The high cliffs, stretching a solid wall for forty kilometers along the banks of the Lena River, resemble the walls of a medieval castle or frozen stone giants. This is nothing but the famous Lena Pillars (Yakutia). For the Yakuts, they are a symbol of courage, love and fidelity. After all, the Lena pillars are the fossilized figures of two lovers who were enchanted by the terrible dragon. The serpent wanted to take a girl to his wife, but her fiancé defeated him in a duel. And yet, the lovers were not destined to live together, the dragon finally managed to take revenge by turning them into stone. So the ancient legend says ...
What are Lena Pillars?
Lena Pillars (Yakutia) are tall steep cliffs of an unusual shape, stretching along one of the banks of the Lena River. Seeing them for the first time, you marvel at their severe and majestic beauty. This miracle of nature is located in the eponymous natural park of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Stunning cliffs from forty to one hundred meters high are becoming more mysterious and more beautiful every year due to the peculiarities of the local climate.
Park creation
The Lena Pillars Natural Park was created after the decree of the President of the Republic of August 16, 1994. The main activity of the park was the development of eco-tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular. The reserve welcomes guests on its territory throughout the year, offering to overcome specially designed tourist routes.
Interesting Facts
Lena Pillars (Yakutia) is a real miracle of nature. The mountain system stretches for tens of kilometers along the coast of the river. It is a vertical cliff, as if growing from the bowels of the earth. The Lena River seems to be protected by a mountain range from the outside world.
A unique park is located in the Olekminsky and Khangalassky districts of Yakutia, 200 kilometers from Yakutsk. It is divided into four zones: Buotam, Sinsky, Lena pillars and sand-toukulans. The park is located on the banks of the Sinaya, Buotama and Lena rivers, from where the pillars got their names. Currently, these wild places are very popular as part of eco-tourism.
Stone forest
Unusual Lena Pillars (Yakutia) as unique geological formations are included in the list of wonders of Russia. In addition, they are a natural monument of world significance. A couple of years ago, Lena Pillars (Russia) and adjacent territories were taken under protection by UNESCO.
Why does the mountain range have such an unusual shape? In fact, the pillars consist of limestone, which, under the influence of the harsh climatic conditions of the region, having broken apart, formed vertical rocks of stunning shape. The Lena River is protected by a stone forest stretching for many kilometers, and the rocks are located close to each other.
History of Stone Forest
The mountain range, from which the columns appeared over time, began to form 550 million years ago. Once upon a time the sea splashed on these lands, at the bottom of which limestone accumulated. It disappeared from the face of the earth during the period when the Siberian platform was raised. Rock formations, river valleys and faults formed from limestone. The bizarre shape of the mountains was influenced by factors such as weathering and erosion. The process lasted long enough, and already 400 thousand years ago a stone forest appeared, which has been admiring the human imagination for centuries.
Eyewitnesses claim: the Lena pillars are especially beautiful at dawn, when they are lit by the rays of the sun and resemble a medieval castle. The Lena River, flowing at the foot of the mountains, gives this picture an even more magnificent appearance. The ridge at sunset looks completely different. In the evening hours, the cliffs take on an ominous appearance, resembling the abode of an evil sorcerer.
On the slopes of the rocks, many caves were found, on the walls of which are painted with yellow paint drawings of ancient people who lived in these places. In addition, their tools were found. Therefore, the natural park "Lena Pillars" is of interest from the point of view of archeology. The remains of rhinos, mammoths, bison were discovered here, and in the rocks there are fossils of trilobites that lived on the earth more than 200 million years ago. Thanks to the unique finds in the reserve and unique natural attractions, the park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Protected lands
The natural park, on the territory of which the Lena Pillars are located, has a fairly vast territory. Its area is 81 thousand hectares, and the length of land along the Lena River is 220 kilometers.
In the park, in addition to the Lena Pillars, there are other no less interesting natural objects. Buotama Rocks - mountain formations located below the mouth of the Buotama River. Their feature is a multi-colored texture, which appeared due to the combination of limestone and dolomite.
Sin posts are not very tall; they rarely exceed a 100-meter threshold. In addition, in the reserve there are sandy Tukulans. Such large sand massifs are more characteristic of deserts. Their uniqueness is that they are located in the middle of the taiga and at the same time occupy a fairly large territory. For example, one of the dunes has a length of about 5 kilometers and a width of almost 900 meters.
The entire reserve is undeveloped land, so any work on its territory is prohibited. Such rivers as the Lena, Buotama and Sinaya flow through the park. A lot of protected lands and lakes. Natural reservoirs have a shallow depth (from two to three meters) and are filled with rainwater. Their shores are usually gentle and swampy.
The park has a wide variety of fauna and flora. There are 500 species of plants, 20 of which are listed in the Red Book, 42 species of mammals, a large number of fish, more than a hundred species of birds.
Local legends
Lena’s pillars and surrounding lands from ancient times are shrouded in an incredible amount of secrets and legends, which the Yakuts do not tell about them. For many centuries, the mysterious pillars were something inexplicable and terrible for people. They instilled genuine terror into any person who saw them for the first time.
Local residents talk about the fact that there is a snowman living in these places. Yakuts call him Ulmesh. His height reaches ten meters, he wears a pointed hat and sometimes attacks hunters, and sometimes, on the contrary, helps them. Local peoples generally endowed these mysterious places with special power. Lena pillars for them were a sacred place, inspiring horror and fear. People were terribly afraid to anger the spirits that dwell in the rocks. Many believed that the pillars are people forever frozen, punished for something by supernatural forces. Ordinary mortals were afraid to even approach these places. And only shamans and elders had the right to approach the pillars, thereby proving their connection with the spirits.
The climate of the conservation area
The territory of the park is in a sharply continental climate. In the winter, the Lena Pillars Nature Reserve plunges into the cold, which lasts almost six months. The temperature sometimes drops to –36 degrees. But in the summer, the temperature is in the range of 20-40 degrees.
Do not forget that the reserve, as well as throughout Yakutia, is characterized by permafrost. For this reason, the soil freezes at great depths (from 100 to 700 meters). This situation is due to the remoteness of the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain ranges of Siberia block the path of air masses moving from the Indian and Pacific oceans. But the cold masses of the Arctic get here very quickly. For this reason, extreme weather conditions are characteristic of this region.
Lena Pillars (Yakutia): how to get
As we have already mentioned, Lena pillars are located in Yakutia. The nearest village to them - the city of Pokrovsk - is located 104 kilometers, and Yakutsk - 200 kilometers. Despite the climatic and weather conditions, getting to the reserve is easy. For example, from Moscow to Yakutsk you can fly by plane, and then make a five-hour voyage on a comfortable boat to the Lena Pillars reserve (Yakutia). Tours are best purchased at one of the agencies, then you can ride in comfort on one of the ships. It is also possible to rent a private motor boat. However, a trip on this type of transport is not very convenient, but its cost is lower than a ticket for a ship.
Local tourism companies also organize winter tours to the Lena Pillars. Riding prepared SUVs is a pleasure for people who love extreme sports. Directly to the ridge through the channel of the Lena River, tourists are brought by snowmobile.
The Lena Pillars can be reached both in summer and in winter. The park has specially designed routes that allow tourists to get acquainted with natural sites. One of the most popular is climbing rocks at the mouth of Labuya. The road runs along a path lined with log steps with wooden railings. The climb takes about 50 minutes. There is a shorter but forbidden trail. On it you can reach the peaks in 25 minutes. Tourists strive to go upstairs to see stunning views and take pictures of them on camera.