Mount of idols Manpupuner: how the sacred Mansi mountains appeared in the Komi Republic

On the territory of the Komi Republic there is a place stunning in its beauty - the Manpupuner plateau with amazing cliffs. The giant stone pillars worshiped by the ancient Mansi fascinate and delight all travelers who are fortunate enough to get to these protected places.

The geological natural monument Manpupuner is located on the territory of the Pechora-Ilychsky reserve, in the Northern Urals and is one of the seven wonders of Russia, which were determined by a popular vote. The monument includes 7 stone remains (pillars of weathering) located in close proximity to each other. The height of the rocks is from 30 to 42 meters. There are other weathering pillars in this region, but they are not so large-scale and dispersed in the vicinity.

One of the indigenous peoples living in this part of the Komi Republic is Mansi. For them, Manpupuner is a sacred place and is translated from the Mansi language as "the small mountain of idols." Many mountain legends and beliefs are associated with this mountain. One of them says that bizarre rocks are evil giant warriors who pursued the beautiful Aim and were turned into stone idols by her brother Pigrychun.

But the mysterious formation of such unusual rocks is quite explainable from a scientific point of view. Many millions of years ago there was a continuous mountain range in this territory. The weathering columns were composed of solid sericite-quartzite schists, while the rocks surrounding them were lighter in mechanical composition and subject to erosion processes. Rain water, temperature changes and strong winds led to the fact that the surrounding rocks collapsed, and shale areas remained.

Several eco-routes have been laid on the territory of the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, including on the Manpupuner plateau. In the summer, the path to the plateau takes 5 days and includes water, car and foot sections, and in the winter tours on snowmobiles are possible. Mountain of idols does not leave anyone indifferent. Someone, looking at bizarre rocks, sees images of animals or fairy-tale characters, in the imagination of others, forces of nature or the spirits of ancient peoples living in this territory arise. And in winter, covered with a layer of snow and hoar frost, the weathering pillars look even more mysterious.