Mountain of the Dead Karelia. Vottovaara - Death mountain in Karelia. Nuorunen - the mysterious "roof of Karelia"
Mount Vottovaara (Votto-Vaara) is located in central Karelia, not far from the villages of Gimoly and Sukkozero. Its height is only 417 meters, which, however, is quite a lot for this region. The mountain is shrouded in a huge number of legends that multiply and multiply. This is facilitated by the numerous seids erected by someone in this region and gloomy swamps interspersed with rocks and stories of shamans living on the mountain. UFOs also became elements of the local epic. During the Second World War, partisans were very active in this region, which also affected historical appearance places.
From a geological point of view, this big rock with a rather steep southern slope 2 kilometers wide. Its length from north to south is about 5-7 km. The mountain is located in a rather remote place, surrounded by swamps and abandoned roads built in Soviet times.
Due to the fact that the mountain is higher than others, people walk on its top strong winds and the air above is cooler than below. As a result, on the slopes you can find many emaciated, broken trees from fairy tales about the "grandmother-hedgehog". There will be a lot of such trees if you drive another 500-700 kilometers to the north, but, compared to the surrounding hills, the forest looks outlandish and a little creepy. It is not surprising that the mountain is surrounded by a huge number of legends that attract tourists, seekers thrill and just shamans =)
Probably, the main attraction of the mountain is the mountain itself, with a uniquely broken nature. Its second name is shaman mountain. A couple of years ago, my friend met a shaman there, who performed some rituals for a long time, and then, having treated them to his charmed shamanic wine, went into the swamps.
Another example - on the mountain we met a group of people playing the jew's harps.
Many believe that this mountain is the abode of evil spirits. It must also be said that many seids were found on the mountain and in its environs - stone pyramids reaching several meters in size. Now tourists build their seids for entertainment, but it is believed that the Vikings built seids to mark the fairway. Seids are also used to mark paths in the mountains, etc. What is the purpose of building seids near Vottovaara is not clear, maybe it is unknown natural phenomenon. There should be quite a lot of seids on the mountain, but unfortunately they are located on the southeastern slope, while we went to the southwestern one.
Vottovaara is confused with the "Death Mountain", which is located five kilometers southeast and is notorious for the death of more than a hundred partisans and brigade commander I.A. Grigoriev in 1942.
At the time of the popularity of UFOs, the mountain was immediately assigned new popular properties.
The article about the mountain is supplemented with a list of places that can be seen along the way, since these things are inextricably linked. It is conditionally possible to divide the path into three parts: The path to Gimol (the last inhabited village), From Gimol to the mountain, Gora.
Way to Gimol
Gimoly is a small village in the Karelian wilderness. The main trade is logging and mining (in Lately). You can get there in different ways, but since I was driving a car, I describe given way. The names of the roads will be given in the "How to get there" section. Here I would like to describe the most Beautiful places that they passed by. If you go from St. Petersburg and go around Ladoga lake from the west, then in the area of Sortavala near the village of Kiryavalahti, the road will go almost along the shore of the lake.
At the same time, views of the bay will open.
There are several places to put up a tent.
Then the road will become ideal for about 10-20 kilometers.
But after turning onto the A131, the most interesting begins - 200 kilometers of primer, which gradually gets worse and worse.
For a jeep, the road will not seem difficult, but in the rain on a sedan with a lowered suspension, it was interesting. The most common vehicles are Urals (trucks and buses) and timber trucks, although there are also cars.
From Gimol to Mt.
Directly from Gimol to the mountain there is a road, about 15-18 kilometers long. The first five are a good dirt road leading to a mining quarry.
Then it turns left, and the road to Vottovaara goes straight ahead. IN good weather you can drive quite a distance on it, although at some point you still have to leave the car, unless it is a "proper" jeep.
For someone, overcoming this obstacle by car would be a pleasure.
But this bridge is so rotten and staggering that I don’t advise you to pass, regardless of the patency of the car.
However, the road is already littered with traces of the eternal struggle.
Due to the constant elevation changes on the road, you can find streams gushing right out of the ground in the middle of the road.
Strange as it may seem, but the swamps do not produce an oppressive, but rather a calming impression.
At one o'clock in the morning they look mysterious.
During the day they delight with the novelty of colors and sensations.
Mountain
The mountain is quite flat and overgrown with forest. It is difficult to find a place from which the surrounding expanses are visible. It seems that around the usual forest.
