Arkaim, Chelyabinsk region - we are going to a place of power. Brief history of the protected area. General characteristics of the Arkaim monument

Presented to your attention virtual tour on the historical and cultural reserve "Arkaim". You will see the excavations themselves, visit the Mountain of Love and Shamanka, visit the historical reconstructions of the dwelling of the copper-stone age, and the Temir mound, see the museum of ancient industries and take a walk in the historical park.

And most importantly, you will see Arkaim from a height of 100 meters. Watch here: https://gorod3d.info/katalog/arkaim.html

Arkaim - a fortified settlement bronze age. The age of the settlement is 4 thousand years, the settlement was created according to a well-thought-out plan, with a clear urban planning idea, complex architecture and fortification.

More than twenty years have passed since the discovery of the Arkaim settlement in the steppe Trans-Urals. During this time, for the protection of Arkaim, many other monuments of antiquity and historical natural landscapes a reserve emerged. A powerful research, educational, cultural and educational complex has been created near its borders; the work of the regional state budgetary institution of culture - the Historical and Cultural Reserve "Arkaim" was launched. His research is based on an integrated approach to the study of antiquity in the relationship between natural systems and human societies. Active museum and educational work is carried out in the context of the dialogue of cultures of the past and the present.

Historical reference:

In 1987, in the south of the Chelyabinsk region, during the construction of a reservoir, a unique monument of excellent preservation dating back to the Bronze Age was discovered - a fortified settlement of the early city type. Arkaim got his name from a nearby mountain. During the study, it turned out that the monument was a village created according to a pre-thought-out plan, with a clear urban planning idea, complex architecture and fortification. Over the next few years, 20 more such settlements were discovered, which made it possible to talk about the discovery of an interesting ancient culture, which received the conditional name "Country of Cities". In science, this archaeological culture is called Arkaim-Sintashta. The significance of the discovery of Arkaim and other fortified settlements of this type is indisputable, as it gave completely new data on the migration routes of the Indo-Europeans and made it possible to prove that a fairly highly developed culture existed in the South Ural steppes 4 thousand years ago. Arkaim people were engaged in metallurgy and metalworking, weaving, and pottery. The basis of their economy was cattle breeding.

The fortified settlements of the Arkaim-Sintashta culture date back to the turn of the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. They are five or six centuries older than Homeric Troy, contemporaries of the first dynasty of Babylon, the pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and the Cretan-Mycenaean culture of the Mediterranean. The time of their existence corresponds to the last centuries famous civilization India - Mahenjo-Daro and Harappa.

In 1991, by decision of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, the territory of the Arkaim valley, as well as another 15 sites, with archaeological monuments of the Arkaim-Sintashta culture identified on them, were declared protected areas. It was on their basis that Historical and cultural reserve"Arkaim", which is a structural subdivision of the Ministry of Culture of the Chelyabinsk region.

The main activities of the reserve are museum, security, scientific, tourist and educational.

museum complex"Arkaim" is an original and harmonious architectural and landscape system in the steppe zone Southern Urals. The museum complex "Arkaim" fits into the modern museum world, observing all the norms of the museum legislation of the Russian Federation. In the course of 20 years of activity of scientists and museum workers, the richest collections of ancient history Southern Trans-Urals. "Arkaim" represents a number of museum objects concentrated in one territory, where the traditions of various historical eras and various ethnic groups are combined into a single cultural space, dynamically interacting with the natural landscape environment.

The employees of the reserve implement dozens of educational and educational programs for the most diverse segments of the population: on ancient history and traditional culture of the peoples of the Urals, the history of religion, geology, soil science, botany, ornithology. The main advantage of the programs is their concreteness, accessibility and scientific reliability.

Arkaim is a well-known scientific center, its staff and invited experts conduct comprehensive research that combines the natural sciences and the humanities.

In 1992, the scientific program “Man and Nature of the Southern Urals in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene” was developed, according to which the territory of the Arkaim Reserve is considered as a testing ground for studying the interaction between man and nature on present stage, in retrospect and in perspective.

