Arkaim. Covered in myths. Ethnographic Museum "Cossack Estate". General characteristics of the Arkaim monument

The discovery of the Bronze Age Arkaim settlement in the South Ural steppe suggested the existence of a highly developed culture, which was called Arkaim-Sintash.

In subsequent years, another 20 similar settlements were discovered nearby, their cluster was called the "Country of Cities". In 1991, a decision was made to protect the Arkaim valley and create a historical and cultural reserve. Its territory is located on a small hill, which flows around the channels of the Utyaganka and Bolshaya Karaganka rivers. To the nearest village of Aleksandrovsky, Kizilsky district, located to the north-west, from Arkaim, 2 km. Another settlement - the village of Amursky, Bredinsky district, is located 8 km south of the settlement.

Briefly about the history of the discovery

A vast section of the valley was subject to flooding after the construction of the dam on Bolshaya Karaganka and the reservoir of the same name. However, the area that was flooded with water had to be examined by archaeologists - such an order existed at the beginning of each construction. The expedition led by S. G. Botalov had unpromising work, but when the schoolchildren, members of the detachment, discovered a relief unusual for the steppe, archaeologists who had already dealt with excavations at the settlements of the Bronze Age, it became clear about the importance of the found settlement.

Scientists had to fight for several years with the Giprovodkhoz department, but the construction of the dam was stopped, a vast territory of 3300 hectares was saved from flooding and was soon declared a reserve.

Arrangement of the ancient settlement of Arkaim

The settlement is a ring with a circumference of up to 170 m, inside which is a circle of smaller diameter. Buildings in the form of a circular sector are closely located next to each other. In fact, the city consisted of two "apartment" buildings. In the center is a square, to which several passages are arranged between the buildings. Outside the city there are two necropolises and cattle pens. Judging by the finds, the premises were divided into residential and workshops, in which there was a metallurgical and pottery production, and a storm sewer functioned in the city.

As a result of excavations, scientists came to the conclusion that there was a highly developed civilization in Arkaim, whose representatives belonged to the Caucasoid race and possessed a sufficient level of knowledge to organize the technically complex work of furnaces for smelting bronze products.

The archaeological site dates back to around the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, that is, a thousand years older than the world-famous Troy. It is not clear how many years life flowed in the city, but he died because of a fire that destroyed all the buildings.

Interesting objects in the structure of the reserve

The Museum of Nature and Man deserves the most attention, which contains finds discovered during excavations. The exposition is divided into several eras, ranging from the Stone Age to the turn of the last and the century before last. Here are stone scrapers and knives, bronze ornaments and fragments of pottery, weapons and armor of the nomadic peoples of the steppe.

Away from the tourist camp, on a hill, there is a historical park, the basis of which is a burial complex on the slope of Mount Lysaya, or Shamanka, as well as mysterious menhirs lined up along the Simbirskaya alley.

Of interest is the Museum-reconstruction of the mound "Temir", in which scientists recreated the ancestral tomb of rich steppe nomads. It is based on the excavations of the Sarmatian mound in the Chesmensky district of the Chelyabinsk region.

The settlement of the Copper-Stone Age, some dwellings of which are built in the form of rounded semi-dugouts, is also of great interest. The interior arrangement gives an idea of how ancient people lived.

The ethnographic museum "Cossack Estate" represents a later historical period associated with the Ural Cossacks. Most of the exhibits were collected in the settlements of the Southern Urals and are typical for ethnographic expositions. However, there is also a highlight here - standing next to the estate windmill, which remained in working condition until the 60s of the last century. Tourists are happy to take part in master classes held at the Cossack Estate and make souvenirs for themselves - a doll or a talisman belt.

Informative master classes are also held at the Museum of Ancient Industries. Those present are allowed not only to touch various reconstructed furnaces - melting, heating, for firing pottery, but also to try their hand at clay modeling or Kuznetsk business - all production facilities are operating.

Relatively recently, the territory of the reserve appeared new object– The camp of a steppe nomad, consisting of four yurts, Kazakh and Mongolian, which you can not only see, but also live in one of them.

The cost of excursions in the reserve ranges from 100 to 250 rubles per person, preferential price two times cheaper. Excursion service for a group of 1-5 people will cost 2000 rubles per hour. Entrance ticket to museum objects without a guided tour is 50 rubles per hour, to the Museum of Nature and Man - 100 rubles.