Very often there are trees with twisted branches.
The steepest slope is the southeast one, but even that is just a walk through the woods.
Around the mountain there is an abandoned road in a semicircle, along which occasionally someone passes.
After the trip, it became clear that it was necessary to go with at least two overnight stays near the mountain, otherwise it would not be possible to explore it. No need to try to park the car as close to the mountain as possible, since one lucky guy on Kalina, after the rain, was squeezed by puddles of 60-70 centimeters on both sides. The train is coming long (~ 12-19 hours), but if you go by car and feel sorry for her, it will come out the same amount. If you don’t regret it, then you can drive 9-10 hours from St. Petersburg and change the box and protection for the second time in a year.
Nutrition
From the comments "There is a shop and a guide to Vottovaaru in Gimoly. At the end of the village along the quarry road that leads to Vottovaaru there is a sign where it is." I suspect that the store also has railway station, which is located one kilometer west of Gimol. There will be no shops, as well as any other buildings after Gimol.
What to take
Topographic map (200 or 500 meters), compass, GPS. Moreover, the map turned out to be more useful than GPS. Camera. Everything you need for a trip of 3 or more days.
Additional expenses
You can arrange with the men from Gimol to be thrown up to the mountain as far as their transport allows. The price is unknown.
Location. GPS coordinates.
This section is presented in more detail on maps.yandex.ru, so the coordinates were taken from there.
How to get there
Train 350A goes from St. Petersburg 12 hours to Gimol, but does not leave every day. There are several alternatives going from 15 to 39 hours.
I don’t know buses, although theoretically, something should come from Suojärvi.
By car from St. Petersburg there are 2 ways: to the left of Ladoga and to the right. On the left - closer and more picturesque (640 km one way, starting from the south of St. Petersburg). On the right - the road is probably better. I'm not sure, because I didn't drive this route to the end.
To the left of Ladoga: Ring Road, exit onto A122 (Vyborgskoye) and after 300 meters turn right onto A129 (Priozerskoye). Pass all A129, which in Sortavala will quietly turn into A130. Drive along a new good highway (not indicated on last year's maps) to the turn onto A131 (the fork will be near Koirinoy) and, gritting your heart, turn onto the unpaved A131 (to Suojärvi). Take A131 to Suojärvi, then turn left onto A132 and go to Porosozero. Turn left again to Gimoly. In Gimoly, take the road to the quarry (one of the entrances is blocked by a barrier, but the alternative ones on the right are open). Drive along the quarry road until you turn left into a quarry and a dead end, there will be an inconspicuous path that goes straight ahead. On it to the mountain as much as the car will allow. When you get to the equivalent fork - on the left there will be a path to the southwestern slope. To the right - to the southeast. They say that seids are on it.
Road quality
The quality of the CAD coating is very good. A significant part of the A129 is of acceptable quality, however, before entering Karelia and in the area of Khiitola - Sortavala there will be a primer with a comb. In this case, the primer is sufficient good quality, in comparison with primers in central Karelia, however, it breaks very quickly in the rain. A130 is relatively good quality. A131 - in dry weather, just a bad primer, and in the rain there are large puddles. A132 is a little worse than A131, and the road from Gimol to the mountain is good primer in places, and in places there are puddles up to a meter deep for the entire width of the road.
It is generally accepted that the mountains are the Caucasus. Well, or the Urals. The mountains are Kazbek, Elbrus, Pai-Khoi. But if you ask us, we will proudly say that there is something to conquer in Karelia. And where to sweat. There is also something to admire from a bird's eye view and a little higher.
If you want all this, go to Paanajärvi, Loukhi district. within the borders national park several of the most beautiful and interesting peaks of Karelia are located at once.
1. Mount Nuorunen. 577 meters.
Loukhsky district. This is the most high mountain Karelia. It has tectonic origin and entirely composed of red granites. From the top, as from the roof of a skyscraper, you can see not only Karelia, but also Finland. For details on how to get to the mountain and how to climb the mountain, as well as the magic of this mountain, read.
2. Mount Mäntyutunturi. 550 meters.
Loukhsky district. From the top there is a magnificent view of Lake Paanjärvi. Also located in Paanajärvi. Closed for visits. Actually not touched by humans at all. Mäntykoski, the famous waterfall, flows down from the mountain.