The strategic mission of the Arkaim Reserve corresponds to the main goals of scientific and educational activities:

Popularization of one of the largest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century - ancient homeland Indo-Europeans - Arkaim and the "Country of Cities";
Forming an understanding among visitors of the important role of the territory modern Russia and the peoples who inhabited it, in the largest civilizational processes, a new look at the possible ways of development of human civilization and the common roots of the origin of the peoples of Russia;
Formation of conditions for the "dialogue" of cultures of the past and present in search of ways to ensure the sustainable development of mankind, low-conflict interaction between man and nature.

From October to April inclusive, the reserve operates in winter mode. summer tourist season reserve "Arkaim" lasts from May 1 to September 30.

Boundless blue sky, misty morning haze over the river, a pearl scattering of stars, mesmerizing sunsets and the wind swaying the feather grass fields. Natalia Nazarova, an archaeologist from Chelyabinsk, talks about the Arkaim nature reserve, the most beautiful place in the south of the Chelyabinsk region.

Someone loves the mountains, someone loves the sea, and my friends and I are big fans of the steppes. The feeling when the horizon is visible for kilometers ahead, there is a huge blue sky above you, and your gaze glides over the endless grassy sea is priceless.

In the south of the Chelyabinsk region there are wonderful place where thousands of people visit every year. Some dream of touching the mysteries of history and archeology, others - to catch the energy flows supposedly passing here, others - to see wild beauty steppe Ural expanses. This place is the historical and natural reserve Arkaim.

I have been going on archaeological expeditions for many years and at one time worked as a guide on Arkaim. Therefore, I can talk endlessly about the beauty of the Ural steppes and the archaeological treasures hidden underground. In this article I will talk about Arkaim: what kind of place it is and why you need to go there.

How to get there, where to stay

Arkaim is located 500 km from Chelyabinsk and 700 from Yekaterinburg. If you live far from the Urals, then it makes sense to buy a plane ticket and fly to one of these cities. From Chelyabinsk to Arkaim can be reached by regular bus(bus is seasonal, runs from May to September), from Yekaterinburg - you need to buy a ticket in advance in one of travel companies traveling in the region. Many get to Arkaim in their cars: also a good option The roads here are relatively normal.

Local tourism is well developed on Arkaim. Eat small hotel, wooden houses and trailers. Extreme lovers spend the night in tents. There is no special luxury in these tourist houses, but you don’t count on a five-star European service in the very center of Russia, right? You can have a bite to eat in the dining room, plus there are many shops with homemade food and several shops. You won't get too far, but you won't get lost either.

A bit of history

In the late 80s, within the framework of the state program for the creation of reservoirs in the South Urals, large areas earth. And then one day an archaeological team, exploring the area for future flooding, discovered some strange circles on the ground. Scientists began to fight to ensure that the area did not go under water, and this struggle was crowned with success. After several years of research, it turned out that scientists have found an ancient city that has no analogues in the world. The found object was given the name Arkaim - after the name of a nearby mountain. And today, 30 years later, around this ancient settlement there is a reserve of the same name.

Why is it worth visiting Arkaim?

1. It's very beautiful here. Seriously! I am not a particularly sentimental person, but steppe sunsets and dawns, thunderclouds pouring rain on the horizon, fields of steppe feather grass waving in the wind - all this rarely leaves anyone indifferent. The peculiarity of the steppe is that there are huge open spaces around you, and there is nothing for the eye to catch on - and this makes it so light in the head, easy to think, easy to breathe, easy to live.