Sights of the surroundings of the Arkaim reserve

In addition to inspection museum expositions, tourists get acquainted with the nearest sights, going to short hiking accompanied by a guide.

On Mount Shamanikhe, an ancient paleovolcano, groups of tourists traditionally meet sunsets and sunrises. At the top, lovers of esotericism laid out a stone spiral of 13 circles. They say that if you walk on it barefoot, you can get rid of all sins.

Everyone calls Grachina Hill the Mountain of Love. Official name is associated with a large colony of birds on the northern slope of the hill, and the visitors of the reserve came up with a folk one, composing a legend about a marble temple on its top, in which the inhabitants of the ancient settlement held wedding ceremonies. From the top of the hill, a charming panorama of the surroundings and the settlement of Arkaim opens up.

The mountain of the same name is the most high point valleys. Its name from various ancient dialects is translated as "back, ridge" or "sun". No less remarkable are Mount Krutaya, or Happiness and Health, Curly or Seven Seals, Cherkasinskaya Sopka or Mount Reason and others.

In addition to historical and archaeological monuments, the reserve is subject to protection and a rich flora, including rare "Red Book" species - feather grass, tulips, hazel grouse, primroses, gentians, as well as several endemics and relics.

Where to stay

On the territory of the Arkaim reserve, tourists are provided with accommodation in the Upper Camp Hotel, trailers and summer houses. The cost of accommodation is from 350 to 700 rubles for 1 place per day. A few years ago, the Muzeynaya Hotel hospitably opened its doors to travelers with comfortable double rooms and a daily price of 2,500 rubles for 2 people. Setting up your own tent will cost tourists 250 rubles per day, car parking - 100 rubles.

How to get there

Russia, Chelyabinsk region, Kizilsky district, Aleksandrovsky settlement

From Chelyabinsk, from the first day of summer until mid-September, a regular bus runs to Arkaim. The ticket price is 950 rubles one way.

You can get from Magnitogorsk by bus to Bredy, but it will only take you to the turn towards the reserve. The ticket price is a little more than 317 rubles. A section of the path of 7 km will either have to be overcome on foot, or you can order a transfer by phone, which will cost 200 rubles.

Transport of travel agencies constantly runs from Yekaterinburg, which picks up passengers in Chelyabinsk to Arkaim.

It is easy to use your own transport, following the settlements of Yuzhnouralsk, Stepnoye, Agapovka, Kizilskoye, Obruchevsky.

From Moscow, it is most convenient to get through Magnitogorsk - by plane or by train. The flight takes a little more than 2 hours, the ticket price is on average from 4100 rubles. The train runs for more than a day, the cost of a ticket in a reserved seat car is from 2900 rubles.

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 an 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 settlement bronze age. 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. One day for some unknown reason locals for some reason they 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 museum open sky, in which the funeral 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 the historical park is the 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.

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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 difficult climatic conditions as much as possible. In the reconstructed settlement of the Copper-Stone Age, you can see how our distant ancestors lived.

Ethnographic Museum "Cossack Estate"

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.

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Much more interesting object"tented" 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Museum of ancient industries

Located directly on the territory of the tourist camp. Tourists will see reconstructed different types 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.

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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.

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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.

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MUSEUM

Arkaim is museum complex open-air, which includes both full-fledged reconstructions and a classic museum with showcases and archaeological finds. Such a variety of presentation of archaeological data is due to the fact that archaeologists not only extract objects from the earth, but also try to make them on their own, using the technologies of the Bronze Age and the Stone Age. The process of self-recreation of objects or, as archaeologists call it, reconstruction, is so interesting and informative that it requires the creation of separate expositions with experimental dwellings and stoves. According to this principle, the Museum of Ancient Technologies and the Dwelling of the Stone Age were built on Arkaim.