3. Mount Kivakka. 499 meters.
Loukhsky district. On the top of the mountain there are lakes, which is remarkable in itself, as well as seid. To these wonders, you can add unique hanging swamps. About how to climb Kivakka, and what can be seen from its top.
4. Mount Lunas. 495 meters.
5. Mount Pyainur. 486 meters.
Do not believe it - again Loukhsky district. The most pointed mountain in Karelia. At the same time, the top of the mountain is bald, and the approaches to it are surrounded by forest. In general, it is pointless to talk about the views that open from the highest point of the mountain. This must be seen with your own eyes. How to get to Päinur and what to look for on the mountain itself -
6. Mount Vottovaara. 416 meters.
Muezersky district. A completely unique place. Either an anomaly of nature, or a temple of the ancient Sami. The point, of course, is in the seids, and in the dancing forest. We ourselves have been to Vottovaara and we advise you. Why is written here.
7. Mount Hiidenvuori. 119 meters.
Pitkyarantsky district. At first glance, an ordinary mountain. Compared to the first ones on this list, it’s generally a pea. But if you look, then Hiidenvouri is not at all so simple. The name alone is worth something - "Devil's Mountain". And this hole is at the very top ... We told more in this material. And about the devil, which is not a devil at all, and about the hole, which, as it were, is not an ordinary hole at all.
“Sooner or later, in old age or in the prime of life, the Unfulfilled calls us, and we look around, trying to understand where the call came from.”
For me, the Unfulfilled has always sounded like the Unknown. And then one day it happened. In the boring tangle of everyday life, the call of the Unknown reached me. No, I did not look back - I knew exactly where this call came from. Yes, it was Karelia, Mount Vottovaara, which attracts travelers, scientists, ufologists and psychics.
In man, an indestructible craving for a miracle, for a mystery. Well, at least I can say that about myself. And it somehow gets along with my, in general, materialistic view of the world. Until now, all our travels to new cities and countries, seas and mountains, all ascents and immersions have not had the purpose of special acquaintance with something supernatural, and now we are purposefully going to meet with a miracle and mystery - Mount Vottovaara in one of mysterious corners Karelia.
Seven mysterious places in Russia
In our country, with its gigantic expanses, Karelia is not the only place where incomprehensible structures of antiquity have been preserved, where events occur that science cannot yet explain, where meetings with the unknown take place, which cannot be explained logically. How did it happen that we visited one of them, and we would like to go to others:
- Plateau Manpupuner, in the Northern Urals.
Sacred place of the Mansi people, with majestic stone pillars, the height of a 17-storey building.
The path to it lies along the river, then on foot through the famous Dyatlov Pass, then through the mountains through the taiga.
I really want to go there, but it takes at least three weeks. - South of Altai, remote Ukok mountain plateau.
Here, in a lens of permafrost, a sensational archaeological find was found - a mysterious burial. There lay the mummy of a young woman in rich clothes, with an elaborate hairstyle on her head, her skin was covered with ritual tattoos.
With the light hand of journalists, she was dubbed the Altai Princess.
There are many other monuments on the plateau - cave drawings, stone idols, mounds.
It is not for nothing that the native Altaians consider the harsh and wild Ukok plateau sacred place, the place from where the mountain world begins ... - Olkhon Island is the abode of the formidable spirits of Baikal, the land of Buryat shamans.
Picturesque variety of landscapes, special natural conditions, a bunch of sacred places and a bunch of legends associated with them. - Solovetsky Islands.
The dolmens, mounds and stone labyrinths different types- structures of unknown purpose and controversial dating. - Accidentally found in the second half of the 20th century in the South Ural steppes, the city of Arkaim. Formerly a complex complex, both a temple and an observatory, it had a strange and unusual shape - in the form of two concentric circles.
The age of this Mystery is 40 centuries. Legends say that gods still lived among people at that time...
And in our time there are fogs hissing with fire, voices and sounds are heard, large structures spontaneously move ... - The place that wears unusual name Besov Nos - a small cape on the shore Lake Onega. Read a story about him.
- Mount Vottovaara Karelia, where we are going now. There is a lot of talk about her, and she is considered a dangerous place ...
Light road there
We started to Karelia on Mount Vottovaara with only two crews: the rest had urgent business. The second adventure hunter turned out to be Serezha Crocodile in a beige Toyota Land Cruiser. Under his command is his wife Anya. They broke out of town by Dmitrov highway, we trudged along Yaroslavsky.
