testified to the development of the religious-magical cult and deep skills in stone processing from our distant ancestors. In 1993, the now widely known, but still insufficiently studied, ancient pagan complex was discovered on Mount Vottovaara, in the Muezersky district. It consists of more than a thousand seids (structures made of stones that the ancient Sami - Lapps - endowed with enormous magical power), some of which reach truly enormous sizes, a “staircase” carved into the rock, etc. Structures of such a scale do not fit into the urgent needs of the ancient Sami or Karelian hunters and do not fit into the logical constructs of scientific theory. That is why the complex on Mount Vottovaara has already been dubbed the “Karelian Stonehenge”.

In 2001, an expedition of specialists from the Russian Geographical Society discovered a strange “sea pyramid” off the island of Anzer in the Solovetsky archipelago, rising to a height of about ten meters above the water level, which also has not yet received an intelligible explanation. In the summer of 2003, an expedition organized by the International Academy of Megascience conducted research in the Medvezhyegorsk region near the small village of Venge-gora, fifteen kilometers from the more famous village of Maslozero. In the people's memory, fragments of ancient traditions and legends have still been preserved, which testify that in ancient times, on the shore of one of the lakes located in this area, there was an ancient pagan temple, made of numerous stones and highly revered by the local residents. To date, the monument has been completely destroyed; the stones are scattered over a large area or simply destroyed. Many of them “went into the ground” or “in the sand”, and finding them is quite difficult.

Legends also say that this temple was built from “marked” stones, i.e. made of stones with “runic signs” carved on them, which, along with semantic and magical functions, also carried a protective function. It is interesting that the word “rune” itself does not mean “letter” or “sign”. It means "secret" or "secret". The word "rune" is an analogue of the Greek "mysterion" (mystery). Rune systems are not simply systems of “letters” in the ordinary sense. Rather, they are sacramental systems. That is why runic signs and symbols have always had a magical character and were understood by a select circle of people. The search for the “Karelian Hyperborea” is apparently just beginning. One thing is clear - there are still many unexpected, bright and interesting discoveries. The northern pilgrim elders predicted: in the triangle marked by the three temples of the Transfiguration - Valaam, Solovetsky and Kizhi - the cleansing of Russia would begin. This is a place where grace seems to thicken, becoming obvious to sensitive hearts. Here is the soul of the Russian North, the center of its harmonies.

On the Kola Peninsula, washed from the southeast by the waters of the White Sea, in Kandalaksha, there is a legend about a wonderful bell that sank in the taiga Niva River. On its banks, even in the distant pagan era, there were sanctuaries dating back, perhaps, to the Stone Age. The ringing of the bell hidden here is not heard by sinners. But, as the legend says, someday they too will hear this ringing. Then the original heavenly state of these lands, fragments of the legendary Hyperborea, will return. Gerard Mercator's map reproduces the outlines of the disappeared northern land. The inscription on the map says that it is based on the testimony of the knights of King Arthur - seekers of hidden shrines, as well as on data from polar travelers. Mercator notes that they all reached the furthest reaches of the polar earth "through the art of magic."

If you look closely at the outlines of the “Scandinavian” part of Hyperborea on the Mercator map and superimpose it on the map of modern Scandinavia, you will find amazing correspondences: the mountain range running along Norway and the Kola Peninsula coincides with the mountains of Hyperborea; and the Hyperborean river that flows from these mountains follows the contours of the Gulf of Bothnia in the northern part of the Baltic Sea. It turns out that, perhaps, the southern border of Hyperborea passed through Lakes Ladoga and Onega, through Valaam and turned north to the spurs of the middle ridge of the Kola Peninsula, that is, to where ancient mountains destroyed by time rise above the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea.

Thus, the shrines of the Russian North are located in Hyperborea - if the Kola Peninsula and the White Sea can really be considered its preserved part. The granite monolith of the Solovetsky Islands and the magical cliffs of Valaam were once islands in an ocean bay off the coast of Hyperborea. Apparently, it was not without reason that the mystical feeling of the northern monks found them different sacred names: New Jerusalem - for the harsh Solovetsky Islands and Northern Athos - for the hidden Valaam. It was the New Jerusalem, the city that was bequeathed to future centuries, that the monk Hypatius saw the Solovetsky Monastery in a prophetic vision back in 1667 - shortly before the beginning of the tragic “Solovetsky sitting”. The next act of the northern mystery is the appearance of the Old Believer Vygov desert (also on the ancient Hyperborean coast). Vygoretsia also perished, under whose “quick moss” the poet Nikolai Klyuev placed the underground “Cathedral of the Holy Fathers.” “Let our North seem poorer than other lands,” wrote N.K. Roerich, let his ancient face be hidden. Let people know little that is true about him. The tale of the North is deep and captivating. Northern winds cheerful and cheerful. Northern lakes thoughtful. Northern rivers are silvery. The darkened forests are wise. The green hills are seasoned. Gray stones in circles are full of miracles...” Gray stones in circles - labyrinths - and other ancient megalithic structures, located on the shores of the White Sea and on the islands of the Solovetsky archipelago, are the greatest mystery of the North.