The "museum" history of Arkaim began from the beginning of the excavations. Almost immediately, curious people began to flock to the excavation site. There were more and more of them, they asked the archaeologists a variety of questions and asked to show the items that were recovered from the excavation. This pilgrimage distracted archaeologists from their work, so it was decided to allocate an individual to work with the public. Initially, these were students who conducted brief digression according to the excavation, reported the necessary minimum of historical and archaeological information and showed the most interesting finds. However, as time went on, the number of finds grew rapidly. The question arose: where can artifacts be stored and displayed without risking their safety? For this purpose, a small but informative museum was formed in an old construction trailer. With the strengthening of the infrastructure, the museum moved to the cottage of the scientific camp, where four small halls the exposition was located. Since 1995, the construction of a stationary museum building has begun. The project, authored by the architect V. Fuksman, was awarded a prize at a competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2002. Construction was completed in 2004. In 2005, a temporary exhibition was formed, which presented genuine objects of archeology and ethnography, open to visitors today. The museum was called the Museum of Nature and Man, because archaeologists presented in it not just fragments ancient civilization, but entered them into the context of the natural cycles of the Southern Urals.

Items recovered by archaeologists during the excavations of Arkaim can be seen not only in the Museum of Nature and Man, but also in the Historical Museum of Moscow, and in the local history museum of Chelyabinsk.

Exhibition activity:

in the Kizil Museum of Local History
in the Museum of Nature and Man of the Reserve "Arkaim"
in the Museum of Nature and Man of the Reserve "Arkaim"
in the Museum of Nature and Man of the Reserve "Arkaim"
in the Museum of Nature and Man of the Reserve "Arkaim"
at Chelyabinsk State University
at the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Chelyabinsk state university(you can download the booklet "Nomads: images come to life" )
in the exposition "Children's Museum" of the State historical museum Southern Urals
in the Kurgan Regional Art Museum
in the Miass city museum of local lore
in the museum "Nature and Man" (together with the Museum "Peoples and Technologies of the Urals" SUSU, Chelyabinsk Regional local history museum, Museum of Archeology and Ethnography ChelGU)
Museum "Nature and Man"
photo exhibition of Sergei Arkanov in the Museum of Nature and Man
in the museum "Nature and Man" (from the funds of the Chelyabinsk State Museum of Fine Arts)

ancient mysterious city Arkaim, located on the territory of the Bredinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region, was discovered in 1987. If you look at this temple city from above, you can see a spiral curl. Today "Arkaim" is a nature reserve, a kind of museum under the sky, which attracts pilgrims.

"Arkaim" is tourist place, a whole archaeological complex, which consists of a fortified urban center, a utility site, a burial ground and several unfortified settlements. impresses him geographical position- foothills (eastern side) and the Utyaganka river - the left tributary of the Bolshaya Karaganka.

The Arkaim Reserve is a real treasure for scientists, because populations of rare animals and plants are preserved on its territory.

Brief history of the protected area

Arkaim was first seen by military topographers in 1957, but they did not show much interest in the mysterious circle. Conventional topographers in an aerial survey of the area in 1969 discovered a circular structure that was considered a secret military base. And only in 1987, the participants of the Ural-Kazakhstan archaeological expedition quite by accident discovered Arkaim to mankind. Defensive ramparts, ditches, the street have already been discovered during excavations. Thus, one of the settlements of the “Country of Cities” called Arkaim arose.

The creation of a branch of state significance, that is, the Experimental Museum, was initiated in 1991 by G. B. Zdanovich. In early 1994, the museum became a historical and archaeological center, and in 2007 it was reorganized into the historical and cultural reserve "Arkaim" of regional subordination with many sights.

Complex structure of the reserve

Many argue that "Arkaim" - the reserve of the Chelyabinsk region - is an amazing area where you can concentrate your energy. Therefore, this place is always open not only for historians and archaeologists, but also for many pilgrims, clairvoyants, everyone who believes in the healing and purification of the soul. Arkaim also has a special tradition - to watch the sunrise from the top of the hill.

There are a lot of attractions near the Arkaim reserve. These are various museums and archaeological sites that are open for viewing.

Fortified territory-settlement

This archaeological object of the Bronze Age is dated to the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. e. From the town there were only small hillocks, visible from the air. However, in the past, Arkaim was a settlement with a fairly developed infrastructure for that period of time. Its territory (diameter - only 150 m) was inhabited by approximately 2-3 thousand people. There were several dozen houses in the settlement, but for some reason the natives burned their houses and left the city forever.

historical park

This object of the archaeological complex is located near the Bolshaya Karaganka River, away from the hustle and bustle. In fact, this open-air museum is dominated by the theme of burial. There are many ancient tombstones made of stone and boxes with fences, testifying to the existence of family cemeteries. There are also mysterious menhirs, the purpose of which has not been established. In the territory historical park there is a Turkic complex Aksai of the Middle Ages.