According to the plan, we were supposed to unite and continue the journey together, but this could not be done. As a result, Sergey has pulled ahead so much that it would be simply inhumane to strain his comrades by such a long wait for outsiders of the expedition.
Then we decided to meet them at the foot of the mountain, where we went along the incomparable Lake Onega, planning to spend the night on its shore, not far from the Murom Monastery.
And here we are driving in familiar places through the gate to Lake Onega.
The very golden hour of the photographer begins - a bright scarlet luminous sunset sky, dark gray clouds from edge to edge ... And we are still in a swamp! Sanya is in a hurry, the car is jumping over the logs.
Finally, he can’t stand it, jumps out and takes a picture of the car, glowing in the rays of the fiery red sun, cirrus clouds in the sky, and the puddle helpfully reflects them, and it seems that the car is floating between heaven and earth.
And then we rush, bouncing on logs, further, go around the cars left by the fishermen, slow down, put pressure on the gas, slow down again and finally break out on White sand to the pines. Gat sighs lingeringly - this car did not become her prey.
The shore, quietly rolling waves, the sky, closely fused with Onega, and we. Here it is, happiness ... And in the morning we need to hurry, the Crocodile and the mountain with their secrets are waiting for us.
About the unsolved mysteries of Mount Vottovaara in Karelia
The country of a thousand lakes of incomparable beauty Karelia keeps thousands of mysteries and secrets. This region of our country is a leader in reports of strange and inexplicable phenomena.
The most beautiful Muezersky district of Karelia and its most famous attraction is Mount Vottovaara. Surrounded by swamps and forests, one of the highest points of the republic (417m), it is simply wildly popular with all lovers of miracles, sensations, anomalous phenomena. They claim that it has:
- Neither animals nor birds live. That its picturesque lakes are also dead. That the trees growing there are incredibly deformed and twisted
- Some forces act on phones and equipment so that they refuse to work normally
- Some hidden special abilities wake up in people, here magicians open portals to other worlds, psychics contact space and are filled with its energy to the very top
- Many gigantic, geometrically correct slabs; there is a staircase, the stone steps of which break off in the sky; wells with right angles sawn by unknown tools
- Here is the ancient sanctuary of the Sami people.
About the Saami and their Noida shamans
A thousand years ago, the Sami people settled in the wilderness. In ancient times, they occupied vast territories - from the 60th parallel to the very Arctic Ocean. Later, other peoples came here and pushed the Saami to the north. Survive in the most adverse and harsh conditions this small people his shamans helped him - noids, who possessed some knowledge.
Noids were once hunted by both employees of the special department of the NKVD and the fascist Ahnenerbe, an organization in the Third Reich specializing in occult knowledge.
One of the secrets of the Sami shamans was the ability to quickly and unquestioningly subjugate large groups people, or rather, to zombify them.
The ability to instantly turn a mass of people into obedient robots that will execute any command opened up very tempting prospects ... And not only for the special services.
Now the Saami do not live on the territory of Karelia, and it can be said that the Saami Noidas have practically disappeared.
But there are still places of worship, one of these sanctuaries is located on Mount Vottovaara, and it is full of mysterious objects - seids.
Seids of Karelia - what is it
It is believed that the Sami shamans are noids, in their mysterious affairs turned to the help of seids.
Seids of Karelia are rounded boulders, standing on the top of the mountain separately or in groups, of various shapes and sizes. The largest ones can weigh several tens of tons. They have one main, immediately visible to the eye, feature: the stones seem to balance in the most impossible, unstable positions. And, meanwhile, they have been standing like that for centuries!
There are several varieties of seids: there are boulders standing, as if on legs, on small stones - on one, two, three; there are those in which, on top, on the steepness, stone fry are covered with a pyramid. And each of the Karelian seids is not like the other.
As for their invisible abilities, there are no speculations here. Megalithic complex Hyperborea, a kind of cyclopean Stonehenge... Petrified gods, receptacles of souls... Seids as condensers of cosmic energy, or vice versa, translators of the Earth's radiation directed upwards... A unified energy network of interacting seids of the sanctuary...
Have long been waiting for their scientists researchers bizarre rock installations on Mount Vottovaara - fantastic compositions of cobblestones of different textures, sizes and shapes.
