20 most terrible and mystical places in Russia

How nice to find a quiet and cozy clearing in the forest. Or enjoy the beautiful panorama from the top of a mountain. But what if we tell you that there you can be trapped by something that you are not always ready to face?

We present to your attention 20 mysterious places that attract with their otherworldly power.

Patriarch Ponds, Moscow

It was not for nothing that Bulgakov made the Patriarchs the place where Woland first appeared in Moscow. Legends about the appearance of the devil to people arose when the place was still called "Three Ponds". Ponds were called patriarchal after frightened locals asked the patriarch to consecrate the place.

Devil's Nose, Karelia

Demon Nose is located on Lake Onega. He is famous for his petroglyphs, which date back to about 3 millennium BC. e. The most famous of them is the 2.3-meter “Demon”, which gave the name to the cape.

The monks who arrived at the cape in the 16th century saw evil in the image, after which they dug an eight-pointed cross over the image. Those who have visited the Demon Nose note that the perception of time is changing there.

Sami labyrinths, Karelia

There are 500 such labyrinths in the world, and 50 of them are in Russia. They were built mainly on the shores of the seas or at the mouths of rivers. All the labyrinths were of cult significance, but historians do not yet know by whom and for what purpose they were built.

Many scientists believe that the labyrinths were built on the cemeteries so that the soul of the deceased could not leave their resting place. Babylon is scattered along the shores of the White, Barents and Baltic Seas.

Whale Alley, Chukotka

Scientists believe that the bones of 50 bowhead whales were used to erect the Whale Alley. Apparently, the alley was built according to a clear design - the bones were dug in opposite each other, each height was about 5 meters.

Historians agree that the Whale Alley was a ritual place for the Chukchi tribes, while it is not mentioned in local legends. It is believed that the alley could equally be a sanctuary, a coliseum and a meeting place for the tribe.

Kashkulak cave, Khakassia

Now Kashkulak cave is a tourist attraction. But 2 thousand years ago, the first tier was used by local shamans as a ritual hall. The walls of the Temple Grotto are still covered with soot from numerous sacrifices.

Kashkulak cave appears in many legends, and most often quite gloomy. People disappear in it, strange sounds are heard, and local residents claim that the spirit of the evil shaman dwells in the cave. By the way, shamanistic rituals are still held in it today.

Teletskoye Lake, Altai

Teletskoye Lake is the second in our country in terms of fresh water reserves. Even in winter, it does not completely freeze. There is a legend about the "forest of the dead" at the bottom of the lake.

With a relatively small size, Teletskoye Lake is quite deep - up to 325 m at the Korbu waterfall. In this case, the temperature at a depth of even in high summer does not exceed 4 ° C. Due to this, at a depth of more than 100 m, the bodies are simply "preserved" and remain there, as they say, for centuries.

Vasyugan marshes, Western Siberia

Vasyugan marshes are sometimes called the "Russian Amazon." They stretched for 573 km from west to east. Their area is constantly growing and already exceeds 53 thousand square meters. km (which is more than the area of Switzerland).

Over the past 500 years, 75% of bogs have formed. The age of Vasyugan marshes is at least 10 thousand years. Locals eagerly tell legends that these swamps created a trait that tried to hide the Earth from God.

Mount Holutchahl, Ural

The legend says that during a terrible flood on the slopes of the mountain 10 men and 1 woman were saved. They climbed to the top to protect themselves from the flood, but the waves managed to pick up 9 men. The survivors gave rise to the Mansi people, and the mountain that saved them was called Holutchahl, or "the mountain of the dead."

The mountain gained fame due to a terrible incident in 1959, when a group of Dyatlov died on an unnamed pass. The circumstances of their death are still unknown.

Menhirs, Khakassia

These are huge slabs of wild stone, roughly processed by primitive man and vertically stuck into the ground. In height, they can reach 20 m, and the weight of some reaches 200 tons! There is still no exact data for what purpose the ancient people created menhirs. Khakass giants are located in an abnormal area, directly above the tectonic faults of the earth's crust.

The two largest stones are called the "Great Gate". They say that if you make a wish, being between them, it will come true. Finding menhirs is easy enough - you need to get to the capital of Khakassia, Abakan.

Cape Ryty, Eastern Siberia

Cape Ryty abounds in rich pastures, but there are no human settlements nearby. Locals consider the cape a dangerous place and call it Khar-Khushun - "angry, angry cape." There is a legend that because of the strife of the three tribes in this place, an angry spirit sent a village on them.

No real evidence of this has been found. But archaeologists discovered a stone wall on the cape, the purpose of which is unknown, and stone tours and pots, which are most likely used as lamps.

