Weathering pillars, or, as they are also called, āMansiās blocksā are huge stone statues that are located on Mount Man-Pupu-Ner (Komi Republic, Troitsko-Pechersky District). These giant idols were created by nature 200 million years ago and are a geological monument.
Riddle of occurrence
Earlier in this territory there were high mountains, but under the influence of wind and snow over several thousand years they slowly collapsed. First, soft rocks were washed, then hard ones. Some of the hard rocks of the former mountains have survived to this day. Now here you can see 7 large pillars that amaze with their severe grandeur.
Legends of idols
Despite the existing scientific explanation of the origin of stone statues, various legends go about this place.
One myth says that the pillars of weathering are the seven giant brothers who turned into stone. They came to these lands to lead away the most beautiful girl from the Mansi tribe. The beauty refused to become the wife of her older brother and therefore they decided to abduct her. Between the men of the tribe and the brothers a bloody massacre unfolded, which lasted all day. First, the older brother broke the wall of the stone city of Mansi, then he decided to destroy the castle from crystal, the fragments of which were scattered throughout the Urals. The girl rushed to run from the unloved into the mountains. To stop the giants, the brother of the beauty went to a sacred place to ask Mansi's spirits to get rid of her sister's very annoying gentleman. The next day, the giants found the girl and were about to take her with them, but at that moment her brother appeared and with the help of spells received from spirits managed to turn the giants into stone statues.
According to another legend, the pillars of weathering (Man-Pupu-Ner) appeared somewhat differently. There were six powerful giants. They began to pursue one of the Mansi tribes that lived high in the Ural Mountains. The giants came very close to the tribe near the source of the Cave, but here they were overtaken by a shaman. The sorcerer's face, terrible and white as lime, frightened the giants greatly, and they themselves turned into huge stone statues. Since then, many shamans from the Mansi tribe have come to idols to draw their magical power here.
The third legend says that the pillars of weathering are petrified giants frozen in eternal horror due to the powerful energy of the main mountain on this plateau - Yalping-ner, which is very close to an unusual place.
Plateau of seven pillars
Manpupuner Plateau is one of the most picturesque in the Urals. To visit this amazing place is the dream of hundreds of travelers. This mysterious plateau is located in the northern part of the Ural Range. The territory belongs to the Pechero-Ilychsky reserve. Thousands of tourists visit it every day, and all because this is the place where the weathering pillars are located. Seven idols have a height of 29 to 42 meters. To say that they look rather unusual is to say nothing. The most powerful energy concentrated in this place: being near the stone giants, you even feel in a special way.
Mansky tribes call this ridge Manpupuner (which means "small mountain of idols"). Hunters call it Dummy-iz (that is, "stone idiots"). Itās just that nature lovers called this place the Ural Stonehenge, and among the tourists the nickname Pupa, or āthe mountain of stone idolsā was assigned to the statues.
Birth of Kerkur
Weathering posts (Komi Republic) are kerkurs. So in a scientific way called pillar-shaped rocks that stand separately from each other. They are created for quite a long time. First, magma is introduced into the lower rocks and solidifies inside in the form of elongated figures. Then, such natural "helpers" as wind, heat, frost, water and wind, grind stone for hundreds of years, gradually turning mountains into plains. So it happened with these pillars, their hard rocks continue to thin out now.
Seventh Wonder of the World
"Stone blocks" are included in the list of seven wonders of Russia. Six pillars created by nature itself stand on the edge of a cliff. The seventh idol is located a little further. Forms of education are bizarre and diverse. Depending on the angle from which to approach them, they visually change their outlines. It may seem to people that they see images of animals, people, various objects. For example, many tourists note that the seventh "blockhead" resembles a bottle that has been turned upside down. The sixth pillar resembles the head of either a bull or a ram. The fifth statue is associated with many people with the figure of a man.
Mystic stones
When you see all this with your own eyes, itās hard to even imagine that stone hulks are a geological monument or the result of painstaking labor of nature. Besides the will, you begin to believe in legends. Firstly, it is difficult to realize that wind, rain and snow can be such brilliant creators, and secondly, just somehow in a childish way I want to believe in a miracle.
The plateau is located in such a way that everything blooms from the south side at the beginning of summer, while snow still lies on the north side, and it only starts to melt in August. Many of those who have visited there note that an inexplicable sense of fear begins to prevail near stone pillars. Local residents are sure that in ancient times they performed various shamanistic rituals.
The closer you get to them, the more unusual the view becomes. All formations have a different shape, and around them lie stone boulders and ridges that form a solid wall, as if enclosing Kerkurs. They look very beautiful in the winter, when the pillars are completely white, as if crystal. Fogs are often here in the fall, and giants seem to draw through the haze.
Weathering posts: how to get there?
It is worth noting that getting here is not very easy. Not all travelers have enough willpower to reach the intended goal of the route. But still there is a solution. The first way is to walk there, for this you will have to overcome an impressive distance from the Perm Territory or Sverdlovsk Region. True, it will take a very long walk - about 10-11 days. For the lazy, another option is suitable - a helicopter flight from Ukhta with a gas station in Troitsko-Pechorsk. You can get there by helicopter in 4 hours. But such a pleasure, as you know, will cost a lot of decent money. If you go from the side of Syktyvkar, you will first have to get to Troitsko-Pechorsk, and then by car to the village of Yaksha. From there, you will have to overcome 200 km along the river in a motor boat. At the final stage of the journey you need to walk about 40 km.
After you arrive in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, you will be met by an employee of the protected area and will offer to stay in a special house for relaxation. Such a room is built of wood and heated with an economical stove. In winter, the house can be reached by snowmobile, and in summer only on off-road vehicles.
Charming mystery of nature
Mansky Dummies is an amazing and magnificent place. Grandiose, as if frozen idols, they amaze the imagination and create a feeling of a powerful surge of energy. If you still decide to overcome the difficult path and see firsthand Manpupuner, Weathering Poles (Russia) are happy to welcome everyone at any time of the year.