In the meantime, even the exact number of seids on the Karelian mountain of Death Vottovaara is not known. There are a lot of them, but all the figures that are given anywhere are very approximate. Scientists have not yet described and mapped these monuments. Moreover, they themselves have not yet really figured out whether these are natural formations or places of worship of the ancient Sami.
But no matter what the seids turn out to be, they are unique natural objects or priceless cultural monuments, eternally ancient and unshakable, they are undoubtedly worthy of admiration.
Once the world was very different
Karelian wilderness. Logging sites and a couple of mining - crushed stone, sand - enterprises.
From the urban-type settlement of Sukkozero, with a population of one thousand one hundred people, - 18 km to the southeast, or from the very tiny settlement of Gimola with two hundred inhabitants - 35 km to the northeast - and you are near the rocky massif of Vottavara.
This is an extended ridge, about a kilometer long, which is part of the ridge, which, almost strictly from north to south, crosses Western Karelia. The mountain has several peaks, its slopes in the south and west are steep, in the north and east they are smooth.
The top is a rocky plateau, on which there are strange faults, crevices, a randomly scattered abundance of stones, placers of boulders, small lakes. On the plateau there is a natural formation called an amphitheatre. This is an almost regular round-shaped failure, in the center of which there is a small swampy reservoir.
Geologists have no doubts - all the signs of a powerful earthquake that occurred here nine thousand years ago are on the face. Not just powerful - but the most powerful - points 12. But, the fact is that this region, by all indications, has been and remains earthquake-resistant. What then could cause such an earthquake?
There are different versions with their own strengths and weaknesses.
One, geological, explains this by the melting of the glacier, which has reduced its pressure on tectonic plate and thereby caused her movement.
The other, beautiful one, called “The Flood Theories”, explains this by the fall of a meteorite that occurred at that time. It fell into the ocean somewhere in the Philippine Sea, southeast of China. The shock wave caused by the fall came to Karelia from the east. She moved and crumpled the earth's surface into a fold, forming the very ridge, which includes Mount Vottovaara in Karelia.
So what happened here nine thousand years ago? So far, this is an unsolvable mystery. But since 2011 it unusual place- geological and landscape monument nature.
It is very possible that seids, endless Karelian seids scattered across Vottovaara, will soon make the mountain also a historical and cultural monument.
We are there - on Mount Vottovaara
The real race started from Medvezhyegorsk. We raced, stones flew out from under the wheels with a whistle, on the turns the car seemed to slip. It was necessary to reunite with the Crocodile as soon as possible.
Suddenly it turned out that there was no connection on the grader.
Finally, we see the sign "To Vottovaaru". Sergey has probably been hanging around there for four hours already ... What was our surprise when, at the next turn, we saw a beige Crocodile car rushing towards us!
He stood at the foot of the mountain, did not climb to the very top, because he was too lazy, got bored, ate, sat still, tried to contact us, and then decided to drive off and look for comfortable spot for an overnight stay.
In such an unexpected way, the road itself determined the point of our meeting! We decided: he is looking for a place to spend the night and sends us its coordinates, and we climb the mountain.
The road was normal for a couple of kilometers, and then a real washboard began. Drin-dryn, shaking, vibrating, everything that could be unscrewed. And since we have a short-wheelbase car, this drin-drin was twice as strong. Sometimes it tossed so much that you felt moments of weightlessness. Well, additional joys - stones, pits, streams across the road.
From the fork behind last bridge we reached the foot of the mountain. This is the southern slope, there is no access to the mountain along it. Someone's cars were already standing on a small patch, then we also left ours here.
And the path leading up. A steep slope, trees, moss, squelching underfoot. I remember that - on the slopes, on the hills everything squelches, the whole mountain squelches. The road is short, but restless - horseflies. So they barrage on you, spreading their wings. Yes, they are so tall, just two centimeters, and maybe all three. Hungry. And not blind at all!
I am very afraid of snakes, they say they are often found here on the slopes. But then I somehow did not remember them. You climb uphill - sweat flows, it's hot, and it's scary to unfasten. Glad I got the spray bottle! I also had two birch twigs attached to it - I soaked them about myself while they climbed. Karelian mosquitoes, from the amount of spray used, didn’t take me for a person at all, and horseflies - everyone doubted and tried to determine by tooth.