Pleshcheyevo Lake, Pereslavl-Zalessky

Old-timers consider the lake a mystical place. Sometimes tourists get lost in the fog on the coast and are in a few days, many of them lose their sense of time.

And here is the Blue Stone - a ritual pagan object. It is recorded that the stone several times moved from place to place. Scientists believe that he was moved by ice, and draw an analogy with creeping stones in the Death Valley in the United States.

Svetloyar Lake, Nizhny Novgorod Region

According to legend, in 1237 the city of Kitezh was located on the site of the lake. When the Mongol troops besieged him and stormed the walls of Kitezh for several days, all of its inhabitants closed in numerous churches and prayed for salvation.

According to the annals, a miracle took place. In the eyes of the astonished enemy warriors, the city disappeared under water. And where he had just stood, Lake Svetloyar arose. They say that until now bells and sounds similar to the chirping of birds and dogs barking can be heard from under the water. Scientists really found traces of civilization at the bottom of the lake in the form of clay shards, knuckles and other utensils.

Mount Vottovaara, Karelia

At the top of Vottovaara, about 1,600 seid stones were laid in a mysterious manner. On stones or near them, the Sami laid out offerings to local spirits. It was forbidden to touch the seids, and women, as more susceptible to the influence of evil forces, were not allowed to approach the sacred mountain.

And there is also a “staircase to heaven” - that’s what 13 steps cut into the rock are called, ending with a deep cliff. Who built it is still unknown - archaeologists say: the local tribes in ancient times simply could not have "ideas of the stairs."

Dancing forest, Kaliningrad region

The famous "drunk" or "dancing" pine forest is located in the Curonian Spit National Park in the Kaliningrad Region. Trees were planted in 1961. After some time, it became clear that the grown pines in a small area have an unusual shape: their trunks are twisted into spirals and rings.

There are a lot of versions in this regard, however, which one is correct has not yet been established. Scientists who do not believe in mysticism have the following assumptions: the causes of the anomaly are either winds blowing in one direction or a pest that has laid the larvae in the buds of young shoots. But these versions do not explain why only a small part of the forest is curved: the pine trees standing next to them are even.

Shaitan lake, Kirov region

Locals claim that sometimes water columns resembling geysers appear from the lake. Allegedly, a demon lives here at the bottom, and what happens to the lake is the result of the anger of an otherworldly being. From ancient times, they did not catch fish in Shaitan, or even did not come close to the water.

Dolmens, Western Caucasus

The purpose of the Caucasian dolmens is not precisely defined, but many archaeologists are of the opinion that these are tombs of the megalithic era.

Dolmens were built mainly from sandstone. Methods of manufacturing and transporting the slabs to the installation site are still unclear. Many people feel mood swings when they are near dolmens. The causes of these anomalies are also unknown.

Arkaim, Chelyabinsk region

Arkaim is one of the fortified settlements of the Southern Urals - the "country of cities." The youngest of these monuments is the same age as the Egyptian pyramids. Many secrets and mysteries are associated with Arkaim.

The layout of the city resembles the sun, and the structure of the rings and the radial direction of the building are oriented according to the stars. The houses in the city were multi-unit, and in some buildings pottery and metallurgical workshops were found.

Ukok Plateau, Altai Territory

Locals still consider the Ukok plateau a sacred place. Shepherds bypass the glaciers, trying not to disturb the peace of individual tracts. Only ritual activities are allowed on the plateau.

The most famous find made on the plateau is the burial of Ak-Alah. In 1993, archaeologists discovered the mummy of a young noble woman whose body was covered with tattoos. It turned out that the indigenous population calls her Ak-Kadyn ("white mistress"). According to their faith, Ak-Kadyn is the keeper of the gates of the underworld.

Nevyansk tower, Nevyansk

This tower is located in the Demidov mountain estate in the city of Nevyansk. By analogy with the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Russian tower is also inclined. But this is not the main thing. After all, the tower is surrounded by many historical secrets.

The exact date of construction and the name of the architect are unknown. It is not clear why the so-called sound room is needed: a person in one of its corners can clearly hear the slightest whisper, uttered by another person, who is standing at the other end of the room. But it was found that many underground secret labyrinths are hidden underground under the perimeter of the tower.

Prayer Triangle, Perm Territory

This triangle carries no less mysteries and secrets than Bermuda. Here, very often there is a change in the course of time, objects can soar above the ground, and then fall again, people hear different sounds - creaks, groans - a person's body temperature may rise, dizziness may appear.

In this triangle there is a whole set of mystical places. For example, here huge strong trees are uprooted and neatly folded ("Witches' Rings"). In the photo taken at this place, balls with white spots appear. And near the Black River, time changes its course. At the Settlements, many see mysterious creatures, and those who spent the night here are then plagued by nightmares.