"Temir" - reconstructed barrow

The Ostyak of the museum, which displays the ancient barrow, was the results of archaeological research of the Sarmatian barrow, which was located in the Chesmensky district of the Chelyabinsk region. It is dated to the 4th century BC. e. Scientists managed to accurately reproduce a copy of the burial structure of the ancient nomadic tribes. They gave details and appearance, and the interior arrangement of the family tomb. Only noble representatives of the tribe and their relatives were buried in mounds.

old village

That can be seen in the settlement of the period of the Copper-Stone Age (Eneolithic) recreated by archaeologists. This ancient village is shown in actual size. The subsoil of its occurrence was the results in the village of Botai in the north of Kazakhstan.

Here you can see housing in the form of rounded semi-dugouts, because this form of housing was due to difficult climatic conditions.

Museum of Ethnography

All museum exhibits gathered in the Urals. The workers brought them to the reserve of the Chelyabinsk region and created the "Cossack estate" here. The prototype of this ethnographic museum is the house of the Dolgopolovs - Cossacks from the village of Varlamovo (late 19th - early 20th centuries). The museum has many household items from that period. Knowledgeable guides talk about the traditions and customs of the ancestors. Very interesting building Museum - "Dutch" windmill (tent type), standing near the house. It was built in Paris in 1929, after which it was transported to the Warsaw village, where it functioned successfully until the 60s of the twentieth century. In 1999, the mill was moved to a protected area.

Master classes are held in this museum for those who want to do needlework. Here, craftswomen can make a souvenir product with their own hands.

Camp of nomadic tribes

Relatively recently, that is, in 2010, a new building was recreated on the territory of Arkaim - a nomad camp. It consists of four yurts, where you can not only see with your own eyes how the nomads lived, but also stay.

Museum of Ancient Crafts

This unique building is equipped in a camp for tourists. Many admire the functioning stoves of impressive size. They were reconstructed in order to show what the kilns for firing ceramic products, heating, as well as furnaces for smelting metal products looked like. All things in the museum can be touched, which is especially liked by the kids.

shamaniha

Many people like to watch the sunrise and sunset from the slopes of Mount Shamanka, which is simply called Shamanikha. At the top of this ancient paleovolcano you can see a spiral of stone. It has 13 turns, which symbolizes the chain of incarnations for passage to paradise. There is a belief that those who walk the spiral with bare feet become one with their family tree, their sins are forgiven.

Mountain of Love

Behind the river Karaganka, in the upper tourist camp, rises the highest mountain "Arkaima" - the mountain of Love. On one of its slopes you can see a spiral of stones. The Mountain of Love opens up a magnificent panorama of the camp and a view of Shamanikha.

Other protected areas of the region

Reserves, national parks of the Chelyabinsk region - these are the places where everyone feels like a piece of mother nature. There are 3 reserves and 2 nature parks in the region. I must say that the reserves of the Chelyabinsk region, the list of which is not so long, have great historical, cultural and scientific value.

Thus, the Ilmensky Reserve is famous for such crystalline compounds as minerals (sapphire, garnet, topaz, etc.). This is the most famous nature reserve of the Chelyabinsk region. In fact, it contains almost all types of minerals. natural origin. They are presented at the exhibition of exhibits of the Natural Science Museum.

All reserves of the Chelyabinsk region are significant. The list of their names is replenished by the South Ural Reserve and the so-called radiation (East Ural). Their main task is to protect the natural fund.

Huge love of tourists and local population enjoy the reserves of the Chelyabinsk region, the names of which are chosen very well. So, for example, the national park "Taganai" from the Bashkir means "mountain of the rising moon." It's true amazing place from where the human eye opens beautiful mountain scenery and unique stone compositions. But one because of the characteristic rounded shape is called Kruglitsa. Zyuratkul Natural Park of national importance is also very popular among guests and residents of the region. A picturesque ecological path leads to its ridge.

Ural nature is charming. National parks, the Ilmensky Reserve, botanical reserves, archaeological and historical centers, the Arkaim Reserve will tell about its secrets. The Chelyabinsk region allocated about 200 thousand hectares of land for natural monuments.