We cheerfully climbed the first peak. The view from here is indescribable beauty. Half the world in a blue haze is in front of us: hills, forests, lakes, swamps ... In general, this is how: the beauty of the views really makes you dizzy, although, of course, it can be dizzy from the fact that, brushing off the bloodsuckers, you turn it much faster than usual, and even at different angles.
I repeat, Mount Vottovaara is a mountain range. I went up the path - you think you came, but you look - this is the first crown, and from it you can see the second, then the third. And there you can already see the plateau. Smooth, descent to it by rocky ledges. Indeed, it looks like an ancient Roman amphitheater. In the middle of the lake, overgrown to the state of a swamp, granite stones-tongues. Everything here, as eyewitnesses write, is rare pines and spruces, twisted in the most unimaginable way.
"Well, let's go?" Sanya asks me. And we went to get acquainted closer with the sights of the Karelian mountain Vottovaara.
We jump on flat stone planes, go around the stones and take pictures near the trees. It looks like a dog, and it is as if hugging itself with branches-arms.
Then they stood, watched, listened to the ancient seids. But - no, the stones were silent, cameras and watches worked properly. There were no paranormal activity, nothing supernatural. However, there was one oddity.
It was about nine in the evening, there was no one around. Suddenly we see, bent over, fumbling over something some shabby-dressed little man. Let's go - on the ground there is a stone witch's circle. Seeing us, the citizen straightened up and immediately began to briskly tell something from the “do you know” area. It turned out that this is a local stalker, one of those who earn extra money by taking tourists to the mountain. To a direct question, what was he doing with the pebbles here, he answered, without embarrassment, that, they say, he examined with interest ...
It is already getting dark on Mount Vottovaara, we have already seen plenty of Karelian seids, but still have not found a staircase to heaven. The oncoming guy and girl look at us in surprise: “Where is the staircase to heaven on Vottovaara? Far… "
We look back. It's not a problem to get there, but to get lost at dusk in this stone cluster full of cracks, breaks and labyrinths?! No, perhaps another time.
But next to it is a fault resembling a rectangular mine. Dark water splashes in its depths. Look into the fault - it is necessary! Having looked, we feel - we must spit! The guys laugh: “We also spat!”
And we would also like to visit the place Vottovaara, because of which this mountain is called Death Mountain.
Death Mountain Vottovaara
The focus of evil forces, the portal to another world, Mount Vottawara is often effectively called the Death Mountain.
Many reports write that even with the mere mention of her, the female half local population numb with horror, and the old women completely overshadow themselves at the same time with the sign of the cross. Of course, this is a strong exaggeration. But what's true is that most of does not know the local people and is not interested in where this name came from or sincerely considers it a figurative name of the mountain Vottovaara.
But the fact is that the name of Death Mountain with sadness is standing in the neighborhood - only 5 kilometers to the southeast - a height of 264.9 m.
In June 1942, 648 Soviet partisans - the First Partisan Brigade - went on a long raid behind enemy lines in Karelia. Its task was to destroy the enemy's manpower, his warehouses, to arrange sabotage on railways and highways. The partisans were instructed, with a sudden strike, to defeat two headquarters of the Finnish troops in Porosozero and Kondopoga.
But the brigade turned out to be poorly prepared for the raid - poorly armed, its main staff was recruited from civilians. local residents and a handful of military personnel.
Failures in the campaign began immediately. Minefields, skirmishes with patrols from the first days reduced the number of fighters, and then the Finns seriously engaged in pursuit.
The Finnish command threw almost 5 thousand of its soldiers and officers against the partisans. Our wounded had to be left in hiding places, where they died of starvation or were finished off by enemy soldiers. The partisans ran out of food, people swelled up and died of hunger. There were even some vague rumors about cases of cannibalism.
There were terrible stories when they finished off their own, who could not walk. So, with a click from a pistol in the head, they finished off the wounded Olya Pakhomova, a military paramedic.
But, with the manifestations of human baseness that took place, every day showed - many - the highest examples of fortitude, heroism, self-sacrifice, the moral strength of these people was great. Avoiding traps and suffering losses in manpower from constant skirmishes, weak from exhaustion, the partisans fortified at an altitude of 264.9 m.
The enemy surrounded them, and on July 30, 1942, a 12-hour bloody battle began, in which almost 100 fighters died. And these were not the last losses on the brigade's way home. At the end of August 42, only 120 people returned to their rear from the raid.