The White Sea is the sacred sea of ​​the North, keeping many secrets. It is possible that the original meaning of its name, known only to a few, is related to the celestial sphere, since in semantics “white” color is heavenly, divine. At first glance, it could get the name White from the color of the snow and ice that covers it in winter.

But this is equally true for anyone northern sea and therefore does not sound particularly convincing. According to Murmansk toponymist A.A. Minkin, during its history the White Sea has changed 15 names! Let's try to figure out why it is called White. The peoples of the East have long had a color symbolism of orientation, where the color black corresponded to the north. And the Slavic peoples designated the north as white and the south as blue. Therefore, long before the Tatar invasion, the Russians called the Caspian Sea the Blue Sea. It can be assumed that, according to color symbolism, the White Sea is the North Sea.

In the Novgorod charters of the 13th-15th centuries, the White Sea was simply called the Sea, and in the “Grant of Veliky Novgorod to the Solovetsky Monastery for the Solovetsky and Other Islands” of the 15th century it is indicated as the Okiyan Sea. The Pomors called the White Sea Icy “due to its natural properties,” and this name was most common both in chronicles and in folklore. It was first put on the map under the name of the White Sea (Mare Alburn) by Peter Plaitsius in 1592. In May 1553, on the ship Edward Bonaventure under the command of Barrow, the British entered the White Sea for the first time, dropping anchor at the mouth of the Northern Dvina. The team included a cartographer, who, a year after the second voyage to the White Sea, compiled handwritten map sea ​​without giving it any name. In 1617, the Peace of Stolbovo was concluded between Sweden and Russia, in a special “clarification” to which the “conditions for fishing” in the Seversk Sea were stipulated by both countries. So in in this case named the White Sea.

Speaking about the White Sea, one cannot ignore the northernmost channel of Russia, which connects the White Sea and Baltic Sea. Back in the 16th century, two Englishmen decided to connect the channels of the Vyga and Povenchanka rivers with a canal. Everything, as usual, remains only on paper. In the XVI - XVIII centuries at this place there was a path passing through Povenets and Sumsky Posad and leading to the shrines of the Solovetsky Monastery. Over the summer, up to 25,000 pilgrims traveled along this route to the monastery in light boats along lakes and rivers, and sometimes along portages. At the beginning of the 18th century, in this place, thousands of Russian men paved the famous “Osudarev Road”, along which Peter I dragged his ships, led his army and defeated the Swedes near the Noteburg fortress.

In the 19th century, the idea of ​​building a canal was approached three times under Paul I, then again in the 30s and 50s of the same century. It is interesting that in 1900, at the Paris Exhibition for the canal project, Professor V.E. Timanov received a gold medal. However, the brilliant project was shelved. But the first World War proved the need for a canal for the Russian fleet, which was locked in the Baltic Sea. On February 18, 1931, the Council of Labor and Defense of the USSR decided to begin construction of the canal. In October 1931, construction of the canal began along the entire route: from Povenets to Belomorsk. According to archival data, 679 thousand prisoners and exiled kulaks were sent to build the White Sea Canal; the White Sea Baltlag became one of the largest camps in the OGPU system. In 1933, the canal, 227 kilometers long, was included in the number of operating internal routes of the USSR. It was built in just 20 months. A very short period of time, especially considering that the 164-kilometer Suez Canal was built in 10 years, and the half-size (81 kilometer) Panama Canal took 12 years to build.

In the White Sea region everything is mixed - antiquity and modernity. Many archaic layers of North Sea culture to this day remain inaccessible to researchers, including secret Pomeranian knowledge and legends passed down orally from father to son and from him to subsequent generations. Exactly the same tales and legends have existed in the Urals from time immemorial. At the end of the 30s of the 20th century, the famous Ural writer Pavel Petrovich Bazhov (1879-1950) managed to publish their literary treatment. The history of the creation of Bazhov’s tales is striking and instructive. This happened to a certain extent by accident. In 1939, Bazhov’s friends and relatives were hit by a wave of mass repression: several people from his family and journalistic circle were arrested. The logic of events dictated that he would be next. Then Bazhov, without hesitation, disappeared from the newspaper editorial office, where he then worked, and hid in a secluded hut with some relative and lived there as a recluse for several months. Having nothing else to do, in order to somehow occupy his time, he began to remember and write down on paper tales that later made up the classic collection “The Malachite Box.” Time passed, those who were hunting for Bazhov were themselves arrested, and the writer returned to everyday activities and decided to publish what he had written during the forced “downtime.” To his own surprise, the publication of Ural tales aroused enormous interest, and Bazhov overnight became incredibly popular and famous.