2. There is something to see here. First, this historical objects. The ancient settlement of Arkaim itself, historical Museum, museum of ancient industries, old mill, reconstruction of a Cossack house, reconstruction of dwellings ancient man, reconstruction of an ancient burial site belonging to one of the local nomadic tribes. In the summer, archaeologists work here - you can come in, get acquainted and peep the work of scientists in the field. You can go to all historical sites accompanied by a guide - and if you are lucky and the guide is not a bore, you can find out a lot interesting information. Secondly, a bonus for mountain lovers. Arkaim is located in the steppe zone, but historically there are small mountains here. It is difficult to call them full-fledged mountains, but, nevertheless, in order to climb their peaks, some efforts will be required from you. There are several mountains on the territory of the reserve, the closest and highest are Shamanka and Grachinaya. The second is also called the Mountain of Love, and midnight tourists watching the beautiful starry sky, often stumble about couples in love who decide to spend the night under open sky with maximum romance.

3. Here you can take a break from the city. Telephone networks catch badly, with the Internet it also does not always add up, there are few people. A paradise for those who want to put things aside and be alone with themselves and nature.

Arkaim is also known as an esoteric center. They say that energy flows supposedly pass here, which have a beneficial effect on the body and bring people all sorts of benefits: happiness, good luck, health, and so on. Believe it or not - it's up to you, but I would not recommend buying excursions from dubious personalities offering to take you to the Wishing Stone, for example, and bury money there for future financial flows in your pocket. Better spend them on a geological master class!

A few tips:

1. Be sure to take a sun hat and warm clothes with you on your trip. The weather in the steppe is an unpredictable thing; in one day, heat at 40 degrees can happen, and hail, and downpour, and anything you like. Seriously, once in July in the morning there was frost on the tents.

2. take sunscreens and cream for chapped skin. The wind here is constant: weak or strong, it is always there, so it’s better to put on smears right away, otherwise irritations and a burnt red nose cannot be avoided.

3. Near Arkaim there is a small village. For a small fee, you can invite the locals to visit and plunge into the world of a simple Russian village: pigs, cows, chickens, a tractor in the yard, a vegetable garden. The contrast with city life is striking!

4. Stock up on mosquito repellant.

5. The cost of housing - from 200 rubles for a place under a tent to 2,000 rubles for hotel room. The cost of excursions is from 50 to 250 rubles. You can visit master classes in pottery, geology, and the creation of traditional cloth dolls.

Russia has a huge number interesting places, where you should come, and Arkaim is one of them! Get out of the house, discover the beauty of the Ural steppes!

52°37"37.17"N 59°33"37.58"E

There are many legends around this place. Scientists consider the discovery of Arkaim a sensation in the scientific world. Esotericists flock here in huge masses to receive energies, vibrations, initiations and something else. a common person unable to understand. Ordinary inhabitants come to this place to recover from illnesses, to join something "high", in the end, just for new experiences, eat barbecue and live a couple of days in primitive conditions. TV presenters break spears in furious fights with scientists. So what is this city? Why is he so unusual? Who were its inhabitants? Where did they come from and where did they go? What kind of place is this - a unique archaeological site, a place of power, the cradle of the Aryan peoples? Probably everyone who is somehow connected with this place has his own Arkaim.

In November 1986, in the valley of the Bolshaya Karaganka and Utyaganka rivers, the construction of the Bolshekaraganskoye reservoir began. In the spring of the following year, an archaeological expedition of the Chelyabinsk University appeared here, which was faced with the task of conducting archaeological reconnaissance in the bed of the future reservoir. In the course of the work of the expedition, the settlement of Arkaim was discovered - the first monument of a then new type of Bronze Age settlements in the steppe Eurasia.

The unusual nature of the monument, the connection of its materials with the materials of the Sintashta burial ground, which did not fit into any concept at that time, and the high degree of preservation prompted specialists to enter into an unprecedented struggle with the Ministry of Land Reclamation and its structures to stop the construction of the reservoir and preserve the settlement.

As a result, the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR decided to allocate land for the reserve. In May 1992, the Chelyabinsk Council of People's Deputies decided to create a network of branches of the reserve ("Country of Cities").

What was so special about this city? First, age. The monument dates from the 2nd quarter of the 2nd millennium BC. e. (17th-16th centuries BC). Radiocarbon dates are 3600-3900 years ago. Arkaim is older than Troy, the same age Egyptian pyramids. The discovery on the territory of our country is so ancient city completely overturns the ideas of scientists about the ancient history of our country and the whole world.