After the war, the workers of the timber industry began to find the remains of partisans near this height. It was then that the terrible name Death Mountain appeared in Karelia.
The driver of the forestry from the village of Sukkozero, Sergei Mikhailovich Simonyan, was the first to start searching for and burying dead soldiers. For 36 years now, year after year, he has been doing this work, often even with his own money.
It was he, together with his comrades, who erected a modest obelisk in 1982 in memory of the fallen soldiers of the partisan brigade of Ivan Antonovich Grigoriev.
And just doing his noble work, the Karelian search engine Sergey Simonyan stumbled upon amazing place- Mount Vottovaara. He was the first to understand that this place is of historical value and tried to draw the attention of specialists to it.
And now there is such silence on the Karelian mountain Vottovaara ... And there are only fishermen, hunters, and tourists there ...
Sad way back
As soon as we drove away from the mountain, the jamb opened: the Crocodile is waiting for us, and he, for sure, found a good place for the camp, but there is no connection! We take the mobile phone as a given. Inet - well, how could it be without him! But here there is nothing at all ... alas for us.
It's getting dark, we're heading down the road. There is no hope of meeting Sergey, we are just looking for a place to sleep. I want pine trees and, preferably, near the water, but there is a deciduous forest all around. The car is warming up - it seems that our gearbox has broken down. We go down a small path, put up a tent. I don't want anything but sleep!
Morning. We drink coffee, chat, delay the moment when we have to start the car. Both Sanya and I - we hope that it was a fantasy that now, after resting, the car will drive as before. The car, indeed, starts up and drives for another forty kilometers, but then the third gear abruptly fails ...
Hmm, the situation ... There are a thousand kilometers between us and Moscow, you won’t get there in second gear. As soon as you start to slow down, the box starts to roar and the car stalls. We're going to the curb. A new attempt to go, the result is the same. We crawl to the place where the Internet is caught, and we are looking for automatic transmission repair. In Petrozavodsk, this is not bold, and today, moreover, is a day off. After spending an hour, we understand: we will go home on a tow truck.
The next early morning, when sleepy Moscow was just beginning to celebrate the last day off, we quietly drove up to the house. The tow truck blinked its lights at us in farewell and drove back to Petrozavodsk. And we ... Then we began to count the wounds ... And having counted, we returned to our everyday lives. But - wait for us again, Karelia and Mount Vottovaara!
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The Republic of Karelia cannot be called a "mountainous" region, although the relief here is far from flat (in most areas). Guests from other regions are often amused by the fact that in Karelia even a hill 30-40 meters high can be called a “mountain”. Well, "mountain" is a very relative concept. But even these hills create a very beautiful and peculiar relief. In this article we will talk about all the highest and most interesting mountains of the Republic of Karelia.
Nuorunen
The highest point in Karelia is 577 meters. It is part of the Maanselkya ridge, located on the territory of the Paanajärvi National Park in the Loukhi region of Karelia, so there is a trail to it. You can get to its top even in winter (on skis or snowmobiles). You can read more in this article.
Mäntyutunturi
It is also located in the Paanajärvi National Park. The second highest peak in Karelia is 550 meters. It is also part of the Maanselkä Range. It is located near the border with Finland, there is no organized trail (as to Nuorunen or Kivakku), however hiking before it is quite possible.
Kivakka
Another peak of Paanajärvi. Height - 499 meters. Getting to its top is much easier than getting to Nuorunen. Eat good trail, in the most cool places there are stairs. From the top of the mountain opens truly great view in the Loukhsky district. You can read more about it in this article.
Sieppitunturi
It is located in the very north of the Loukhi district, the height is 537 meters. Also applies to mountain system Manselka. Organized excursions and there is no trail to the mountain, perhaps its summit can be reached on foot, but no reports or information about this could be found. This mountain is really in a remote place.
Päinur
Another mountain in the Loukhsky region of Karelia. Height - 486 meters, you can recognize it by its characteristic shape - a sharp peak. Mount Päinur resembles the classical peaks of the Himalayas or the Alps, but is inferior to them in height. It stands on the shore of Lake Zipringa, you can reach the top of Päinur on foot.
We will also mention other Mountain peaks Loukhsky district. All of them belong to the Maanselkya ridge: Ukontunturi (503 meters), Lunas (497), Komettovaara (458), Peryavaara (443). All of them are not of particular interest, as they are located in hard-to-reach places.