Similar tales existed among the Pomors. Unfortunately, they were not written down - especially the sacred part of them. Separate hints are contained in the poetry and prose of Nikolai Klyuev (1884 - 1937) - a northerner by origin and spirit, who glorified the White Sea region in his poems and poems. Klyuev wrote about himself in his autobiographical materials: “...The coniferous lips of Pomerania spat me out into Moscow.<...>From the Norwegian shores to Ust-Tsylma, from Solovki to the Persian oases, the crane routes are familiar to me. The floodplains of the Arctic Ocean, the Solovetsky wilds and the forests of the White Sea region revealed to me the imperishable treasures of the people's spirit: words, songs and prayers. I learned that the invisible people's Jerusalem is not a fairy tale, but a close and dearest authenticity, I learned that in addition to the visible structure of the life of the Russian people as a state or human society in general, there is a secret hierarchy, hidden from the proud gaze, an invisible church - Holy Rus'.. “With him to the Mother See, Klyuev brought the most important thing, the most important thing - the northern fortress of faith and the Hyperborean spirit. (The fact that the poet was familiar with the Hyperborean theme is evidenced by his letter from Tomsk exile to the Moscow actress N.F. Khristoforova-Sadomova dated April 5, 1937 (six months later Klyuev was shot), in which he reports about who knows what fate came to him birch bark with a mention of Hyperborea: “...I am now reading an amazing book. It is written on steamed birch bark [from the word “birch bark” - V.D.] The book is called The Ring of Japheth. 12th century before the Mongols. The great idea of ​​Holy Rus' as a reflection of the heavenly church on earth. After all, this is the very thing that Gogol foresaw in his purest dreams, and in particular he is the only one of the worldly people who taught forty in the 12th century. say and were kept in cages in towers, like today's parrots, that the current Cheremis were taken from the Hyperboreans, that is, from Iceland by King Olaf of Norway, the son-in-law of Vladimir Monomakh. They were hot in the Kyiv land, and they were released to Kolyvan - the present Vyatka region, and. At first they were kept at the Kiev court as exotic animals. And many more beautiful and unexpected things are contained in this Ring. And how many such wonderful scrolls perished in hermitages and secret chapels in the vast Siberian taiga?!” Every sentence here is precious. Even if the lost manuscript of the 12th century was rewritten at a later date, what amazing details - both about the training of magpies, and about the bringing of northern foreigners to the court of Vladimir Monomakh (as the Spaniards later brought from New World Indians to show to their kings). But the main thing is the preserved memory of Hyperborea (it doesn’t matter what it was actually called and how it related to the aforementioned Iceland - the historical Arctida-Hyperborea also covered Iceland). The conjugation of Hyperborea with Japhet-Iapetus is also significant, which is also not at all accidental.) Part of this ancient sacred knowledge appears in the striking Klyuev essay “Fire Letter:
“I am the Fiery Mind, which was, is and will be forever.
The Russian people - the firstborn from the tribes of the earth, beloved and true - rejoice in wisdom and knowledge.
Here I take the winds from the four corners of the earth into the palm of my hand, four rays of life, four flaming mountains, four fiery eagles, and I blow into my palm, let the winds, rays, mountains and eagles rush into your heart, into your blood, and into your bones - oh, Russian people!
And you will know what you need to know.
For thousands of years I have taken care of you, grown you like a grapevine in My garden, nurtured you like a mother, feeding her child with the milk of strength and patience. And now is the day of your coming of age.
You are no longer a baby, but an old man.
Your feet are like wild stone, and the waves of oppression break on your chest.
Your face is like the sun, shining in its power, and untruth flees from your voice.
Your hands moved mountains, and the continents shook from the movement of your elbows.
Your beard is like a hurricane, like a flood, crushing prison walls and smashing the thrones of kings to dust.
“Who is like the Russian people” - distant countries marvel, and tribes weighed down with shackles stretch out their hands to you, as to their God and redeemer.
You are beautiful to everyone, sought after by everyone, glorified by everyone.
But I found one stumbling block in you:
You are blind in your right eye.
When I stand on your right hand, you turn to the left, and when on your left, you rush to the right.
You turn your back to the Sun of Reason and, stung by ignorance, you kick like an elk wounded in the sacrum, like a horse enraged by the teeth of a wolf. And from the blows of your heel the blood does not dry on the earth. I send to you Solar messengers, red prophets, young men with a fiery heart and daring men, whose mouth is a striking sword. But when they fall into the circle of your dark eye, you, like burnt hemp, tear apart your truth, conscience and mercy.
Then seven demons build a nest for themselves from your heart and a stinking lair from your thoughts.<...>Russian people! Clear your ears and expand your heart for the words of the Fiery Letter!
The millstones are the laws of kings, nobles and gold holders, and what they grind is human flesh and bones.
Do you want, my son, to fall under the terrible, murderous millstone? Do you want your neck to be tormented by the tightly riveted iron collar of a slave, so that your right hand wraps chains around your left, and your left wraps them around your right? And that, in the power of evil visions, you would become so entangled in shackles that your whole body would be covered and compressed by them, so that the links of a convict chain would stick to your body like boiling lead and would no longer fall away?
If you believe in darkness, go into darkness!
All the enslavers, all the Cains and murderers that are on earth, have risen up against you. And they will erase your name, and you will be like dirt, trampled underfoot in the marketplace. And even a mangy dog ​​will have to bend his muzzle to see you.
And where Russia was - the native land, the lullaby, there will be hills of ashes, an empty, burnt place, watered with your blood.
Oh, Russian people! Oh my child!
Most beautiful of the sons of men!
I, the Fiery Mind, which was, is and will be forever, stretch out my hands, bearing in my palms many valuable gifts.
In my right hand is the plaster of knowledge - apply it to your dark eye, and in my left hand is the balm of enlightenment - anoint your thorn with it!
Never will the sky be so radiant, and the earth so green and fertile, as in the hour of the nation's epiphany. And a woman clothed in the sun will descend to the Russian land, the name of science is inscribed on her forehead, and the covering of her garment is a burning book. And, seeing yourself in the light of the Great Book, you will say:
“I didn’t know myself or others, I didn’t know what a Man was!
Now I know".
And you will love yourself in all nations, and you will be happy to serve them. And the bear will graze with the heifer, and a swarm of bees will dwell in the beard of the old man. Honey will flow out of the stone, and the ear of grain will become a nourishing grove.
Let it be so! Let it be done!”