Some argue whether it can even be considered a city. Let's figure it out. The population of Arkaim (according to scientists) is about 2.5 thousand people. Is it a lot or a little. For example, in modern Denmark, a city is considered to be a settlement of more than 250 people. Most cities medieval Europe numbered several thousand people .. About 4 thousand years ago, the cities of the whole Earth could be counted on the fingers. So, in terms of population, Arkaim was undoubtedly a city. Some scholars refer to the small area of Arkaim. It is really small (the diameter of the ring wall of the citadel of Arkaim is 85 meters). The thing is that its structure is not the same as that of our modern cities. It had no streets and individual houses. Arkaim is a single engineering structure, a common house-fortress for all residents.

More often it is called not a city, but a structure that was first conceived, then drawn with the smallest details on the plan, and only then built. Arkaim was not built up spontaneously, like other ordinary cities - design work was preceded by thorough research in the field of engineering hydrogeology and soil properties, no doubt, the volumes of earthworks and the amount of wood needed for construction (thousands of trunks of coniferous and deciduous trees!).

It seems to be the simplest structures, a kind of poor stone birdhouse. However, in fact, Arkaim is not just a complex structure, but subtly complex. If experts can only guess about some of its functions, then there are no versions for others. Obviously, we, contemporaries, simply do not have enough intelligence and knowledge. The scientists themselves admit this.

Arkaim was not the only city. Today, 17 settlements are known with 21 fortified settlements, as well as numerous settlements and cemeteries. The fortified centers were located at a distance of 40-70 km from each other. Thus, the average radius of the developed territory for each such center was approximately 25–30 km, which corresponds to the distance of one day's march. Within these limits, in the vicinity of the "city", there were seasonal camps of pastoralists and fishermen, small unfortified settlements of people were built, which were closely connected in economic, military and religious terms with the "city-fortress", with the "temple city".

Aerial photographs show that the "cities" of the Southern Urals have different layouts - oval, circle, square. Most often, a circle and a square are combined with each other, but one of the geometric shapes is always leading. The location of houses, outbuildings, streets is always determined by the layout of the outer defensive wall. The earliest surveyed monuments of the "Country of Cities" are probably settlements with an oval layout, then circular and square settlements appear. Various geometric symbolism in the plans reflects, most likely, distinctive features religious outlook. Each city was the center of a district, as if a rural area, with many villages, like modern ones.

"Cities" are surprisingly similar to each other. Necessarily surrounded by walls and ditches (by the way, quite complex fortifications). There are six "oval" cities: Bersaut, Aland, Isinei, Kizil ... The same number of round ones, Arkaim is one of them. Most of all "angular": Stepnoe, Mouth, Rodniki ... There are also those in terms of which the contours of the fortifications overlap each other. For example, in aerial photographs of Stepnoy and Kuysak, all three figures are visible. The fortifications were rebuilt here three times. It is believed that at first they were erected in an oval, then in a circle, and at the sunset of the Country of Cities - in a rectangle. Whatever the form of the city, it was built, as it were, according to standard project. A square is required in the center. One or two streets are circularly paved with logs, under them there is a storm drain, here there are drains from domestic sewers. In houses (these are rather apartments, their walls are common, a kind of one-story house for 10-30 "apartments") - wells, pantries, kitchens with hearths and a "feast", bedrooms. Look how many amenities! "Apartments" are huge - up to a dozen bedrooms-rooms. total area each "apartment" 100-180 sq. m. Apparently, they were generic, bedrooms according to the number of families, and only 60-70 relatives. Each "apartment" has a utility yard and a workshop. Carpentry and assembled war chariots (the oldest in the world). There were many metalworkers - bronze makers, blacksmiths and foundry workers. The townspeople did not keep cattle. The city was the center of a rural district for several villages, where cattle were bred and cereals were sown. Even traces of irrigation have been found.