Vottovaara
Vottovaara - perhaps the most famous mountain Karelia. Height - 417 meters, located in the Muezersky district. This is an amazing place with a lot of legends, rumors and conjectures associated with it. You can talk a lot about her, it’s better to read everything in a large and detailed article about Vottovaara, where there are photos, videos and all the information.
Kukkovka
Mount Kukkovka is located within the city of Petrozavodsk and is its highest point - 181 meters. A popular holiday destination among residents of Petrozavodsk. On the top of the mountain there are enclosures for dogs, a water station.
Mound
Also in the vicinity of Petrozavodsk there are the following peaks: Sulazhgora (height 120 meters), Devil's chair (122 meters) and others.
Sampo
Mount Sampo is the lowest in our article, its height does not exceed 40 meters. Became popular after filming movie of the same name, the plot of which is based on the Kalevala epic, in which this mountain is mentioned. It is located in the Kondopoga region of Karelia, read more in the article "Mount Sampo".
Hiidenvuori
Also known as the "mountain of Leshy". Height - 117 meters, located in the Pitkyarantsky district of the Republic of Karelia on the shores of Lake Ladoga. At its foot stands the village of Hiidenvuori. Very interesting mountain from which you can enjoy a magnificent view. In addition, climbing it will not take a large number time. You can read more about Hiidenvuori in this article.
Surimyaki
Mount Surimyaki is located in the Lakhenpokh region of Karelia on the Tervu peninsula. Height - 86 meters. Opens from the mountain beautiful view to the peninsula itself and to Lake Ladoga. You can read more in this article.
Paasonvuori
Or "Mount Paaso" for short. It is located in the Sortavala region of Karelia near the city of Sortavala. An ancient settlement (an ancient settlement) was found on its top and a very beautiful view of the city and its surroundings opens from it. The height is about 80 meters. Read more in this article.
This is a list of the most interesting, high and remarkable mountains of Karelia. Of course, there are many more, but it is not possible to cover everything in one article. We have mentioned only those that are possible to visit and that may be of interest to tourists.
Karelia is considered one of the most picturesque regions on the territory of Russia, and it is considered as such for good reason. A huge number of amazing places in Karelia simply cannot be covered in one trip, or even in one magazine article. Moreover, there are truly mysterious places in these parts.
One of these mysterious places is Vottovaara rock massif, which was popularly called "Mountain of Death" or "Death Mountain" for disturbing landscapes and mysterious legends associated with this place. Death Mountain in Karelia is located near the Muezersky district on the territory of the Sukkuzersky rural settlement, and is highest point West Karelian Upland (417.3 meters above sea level).
However, its fame in tourist routes By unique places Russia, Mount Vottovaara received for the presence on its surface of the so-called "seid"- stones-boulders scattered on the gently sloping territory of the mountain. Stones of various sizes are arranged in groups of 5-6 pieces, creating a kind of necropolis or temple. In total, more than 1600 stones laid in a special order were counted. In combination with a landscape poor in flora, and a low sky, which, it seems, can be reached by hand, seid stones give truly strong emotions.
Mount Vottovaara.
In addition, on the surface of the mountain, it is not uncommon to find trees of bizarre shapes, stone pools and small lakes with an inaccessible coast.
Bizarre Trees on Mount Vottovaara.
Lakes on Mount Vottovaara.
If we turn to history, scientists do not have a common opinion on how the groups of stone structures appeared on Vottovaara. It is believed that their creators are the ancient inhabitants of Karelia, who built stone structures to perform certain rituals. The unusual structures themselves were “discovered” only at the end of the 70s of the last century by the scientist S. Simonyan, and the name “Death Mountain”, presumably, appeared after the events of 1942, when the Finnish military defeated partisan detachments on the slopes of the mountain.
Mount Vottovaara in Karelia is considered a place of mystical power, some followers of various mystical directions who make a pilgrimage to the mountain consider Vottovaara to be a place of concentration of evil forces. Some of the mystical scientists are sure that this is where a certain sacred center is located. ancient civilization. In any case, it is worth coming here and enjoying the enchanting views of Karelia, and amazing seid stones, as well as the mystical landscape of Death Mountain.
However, in order to get to Mount Vottovaaru, you need to join tourist expeditions, or use a four-wheel drive car to "climb" the mountain on your own.
- November 25, 2014
