Recently, traveling around Russia has become more and more popular, especially the Ural, a fount of wonderful and amazing places, has fallen in love with tourists. One of these is the Vetlan Stone on the Vishera River. It is about this place that will be discussed in our article.
What kind of place is it?
Stone Vetlan, Perm Territory - is a whole system consisting of low rocky cliffs. The total length is about 1750 meters. The cliffs rise to a height of 100 meters.
A few meters away from the edge of the river begins a slight rise. The rocks themselves are formed only at the level of 40-50 meters in height from the water level. On the Vishera River, the Vetlan Stone is the best place to see, from where you can enjoy stunning views of local beauty. From here you can see Stone Poljud directly opposite Vetlan.
Where did the name come from?
The very word "vetlan" has the direct roots of the Komi-Permian languages. So, “vetlanin” is translated as the name of an impassable valley. It was not without reason that such a name arose, because the three rivers - Vishera, Yazva and Kolva - hardly paved their way through these rocks.
Of course, with the passage of time and the twists and turns of history, the word was destined to change. For the Russian settlers who came to these places, the words "vetlanin" and "Vitilians" seemed difficult to pronounce. Then the name was reduced to laconic - a vetlan. Now the name Vetlan Kamen is again on the lips of tourists now who have flooded this beautiful place.
Legend of Origin
For many years now, the legend of the origin of these places has been passed on from mouth to mouth - the story of the heroes of Poludu and Vetlan and the girl Vishera.
In ancient times, according to the stories, two friends lived here - Vetlan and Polyud. None could compare with them in strength and dexterity, among themselves friends were equal, but not similar to each other. The vetlan was stocky and broad-shouldered, and Polyud was tall and strong. It fell to them to fall in love with one girl - the beautiful Vishera. And they were equally dear to her. The heroes decided to conquer the beauty in a fair battle. A terrible fight unleashed. No matter how pleading their girlfriend, the battle did not stop and it lasted six days. On the seventh day, the tired heroes finally laid down their arms, realizing that there would be no winner in battle. Then they turned into mighty stones. The beautiful Vishera could not bear the grief, burst into tears with bitter tears and fell a mighty river between the heroes. Since that time, they have been standing there, Polyud and Vetlan, motionless, washed by the tears of their beloved girl.
Attractions Features
From the earliest times, the Vishera River was considered sacred among the Vogul people - once local residents of the western part of the Urals. Their sanctuary was located on the top of Vetlan Stone, here they made offerings of gifts to their gods. Vetlan has long served as the border between the Russian state and the lands of the Voguls. It was only in the 20th century that people began to visit these deaf places when the location of diamonds was discovered here. Of course, such a stormy activity could not but affect the ecological state of the region.
Due to the low population of these places, many rare plants have been preserved here, listed in the Red Book of the Perm Territory. Their number includes about 18 species.
Historical reference
Surprisingly, this place received the protected title of a landscape monument relatively recently - in 1981, although a proposal on this was made several decades earlier.
In the early 2000s, it was decided to build a wooden staircase on the top of the cliff to avoid disturbing the natural vegetation cover and causing harmful soil erosion. Lookouts were also equipped. But nowadays, the stairs had to be dismantled due to the frequent accidents at an already aged and damaged facility.
One of the terrible pages of Russian history is connected with Vetlan and its environs. In the channel of Vishera and now you can see small artificially created sandy islets. On them, strewn with pebbles, are wooden log cabins built during the repressions of the 1920-1930s. With these islets, people divided Vishera into two channels to facilitate work on the molten alloy. Prisoners of Visherlag supplied wood for the Krasnovishersky paper mill here. Among such prisoners you can find the name of the writer Varlam Shalamov.
Opposite Vetlan Kamen, on the opposite bank, you can find the ruins of a village left by the inhabitants and prisoners of the camp.
Small Vetlan
Not far from here is Maly Vetlan - another place recommended for visiting. There are many caves of natural origin, as well as fossils, which will be interesting to historians. It is on top of this stone that another interesting plant grows - the evasive peony, also known as Maryin root. Like many others, the flower is in the Red Book.
Climbing Vetlan Kamen is one of the most popular routes in the Perm region. This is one of the places that are advised to visit in any season and get a lot of bright and unforgettable emotions. In the spring, for example, at sunset, a stunning view of the last ice floes floating on the river opens. If tourists don’t feel enough impressions of this place, you can go to the festival “Athletes of the Vishera Land”, which is held here every year, and enjoy the authentic atmosphere of local holidays.
Stone Vetlan: how to get there?
From anywhere in the country, you first need to get to Perm by train or by plane. Tourists often ask on Stone Vetlan how to get there by car? To do this, there is a Perm-Solikamsk road, from the final point you can directly get to Krasnovishersk. The path from Perm to the final destination will take about 310 km. Another 7 km will need to travel from Krasnovishersk to see Vetlan. At the entrance to the city is Gagarina Street, smoothly turning into Dzerzhinsky. Morchansky Street leads to the outskirts of the city and out of it. After 3 kilometers, you will see the village of Naberezhny, after which there is an exit on a dirt road. There is only 4 kilometers left to drive. It is worth remembering that if you go on a trip in the middle of autumn or spring, you may encounter a bad road. In winter, no less difficulties - a steep and slippery climb prevents it. In the period from summer to early autumn, weather conditions are most favorable here. In September, you can observe a beautiful view of the golden-crimson valleys from the top of the Vetlan Stone. Here, tourists often put up tents and spend the night right on the river bank, because it is impossible to get around such an extensive attraction in one day.
To facilitate climbing for tourists, a metal cable is stretched along the entire height of the stone, acting as a safety net, which is important when descending from a steep rock. It is enough to have basic physical fitness and have good lungs to master this climb. Of course, such an unearthly beauty is worth the distance traveled and the effort expended!