Mysteries of Russian civilization. V.N. Demin, S.N. Zelentsov. Veche Publishing House, 2002.

Photographs by Igor Georgievsky.
Source of text and photo

What kind of force is calling to Solovki?

Our planet conceals a lot of unknown and unusual things. Untrodden forest paths and sky-high Mountain peaks, places of ancient temples and temples. The mysterious charm of such places has always attracted people. But there are absolutely unusual corners on earth, endowed with special mystical properties. It’s not for nothing that people call them “places of power.” This amazing worlds, having a structure that is inexplicable from the point of view of the modern understanding of the world, filled with supernatural energy. Many places of power have a beneficial, healing effect on the human body. The expanses of Russia are rich in such zones. Travel to such places is not undertaken out of mere curiosity or experimentation. This is a meeting with yourself, with your hidden fears and hopes, with your inner strength and desire to change your own world.

One of amazing places on the map of Russia, Solovki has been attracting people since ancient times, captivating with its northern modesty, severity and some incomprehensible charm. The Solovetsky Islands - the most famous archipelago in the White Sea consists of six large islands and more than 100 small islands.
This archipelago is almost unsolved; it still throws up surprises for archaeologists, and for seekers of mystical experience it is just beginning to lift the veils of secrets. The location of the island is already unusual in itself. It is located at the intersection of four faults in the earth's crust; an anomalous flow of great strength comes from the center of the earth, causing a special flora and fauna. The very state of nature reflects the specifics of these places. Most The territory is made up of taiga, its coniferous and deciduous forests are adjacent to representatives of the forest-tundra - berry fields, mosses and “dancing” birch trees.

Here you have a chance to experience an altered state of consciousness, when the filters of perception of the surrounding reality change and a person is ready to receive new understanding, experience, Knowledge. And yet, what draws pilgrims and researchers here? ordinary tourists and seekers of mystical experience? Undoubtedly, first of all, this is the eternal Solovetsky Monastery - a unique and self-sufficient world in which time flows according to its own laws, with its own memory and history. Pilgrims from all over Russia flock here to touch the shrines, pray with the monastery brethren, and, if lucky enough, to attend a service in one of the monasteries of the island. Once you feel the taste of this truly unearthly prayer, your heart will call you again and again to fall to this source of spiritual strength. The monastery walls preserve in their memory both years of spiritual development and dark periods of prison history. They store and pass on their knowledge to those who are ready to hear and comprehend the experience of past years. Many pilgrims share their impressions that they received answers to internal questions here and resolution of difficult everyday situations.

Mystics go to unravel the secrets of the Solovetsky labyrinths. The stone labyrinths on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island are an object of close scientific interest. The exact purpose and use of labyrinths, as well as the time and names of their creators, are unknown. There are different versions of who built them here and for what purpose. Maybe this is the border between two worlds, or a tool for ritual actions, or maybe protection from evil spirits or just an intricate game. The mystery of the labyrinths, including the Solovetsky labyrinths, is still incomprehensible. These labyrinths are of the open type, i.e. the entire path to the heart of the labyrinth is visible. But this is deceptive simplicity. Some people can’t get through the labyrinth for hours, wandering along a completely open path. There is evidence that after spending some time in the labyrinth itself or even near it, wanderers discovered previously hidden abilities in themselves. Some began to draw, others wrote poetry, and still others received relief from their illness. Everyone notes that inconspicuous-looking pebbles covered with moss make you stop, be silent, and think. The nature on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island is also amazing; after the dense lush forests of other islands, you suddenly find yourself in the world of gnomes and hobbits. There are no forests or lakes here, and all the vegetation is low-growing, moss, stones, trees that take 20-30 years to grow, but do not even reach the height of an adult’s knees. Some kind of surreal. Thanks to the efforts of the monastery brethren and local guardians of nature, wooden floorings have been laid throughout the island, along which you should move so as not to crush and destroy fragile vegetation. People come to Zayatsky Island to think, to be alone with themselves. Here people are in full view, on one side the Solovetsky Monastery, on the other the open sea. Space, mysterious labyrinths, the sky above your head, the surface of the water and you, alone with your Soul.

Not everyone will discover the mysterious archipelago. But if you have earned his trust, then you will be able to touch his eternal secret, fall to the source of inexplicable, but infinitely powerful energy. Your life will not remain the same. But isn’t this what people come to places of power for?

On the territory of our country there are areas in which a person feels somehow special. Once there, you can experience euphoria, rethink your life and spiritually cleanse yourself.
Believers call such places “prayers,” mystics call them zones of enlightenment, and skeptics believe that magnetic fields are to blame.