Today, the most common opinion is that the “cities” were spiritual centers, priests lived and performed rituals here, and tribesmen from all over the area gathered here for sacred festivities. The square in the center of the city was their open-air temple. The fortresses were the garrisons of the warriors of the tribe, under their protection the tribe took refuge during the raids of enemies. Cities were manufacturing plants. Artisans lived under protection not by chance: their skills were valued, especially by the creators of metal and tools from it. It is believed that the Country of Cities arose precisely here because of the available and high-quality copper ores. And the fortresses were set up to protect the mines and metallurgical "factories".

This settlement is interesting because it was built by Indo-Aryan tribes even before their split into Indians and Iranians. Before the discovery of Arkaim, scientists tried for a long time to prove that these tribes had been on our territory for a long time. Their opponents said that these tribes were here for a very short time, as if in transit, and therefore could not leave anything significant.

The discovery of Arkaim showed a clear picture - these tribes not only stayed on our territory for a long time, but also formed a religion here, which later became Zoroastrianism, a world religion.

Now the reserve has a cluster character and includes a base area of 3761.4 hectares and 14 branches with a total area of 653.2 hectares.

Even then, specialists from Moscow, Leningrad, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and other scientific centers took part in the study of the settlement. The foundations of the scientific directions that are being developed today in the Arkaim Museum-Reserve were laid.

The discovery of Arkaim, the struggle to save it, the first scientific results were widely reflected in the means mass media. This greatly contributed to the formation of public interest in the monument. Guided by distorted information, a crowd of "wild" tourists rushed here. The only means of "fighting" with this phenomenon was the organization of professional excursion services. Therefore, regulation and excursion service the flow of tourists has become the second activity of the museum-reserve.

Today the reserve "Arkaim" is known as an object, first of all, historical tourism. In total, there are more than 70 archaeological sites on the base territory of the reserve. The most famous is the settlement of Arkaim.

Arkaim, who has already become a celebrity, overgrown with legends; known to the entire scientific world and giving its name to the archaeological culture of Sintashta; less known, but already sufficiently studied Mouth; Kuisak and Alanda, which are gaining popularity according to the results of recent excavations, are all of the South Ural Country of cities. The scientific naming of this bunch of fortified settlements of the XVIII-XVI centuries. ekov BC - monuments of the proto-urban civilization of the Bronze Age in the Southern Urals. The country of cities is a name for general use, understandable and not versed in archaeological terminology, best of all corresponding to the essence of the Chelyabinsk phenomenon. It was already in the Middle Ages Gardarika, and everyone understood that this was the Country of Cities - Rus'.

Were the Lands of Cities the same age and similar to Chelyabinsk? Surely they were. It was not from outer space that they descended to the Southern Urals at the time of the Egyptian pyramids. And after a century and a half (roundly), they did not fly into space. And they came to us and left the earth. They find the remains of fortress cities, similar to Arkaim and its neighbors, thousands of kilometers away, mostly younger ones. For example, the figurative title of Arkaim - "grandfather of Troy" - is given because he is older than the city sung by Homer in Asia Minor for many, many centuries. Cities, or rather proto-cities of the Bronze Age, are found, but so far there is not a whole “country” almost four thousand years old. Or maybe they won't find another like it. Millennia of civilization more than once or twice destroyed the past to the ground. Perhaps the rest of the “Arkaim countries” have been erased without a trace. Ours is just very lucky. Only a century and a half ago, rare settlements appeared here. And then not all of our Country of cities has survived, and so far no one has named a city like Arkaim in it.

The country of cities has well-defined borders. There are 17 points of cities on the map of the “country”, but there are already more than twenty of them, while there are many dozens of Sintashta villages. Each city was the center of a district, as if a rural area, with many villages, like modern ones.