There are thousands of places of power, here are the most famous of them:

central District

1. Lake Svetloyar (A) called "Russian Atlantis". According to legend, the founder of Kitezh, Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, fleeing from the advancing army of Batu, flooded his city and church utensils in these waters, and he himself died in battle. Since then, Kitezh has become invisible, but righteous people can see lights in the depths of the lake and hear the ringing of bells. The water of Svetloyar has the inexplicable ability to be stored in a vessel for many years without losing its exceptional purity, transparency and taste - and for this reason it is considered holy.

How to get there: From Nizhny Novgorod across the Borsky Bridge along the highway Nizhny Novgorod- Kirov. We pass Semenov (you can take the bypass, or you can directly through the city), then along the Kirov highway after 30 km there will be a right turn to Voskresenskoye. We drive another 10 km towards Voskresensky to the sign “Vladimirskoye village, Svetloyar Lake”.

2. Healing springs Zhabynets (B) And Twelve Keys (C) V Tula region Each has its own legend. As for the first, the Monk Macarius is related to its origin (he revived the Zhabynsky monastery in 1615) - here under a young oak tree (by the way, the tree has survived to this day!) he saw a wounded Polish warrior dying of thirst, and hit the earth so that a life-giving spring flows. Twelve keys, according to legend, were driven into the burial places of the twelve sons of Elder Svirid, who died on the Kulikovo Field. Water from sources never spoils. It is also believed that if a person with faith in healing plunges headlong into it, then all his ailments will go away.

How to get there: Zhabynets. From Tula by car to Belev, then follow the signs to the village of Zhabyn (7 km). The distance from Tula is approximately 130 km.
Twelve springs. From Tula by car to Venev, turn left at the fork in the road, go to the sign for the springs, and then straight along the field for a kilometer. The distance from Tula is 70 km of asphalt and 1 km of dirt road.

3. Andrianova Sloboda and Adrianov-Uspensky Monastery (D). As one of the fundamental formulas of Russian Feng Shui says, “a holy place is never empty,” which means that all serious places of power have been explored and used a long time ago. The methods of recognition could be completely different: a pillar of fire arising, a bell being heard, or an icon found in the forest. To the founder monastery An angel once pointed out this place to Reverend Adrian Poshekhonsky. According to those who have been here, the area is covered with an incredibly uplifting, inspiring aura, eliminating dark thoughts.

How to get there: The nearby cities of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl and Vologda, from them to the city of Peshekhonye, ​​then by bus to Andrianova Sloboda

4. Peryn Hill (F). One of the most serious places of power on the Russian Plain is located at the very source of the Volkhov, in the ancient Peryn tract. Once there was a large pagan sanctuary of the Eastern Slavs - the temple of the god of thunder and lightning Perun. After the baptism of Novgorod, in 991, a Christian temple was erected on this site, and even later the Perynsky Monastery was founded here, which was destroyed by the Swedes in 1611. To date, only one Church of the Nativity remains preserved. Holy Mother of God, which dates back to the beginning of the 13th century.

How to get there: The Peryn tract is located 4 km south of Veliky Novgorod, on the left bank of the Volkhov River.

5. Exact time of occurrenceŠmarenski caves (G) not yet installed. U local residents There are many legends, according to one of them, the monastery of the Solovetsky wonderworkers: Abbot Izosim and Savotey was located here. Later, the dungeon became the abode of selected monks who “made relics”: they gradually reduced their dose of food and died, and their bodies became incorruptible. It is also known that in 1850, peasant Vladimir Kostelev decorated the underground church with icons and held services here. Now the cells and utility rooms of the monastery are also inhabited, but not by people - bats sleep here hanging from the ceilings upside down.

How to get there: From Kursk to the village of Shmarnoye (about 45 km).

Northern region (Karelia, Arkhangelsk region-Solovki, Murmansk region-Kola Peninsula, Leningrad region)

6. Chardon archipelago in Karelia (A) constitute approximately 40 small uninhabited islands of volcanic origin. Rock faults, rugged coastline, skerries, trees twisted in a spiral by streams of energy, felled and scorched by lightning, flowers all around and deafening silence.

How to get there: along Bolshoye Onego Bay from the mainland, about 30-40 minutes away on a good boat.

7. IslandKizhi (B) - visiting card of Karelia. Here is the world famous architectural ensemble from many wooden churches, buildings and houses. There is a legend that the buildings were made with only one ax, which the master then threw into the lake. The most outstanding structure is the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (1714), crowned with a complex system of twenty-two large scaly domes and built without a single nail. Once upon a time, ancient volcanoes raged in this area; later there were pagan places of power - cathedrals were erected on the site of ancient temples. Kizhi has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1990.

How to get there: In winter, getting to Kizhi is most problematic - at this time of year, they mainly use a helicopter, delivery of which is carried out from the Sands airport. In other seasons - by motor ship from Petrozavodsk. “Meteors” on hydrofoils sail to the island in a short time (the journey takes 1.5 hours).

8. Valaam (C) world famous thanks to the location on it Orthodox monastery, other aspects ancient history The islands are still poorly studied. There are many rumors: megalithic walls, the temple of Veles, a rune stone, Celtic crosses on rocks and much more are mentioned. According to the Valaam legend, in ancient times, when the peoples living in the Ladoga region were just preparing to accept the Christian faith, the islands were even a gigantic pagan altar. Whether to believe this or not is a purely personal matter, the fact remains: in terms of energy, this is a very strong place. Once in the local atmosphere, even a very skeptical person is able to appreciate this.

How to get there: From Petrozavodsk to the city of Sortavala by minibus or bus, then on the Meteor ship. IN warm time flights to Valaam are carried out daily. Attention! To visit the Valaam Monastery you need to apply for a pilgrimage or tourist voucher.

9. Bolshoi Zayatsky Island on Solovki (D). There are 14 stone labyrinths built by unknown people. Spiral stone displays of round or oval shape reach a diameter of 20 meters. People who penetrate these structures experience a surge in vitality and normalize blood pressure. Men's brain activity improves, and women can be cured of infertility.

How to get there: From Arkhangelsk by plane to Vaskovo or Talagi airports. You can also get from Arkhangelsk to Solovki by boat. But often tickets for the ship are bought up by travel agencies and are practically not available for free sale. One option is to buy a ticket on a ship without a seat and travel as a deck passenger.
Through Kem (Karelia). Take the train to Kem station. Then from railway station by bus No. 1, minibus or taxi to Rabocheostrovsk, where the port is located. Then you can get there by boat in 2-4 hours.
Through Belomorsk. You can get to Belomorsk by train. This is closer than to Kemi. And then take a Comet or a boat to Solovki.

10. Behind Seydozer (E) The reputation of the most mysterious body of water on the Kola Peninsula has long been firmly established. The mystical aura was created by the Sami - they considered this place sacred, which, in fact, was reflected in the name: “seid” translated from Sami means “holy”. Contemporaries here found traces of ancient buildings and a stone observatory (another mini-Stonehenge), as well as something like meter-high runes carved on the coastal rocks. They say that to see the lake in all its glory, you need to talk to it and ask nicely. In case of agreement, from any fogs and snowstorms, valleys overgrown with branchy spruce trees, stone shores, and a gigantic petroglyph on one of the cliffs, which, oddly enough, is of natural origin, will emerge.

How to get there: From Murmansk by road (bus or taxi) through Olenegorsk and Revda to the village of Lovozero. The distance from Murmansk to Lovozero is 200 km. Or from the Olenegorsk railway station by road (bus or taxi) through Revda to the village of Lovozero. The distance from Olenegorsk to Lovozero is 85 km.

There are two roads leading to the lake itself. One is through the lowland between the Ninchurt and Kuamdespakhk mountains, from the village of Lovozero - to the mouth of the Motka River, from where it is only two kilometers to Seydozero. The second road is from the village of Revda, from which you will have to walk across the Elmorajok pass. But the ten-kilometer path through the pass is difficult in itself, and even dangerous in bad weather.

11. Konevets Island (H) . The brightest and most ancient point on the island is the Horse-Stone, glacial boulder weighing more than 750 tons. The stone is a battered pre-Christian altar on which the best stallions of the herds were sacrificed to the spirits. Such measures were necessary to ensure the prosperity of the pastures. As you might guess, the stone gave its name to the entire island. Although there is one more oddity here - Snake Mountain, which in ancient times served as a place of solitude and renunciation from everything worldly. In the 18th century, elders Zosima and Basilisk built their monasteries here. Now, however, nothing remains of these buildings; only the energy has been preserved, taking away all thoughts and giving calm, tranquility and contemplation.

How to get there: From St. Petersburg along Priozerskoye Highway. At 106 km you need to turn right following the sign in the direction of “Sovkhoz Pervomaisky”, after 0.5 km to the village. Fruit at the fork - left, then straight to the village. Zaostrovye, passing the village. Zaostrovye, at the T-shaped intersection - turn right (dirt road), after 4 km - fork, turn according to the sign - “Vladimirskaya Bay 1 km”, after 1 km at the bus stop turn left to the pier (60 m).

Or by train from Finlyandsky Station in the direction of Priozersk-Kuznechnoye, get to Gromovo station. There is a bus from Gromovo to Vladimirskaya Bay. The bus runs twice a day, morning and evening.

Attention! Staying on Konevets Island is possible only with the permission of the Pilgrimage Service of the Konevsky Monastery, with the personal blessing of the abbot of the monastery or his authorized representative.

12. Mon Repos Park(F) They came up with a huge glacier and two romantic barons. Translated from French, its name means “my rest.” They say that after being in this “oasis of silence,” people’s thoughts really come into order. Now the park is a cozy and sometimes dilapidated system of paths, Chinese bridges and manor buildings. Mystical puzzles are located on the Island of Death, where the family tomb of several generations of the Nikolai baron family is organized; in the Grotto of Medusa, where the hermit’s cell was originally conceived, and on unique stone ridges of the Ice Age, sometimes reaching 20 meters in height.

How to get there: From St. Petersburg from the Finlyandsky station by train to Vyborg station or by regular buses from the station. metro stations "Parnas" and "Devyatkino". In Vyborg, travel from the railway station by buses No. 1, 6.