"Cities" are surprisingly similar to each other. Necessarily surrounded by walls and ditches (by the way, quite complex fortifications). In plan, it is an oval, a circle or a rectangle close to a square. There are six "oval" cities: Bersaut, Aland, Isinei, Kizil ... The same number of round ones, Arkaim is one of them. Most of all "angular": Stepnoe, Mouth, Rodniki ... There are also those in terms of which the contours of the fortifications overlap each other. For example, in aerial photographs of Stepnoy and Kuysak, all three figures are visible. The fortifications were rebuilt here three times. It is believed that at first they were erected in an oval, then in a circle, and at the sunset of the Country of Cities - in a rectangle. Whatever form the hail was, it was built, as it were, according to a standard project. A square is required in the center. One or two streets are circularly paved with logs, under them there is a storm drain, here there are drains from domestic sewers. In houses (these are rather apartments, their walls are common, a kind of one-story house for 10-30 "apartments") - wells, pantries, kitchens with hearths and a "feast", bedrooms. Look how many amenities! "Apartments" are huge - up to a dozen bedrooms-rooms. The total area of each "apartment" is 100-180 square meters. m. Apparently, they were generic, bedrooms according to the number of families, and only 60-70 relatives. Each "apartment" has a utility yard and a workshop. Carpentry and assembled war chariots (the oldest in the world). There were many metalworkers - bronze makers, blacksmiths and foundry workers. The townspeople did not keep cattle. The city was the center of a rural district for several villages, where cattle were bred and cereals were sown. Even traces of irrigation have been found.

The metallurgical "workshops" of Sintashta are especially impressive. The fortress city was rebuilt and expanded, the walls and the moat were moved. The inner one was filled up almost exclusively with waste from metallurgical production. Almost everything that accompanies it today was found here (and in what quantity!) This allowed archaeologists not only to imagine how our countrymen smelted bronze, but also to reconstruct ancient foundries and even smelt bronze using their technology.

For about a century and a half, the Country of Cities flourished in the South Urals. Then the Sintashta left. Their place was not left empty, it was occupied, apparently, by kindred tribes. But there has never been anything like it here. There are many different opinions about who the Sintashta people were, why and where they left. Not surprising! The discovery and exploration of Arkaim and the Country of Cities is by no means ordinary. “They should be regarded as a scientific event of an epochal order,” says N. Ya. Merpert, an authoritative expert on the ancient settlements of Eurasia. There is nothing to add to his opinion.

Now it is already recognized: here is the ancestral home of the ancient Aryans, which scientists have been looking for for so long in the vast territory from the Danube steppes to the Irtysh region ... legendary like Buddha or Mohammed.

Arkaim - the ruins of an ancient city discovered by Soviet archaeologists in the summer of 1987 at the confluence of the Utyaganka and Karaganka rivers, tributaries of the Ural River (south of Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk region), which are perhaps the most mysterious archaeological site in Russia.

The city-fortress of the ancient Aryans was abandoned for an unclear reason by the owners and burned down about 4 thousand years ago. Nevertheless, this city, whose name appears in many legends, is relatively well preserved (much better than the Aryan city of Sintashta), and was easily identified even before the start of excavations when observed from a helicopter. The size of the settlement is 20,000 square meters, the diameter of the inner citadel is 85 m, the diameter of the outer walls is 143-145 m, the thickness of the walls at the base is 3-5 m, the height of the earth embankment at the site of the walls is 3-3.5 m (the preserved height - 1m). In terms of Arkaim, there are 2 rings inscribed one into the other defensive structures, 2 circles of dwellings crouched against the walls, central square and a circular street with wooden decking and storm sewers. In total, there were 67 spacious dwellings with wells, food cellars, hearths (of which 40 were in the outer circle, 27 in the inner circle). Without a doubt, Arkaim with 4 entrances to the fortress oriented to the cardinal points was built (partially - carved in the ground) according to a pre-drawn plan with the highest accuracy (all ring lines have one center where all radial lines converge).