Volga region(Tatarstan)

13. Sviyazhsk Island (A) is located at the confluence of the Sviyaga River and the Volga and is famous for the city located on it, founded in 1551. The most fascinating thing here is the view from the mountain to the river and meadow expanses, the Assumption Cathedral with rich paintings from the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, the oldest wooden Trinity Church in the region and the ruins of churches destroyed under Soviet rule and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, left as is.

How to get there: From Kazan it is approximately 30 km to the village of Vasilyevo, then to water transport. From railway station Sviyazhsk (train "Kazan - Kanash"), which is located on the mainland, then by car along a dam with an asphalt road.

North Caucasus region (Krasnodar region)

14. Stone dolmens (A) in the villages of Vozrozhdenie and Pshada. In the Gelendzhik area there are stone structures built in the region of the 3rd millennium BC by someone unknown and not clear why. Contemporaries gave each block a romantic name, such as: “Hidden Potential”, “Wisdom”, “Harmony” and “Spirit”. They say next to these megalithic buildings Many people's wishes come true and questions are answered.

How to get there: From Gelendzhik by car or bus to the village of Pshada (a little short distance, 4th km) or to the village of Vozrozhdenie (Zhane River), and then walk to the mountains.

Ural

15. Ancient city Arkaim (A) . One of the most famous energy points in Russia is located in the Chelyabinsk region. In this place, about four thousand years ago, there was a clearly oriented by the stars ancient settlement in the shape of two concentric circles. And although archaeologists did not find anything interesting here - only clay shards, tools and coals - which is not attributed to Arkaim. Scientists talk quite seriously about the origin of the Aryan race here and about the ancient observatory located here.

How to get there: From Chelyabinsk by train to Bredy station. Then take the Breda-Magnitogorsk bus to the sign “Turn to Arkaim”; Or by train to Magnitogorsk station, and then by bus Magnitogorsk-Bredy to the “Turn to Arkaim” sign.

16. Holy Mountain Iremel (B). The Ural Mountains are the oldest on the planet, and every stone preserves the memory of the birth of the Earth. Iremel is the second largest mountain Southern Urals, on its peaks the snow does not melt until June. It is believed that swimming in the streams that flow here relieves fatigue and energizes you. And if you climb it on foot, you can gain strength for a year. Ginseng grows here, the root of which is considered the elixir of youth.

How to get there: The nearest cities of the Chelyabinsk region: Yuryuzan, Bakal and Trekhgorny, from them by train to Vyazovaya station. By car from Ufa: highway M5, section Ufa - Chelyabinsk, turn to the city of Yuryuzan, from Yuryuzan to Tyulyuk - 50 km according to signs; from Chelyabinsk: 6-7 km from Bakal, turn left to the village of Pervukha, then follow the signs.

17. Devil's fort (D) - a mysterious rock complex standing on the top of a mountain in Sverdlovsk region. The walls, made of black, flat volcanic rocks that are approximately 300 million years old, rise 347 meters above sea level. Such grandeur does not allow one to get rid of the thought that there was some otherworldly help here. In ancient times, the granite city was deeply revered and it was believed that spirits lived in the towers of the walls. Pagans performed sacrificial rituals here, and shamans communicated with the spirits of their ancestors.

How to get there: From Yekaterinburg by train towards Nizhny Tagil, take a ticket to Iset station. At the station you need to walk back along railway 150-200 meters, cross the tracks and continue along the asphalt road in the same direction. After the industrial zone, the road will lead to Zavodskaya Street, you need to go to the end, then turn right onto Mira Street, lined with two-story houses, after house No. 3 turn left into the forest.

18. Shaitan Lake in Omsk region(E). They say that his double bottom hides ancient temple the monkey god is Hanuman, and the water in it is considered “dead”. The lake is visible only to a select few, that is, simply not everyone gets to it: on the road you may suddenly be caught by either a heavy downpour, or you will simply lose your way.

How to get there: From Omsk by direct bus “Omsk-Okunevo”, or to the village of Muromtsevo, then by regional bus or by taxi to the village of Okunevo. By car from Omsk to Muromtsevo, then drive through the villages of Kokshenevo and Lisino, at the 14th kilometer after Muromtsevo you will see a small branch of the road to the left with two boards “Keep the forest from fire” (one yellow, the other blue) - opposite them, go left.

19. Ukok Plateau (F) located 2000 meters above sea level, on the threshold of the firmament, and in ancient times Scythian tribes lived here, leaving behind numerous patterns on the ground, similar to the patterns in the Nazca desert. In total there are about 1,500 archaeological sites, as well as unique radon springs, the ruins of a Soviet weather station, winter quarters of shepherds-cattle breeders, the burial mound of Princess Ukok and cleanest lakes with magnificent grayling. In this area, you can only speak in a whisper, otherwise you will disturb the powerful mountain spirits and bring great trouble upon yourself. The place is listed world heritage UNESCO.

How to get there: Nearest in Russia locality to the Ukok plateau - the village of Dzhazator, Kosh-Agach district, it is located 35 kilometers north of the plateau. Ukok is connected to the outside world by dirt, impassable roads through the Ukok (Russian-Kazakhstan border), Ulan-Daba (Russian-Mongolian border) and Teply Klyuch pass. The Teply Klyuch pass (Kalgutinsky pass) is reached by the road from Kosh-Agach. If this village can be reached by ordinary cars, then overcoming the Teply Klyuch pass, whose height is 2,907 meters above sea level, is only possible by jeeps or heavy paramilitary vehicles.

20. Mount Belukha in Altai (G). The highest point of Siberia is considered not just a place of power, but one of the centers of the planet. It is equidistant from four oceans, three great religions meet here, and modern research has fully confirmed its special bioenergetic potential. Belukha has long been considered sacred, and many legends are associated with it: according to one, ancient Shambhala is located somewhere here, according to another, an energy bridge goes from here to Everest, according to a third, and so on, gods of completely different calibers live here. Be that as it may, the indigenous Altai people do not come close to their shrine, but worship it from below, having first cleared their minds of bad thoughts.

How to get there: The best way to get to Belukha is by car along the Chuysky tract. About 150 km from Gorno-Altaisk, after the Seminsky pass there will be a road (on the right) to Ust-Kan and Ust-Koks regional centers. The road goes through the village of Tungur. From the village of Tungur to Mount Belukha it is about 50 km. Local buses from Gorno-Altaisk also go to the village of Tungur.

Photo credits: Ilya Yakovlev, Dmitry Zemskov, Alexxiss, Anastasia Myshkina, Margarita Chikalina, David Vilder, kobsev, evlamp, hegtor, Dmitry Tarakanov, akaAgha, OlegSPb, zzuka, astrin, hotpaganini, I. Maxim, emandga, girls dont cry, Jane_Sea , famer, Irina Orkhideya, allex, flechka, Maxim Leonidovich, Vasily Shelemin, Bogdanov Vadim Grigorievich, Nikolay Kondakov, Chebotar Alexander Mirchevich, muph, AlexV

Places of Power

People who are interested in various esoteric knowledge and sciences well understand the essence of the term – Place of Power. These Places have many names - holy places, anomalous zones etc. . The essence is the same - in these places there are processes taking place whose physics are unknown to mankind, but the impact that these places have is well known.

In such places people feel and feel the world differently, not as usual. These places have a strong impact on the human psyche, usually a positive effect. A person who finds himself in such places feels an uplift of strength and is in a good mood. Believers say - God's grace descends. Some people believe that in these places the fabric of the universe becomes thinner and much becomes possible.

Such places a large number of and they have been known since time immemorial. These places were worshiped, ancient pagan temples stood on them, and today there are often temples and shrines. Many of these places are widely known, for example Arkaim, some Places of Power of Altai are known all over the world.

Others are less known, such as Lake Svetoyar with Kitezh-Grad, which has gone into another dimension, or Lake Pleshcheyevo with its Sin-Stone.

Still others, for some reason, are little known and are usually known only to people specially dealing with this issue and local residents.

To one of these little-known and hard to reach places I, with a group of my comrades, undertook an expedition in the summer of 2012.

Seydozero - Place of Power

Russian North, Hyperborea, the White Sea with its labyrinths and powerful Place of Power - Solovetsky Islands– these are all very well-known, frequently discussed topics. The Kola Peninsula cannot be called forgotten, but it comes up much less often in discussions of places of power. For example, Kanozero, with islands covered with petroglyphs, is little known, as is Mount Kuchintundra with a complex of stone seids.

One of the most interesting places The strength of the Kola Peninsula is in the center mountain range Lovozero Tundra. This is Seydozero. It is surrounded on all sides by mountains and only at the eastern end does it have its source in Lake Lovozero.

Seydozero has a rich folklore and mythological history. This Holy Lake is a place of power for the Sami, the people who have lived in these places since ancient times. They revered and worshiped this lake. There are quite a few ancient legends and beliefs associated with this lake. IN modern world they talk about mysterious underground mines discovered by the OGPU expedition and about numerous mysterious tragic incidents with groups of tourists.

You can get to this lake either on foot, the shortest way is through the Elmorajok mountain pass, or by helicopter. The path through the pass can be dangerous in bad weather or for an unprepared person. They talk about several deaths and tell horror stories about those who got lost in the fog and were unable to overcome this, in general, quite simple pass.

I have heard a lot about Seydozero and have long wanted to visit there, but, having traveled around the Kola Peninsula many times, only this year I was able to plan our expedition in such a way as to get to this mysterious lake.

Our team took a long time to get to the pass by car. The weather was bad and we periodically drove through bands of heavy torrential rain. It was humid.

And I, with excitement, thought about the slippery stones of the pass. But as soon as we approached the beginning of the trail, the weather changed dramatically, the sky turned blue, and the sun came out. The mood immediately lifted and we moved across the pass. The trail was marked by a large number of seids - pyramids made of stones. There are a lot of them throughout the Lovozero tundra. All of them, as a rule, were built recently - tourists mark mountain trails with them.
When we climbed to the top of the Elmorayok pass, a descent into the valley opened in front of us.

The beauty is incredible. The path descended into a forested valley, along which a mountain stream ran towards Seydozero. A difficult descent began and only in the evening we reached the shore of Seydozero and set up camp not far from the rocky beach.

From a cliff hanging over our camp, the local deity, Kuiva, looked at us benevolently.

We spent the next day in this camp.