In the 1980s, Arkaim was threatened with flooding during the construction of a reservoir in the Bredinsky district, however, the Ural public and the local branch of the Academy of Sciences managed to defend the find. The excavations of the city-fortress, called in the press "Ural Troy" and "Russian Stonehenge", are still going at a very slow pace, so many questions regarding the purposes and methods of building this structure are not clear. At the same time, many researchers endow Arkaim with mystical properties and define it as described in legends. spiritual center ancient Siberia and Ural.

Arkaim confirmed by its existence the occult ideas about the resettlement of the Aryans. Tradition says that White race, to which they belonged, came to Eurasia from the sunken mainland Arctida in the Northern Arctic Ocean. In the Avesta - the holy book of Zoroastrianism - this continent is called Khairat. According to ancient texts, the Aryans originally settled on the Volga, the Urals and in Western Siberia, and from there they came to the territory of Persia and India. Thus, our territory was the cradle of two world religions: Zoroastrianism and Hinduism, and the Vedas with the Avesta were brought to India and Iran from here. According to the Avestan tradition, the prophet Zarathushtra was born in the Urals. Already today, archaeologists have found confirmation of this theory: in the Southern Urals, excavations have begun on the "Country of Cities", dating back to the 18th-16th centuries. BC. - during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom in the Urals there was a powerful, well-developed cultural complex.

Arkaim has a ring structure and is clearly oriented by the stars. In general, the Aryan culture has always been closely connected with astrology, and it is no coincidence that at present they recognize astrology, considering it a part of Divine Knowledge, only Aryan religions - Zoroastrianism and Hinduism. All other Teachings have lost it. The city was built and lived according to the laws of astrology, according to the laws of the Cosmos. Arkaim is sometimes compared to Stonehenge, but it is better to associate it with Tommaso Campanella's City of the Sun. Even appearance Arkaim resembles his drawings. Campanella was an astrologer and dreamed of a society living according to the laws of the Cosmos, in a ring city built according to astrological calculations. The ancient arias realized Campanella's dream many centuries before his birth. Long before him, the ideal, astrologically verified ring city was also described in the ancient Indian treatise Arthashastra. Western researchers have always considered it a conditional, symbolic description of an ideal social order. In fact, the Hindus described quite real cities and societies of antiquity.

Arkaim is one of the most iconic places in the Urals, surrounded by numerous legends and an aura of mystery. Not only tourists aspire here, but also psychics, esotericists, occultists and others. It is located in the steppes in the south of the Chelyabinsk region.

Arkaim is ancient settlement, discovered by archaeologists in 1987 in the steppes in the south of the Chelyabinsk region. This place was supposed to go under water as a result of the construction of the Bolshekaragan reservoir. With great efforts, scientists led by Gennady Zdanovich managed to defend the found archaeological site from imminent flooding. In 1991, this territory was declared a protected area, formally formalized as a branch of the Ilmensky mineralogical reserve.

Since then, in addition to Arkaim, a couple of dozens of at least interesting settlements. The whole complex of settlements was nicknamed the "Land of Cities".

There are a lot of sights on the territory of the Arkaim Museum-Reserve. Here are just a few of them:

Arkaim

Arkaim is a fortified Bronze Age settlement. The archaeological site is dated to the third or second millennium BC. Don't expect much from a legendary settlement. In fact, only small tubercles remained of it, clearly visible only from the air.

The settlement has a ring shape. Diameter - 145 meters. In place of the walls of the settlement, only small ramparts remained. They represent two circles - external and internal. There were several dozen dwellings on the territory of the settlement. Once, for some unknown reason, local residents for some reason left their homes, burned the settlement and left the Southern Urals forever.

Finds on Arkaim were not rich. They did not find anything interesting and valuable here, in addition to clay shards, tools and coals. Nevertheless, what is not attributed to Arkaim. Scientists quite seriously talk about the origin of the Aryan race here, about the ancient observatory located here. Yes, and the first horse was allegedly domesticated here, a two-wheeled cart was invented here and a metallurgical furnace was invented. But the bold point of view of Chelyabinsk archaeologists, of course, is not shared by all scientific world.

historical park

It is located on the high terrace of the Bolshaya Karaganka River, away from the noise of the tourist camp. This is a real open-air museum, in which the funerary theme prevails. Here you will see ancient grave stone monuments, as well as stone boxes surrounded by fences - family cemeteries. There are also mysterious menhirs, the purpose of which is still not entirely clear. also in historical park there is a medieval Turkic complex Aksai.

Museum-reconstruction of the barrow "Temir"

Scientists have recreated here an exact copy of the family tomb of the steppe nomads. The basis was the results of excavations of the Sarmatian mound in the Chesmensky district of the Chelyabinsk region, which was dated to the 4th century BC. With perfect accuracy, scientists reproduced both external and internal organization burial structure. It was customary to bury only the most noble representatives of the tribe and their relatives in mounds.

Photo by

Copper-Stone Age settlement

A life-size re-creation of an old settlement based on the results of excavations at the Botai settlement in northern Kazakhstan. Dwellings are a round semi-dugout. Such a rounded shape made it possible to withstand the most difficult climatic conditions. In the reconstructed settlement of the Copper-Stone Age, you can see how our distant ancestors lived.

Ethnographical museum"Cossack manor"

All the exhibits and buildings of this museum were collected in the Southern Urals and brought here by the staff of the reserve. The museum is based on the restored house of the turn of XIX - XX Orenburg Cossacks Dolgopolov from the village of Varlamovo. In the house - household utensils from the beginning of the 20th century.

Photo by

Much more interesting object"tent" windmill. She is standing next to the house. The mill was built in 1929 in the village of Paris, but soon it was moved to the Warsaw village. Until the 1960s, the mill worked properly. In 1999, employees of Arkaim became interested in her and transported a unique structure to the territory of the reserve.

Photo by

Museum "Nature and Man"

The expositions of the museum are divided into several eras. The Age of Stone will introduce the history of human settlement of the steppes of the Southern Urals. Here are stone tools - scrapers, axes, knives.

Photo by

The section of the exposition of the early metal era introduces the Arkaim settlement and other archaeological sites. In the showcases you will see ancient jewelry, bronze items, crockery shards.

Photo by

Finally, the section devoted to the era of the early Iron Age will tell about the history of the nomadic peoples of the steppes. In addition to weapons, horse harness and armor, pay attention to items related to the famous "animal" style.

Photo by

Camp of the steppe nomad

Quite recently (in 2010), a new tourist facility- camp of a sedate nomad. The camp consists of four yurts - Mongolian and Kazakh. And here you can not only get acquainted with the life of nomads, but also stay in one of the yurts.

Photo by

Museum of ancient industries

Located directly on the territory of the tourist camp. Tourists will see here reconstructed different types of furnaces - for firing ceramics, heating, smelting metal products. They are recreated in full size on the basis of research on the territory of the Arkaim reserve. Moreover, all furnaces are operational.

Mount Shamanka

Mount Shamanka (or Shamanikha) is an ancient paleovolcano. On this mountain, tourists like to watch sunsets and sunrises. At the top of the mountain there is a stone spiral of 13 circles, symbolizing the passage of the chain of incarnations. It is believed that if you walk barefoot in a spiral, you can reunite with a kind of tree and get rid of sins.

Photo by

Mount of Repentance

Mount Repentance is located near the tourist camp, next to Mount Shamanka. There is also a stone spiral at the top.

Mountain of Love

This mountain is located on the territory of the upper camp beyond the Karaganka River. Mount of Love is the highest and steepest of the Arkaim mountains. On the slope of the mountain - a stone spiral. Opens from the mountain beautiful panorama to the tourist camp and Mount Shamanka.

Photo by

In "Arkaim" there are other mountains - Arkaim, Reason, Happiness, Visions. They are less remarkable, but, nevertheless, each mountain has its own legends.

"Arkaim" - most popular place. Many thousands of people come here from all over Russia and abroad. There are especially many tourists and pilgrims on the day of the summer solstice.

Photo by