The Volkonsky dolmen is the only ancient monolithic structure preserved in the Caucasus, assembled not from slabs, but completely carved into the rock.
A similar structure is located in the Krasnodar Territory, in the suburbs of Tuapse. It is called the Dolmen of Well-Being and is considered the largest ancient building in the whole region. It is also carved into the rock, but not with a solid monolith, but with a roof covered with a stone slab.
Unusual view of the structure
Volkonsky dolmen, a photo of which is presented in the article, is created from a single rock piece. Inside, it was carved through a small outer hole. Scientists date similar buildings II millennium BC. However, there is evidence that this ancient monolith was built 5-7 thousand years ago.
How could such a dolmen be created in those days with primitive tools? On this score, experts build only speculation. It is this quality of dolmen that attracts a large number of tourists and vacationers.
There are more than a hundred such buildings in Sochi, but they are all tiled. The Volkonsky building is the only one of its kind, which was created without components.
The building itself is a monument of archeology and is located in the Lazarevsky district, near the village of Volkonka, near the Godlich river.
The purpose of the monolith
According to some scholars, such structures served as a kind of sanctuary for ancient people, they conducted special rituals and meditations. Volkonsky dolmen is no exception. Legend says that he received such a name on behalf of Princess Volkonskaya, whose estate was nearby. She loved to spend a lot of time near the dolmen in spiritual thoughts.
Near the building is a mineral spring, and a little further along the path rises the rock "Two Brothers".
Volkonsky dolmen - how to get there?
This ancient place is very easy to reach. You need to go along the Lazarevskoye-Sochi road to the settlement of Soloniki. Then drive another two kilometers, and there will be a parking lot. Here you should leave the vehicle and move along the path towards the sea. After 300-400 meters, it will lead just to the dolmen. The path is created in the form of stairs.
It is forbidden to go down to the gorge, where the ancient building is located, by car, and the road here is very bad for cars. In addition, a short hike through the forest will only be in favor and joy.
The gorge and dolmen along with other attractions are located in the Sochi National Park, which is paid to be visited.
Volkonsky dolmen: reviews
Judging by the reviews of tourists and people who visited the ancient structure, they are most struck by the antiquity of the building and the way it was turned from a piece of rock. Some experts believe that it is one of a kind, not only in Russia but throughout the world.
The structure itself is large: its length is 17 meters, a width of just over 8 meters. The entrance to the dolmen is made in the form of a plate.
Inside is a large shelter with a height of 1.5 meters. It can accommodate a few people.
Volkonsky dolmen monolith has a flat floor. At the entrance there is a round funnel, presumably for the drainage of water or any other liquid.
The construction of the structure is designed so that it creates a strong echo. So, all the words spoken in the hole of the dolmen, come back without distortion.
Exterior Building Attractions
This sacred place has some special appeal. This is often emphasized by both visitors and residents of Sochi. Volkonsky dolmen has special holes above and behind, which are considered to be ritual bowls.
In the bowl located above, rainwater is collected. Many people believe that it has healing properties. However, it is not recommended to drink. And we will return to this a little later.
What is dolmen?
Archeology and physicists, as well as many people outside the official scientific community, are involved in these structures. Each of them finds something valuable in these ancient buildings. Some say that dolmens are burial chambers, others are sacrificial places, and others are rooms for solitary meditations and initiations into various cults. How many people study these ancient structures, so many opinions exist.
Although some statements should probably be listened to. So, for many children, near the dolmen, the head begins to hurt, which has been noticed by many scientists.
Specialists conducting studies of the influence of the ancient building on the human condition noticed that being near the dolmen for a long time (4 hours) increases the level of platelets in the blood, and this is bad for health and affects the blood glucose, which is dangerous for people with diabetes. In this case, the pressure rises to the peak of acceptable indicators.
Many doctors have come to the conclusion that a long stay at an ancient building greatly affects the nervous system.
Scientist Versions
Experts believe that most of the anomalies are due to the fact that dolmens are built along the fault lines of the earth's crust, which creates an electromagnetic field that affects both natural processes and human health.
So, the Volkonsky dolmen, according to scientists, emits low-frequency “sound” in the range of 2.8 Hz, which our hearing aid does not perceive.
Also, many studies and experiments have shown that you should not "charge" food and drink in these ancient buildings. A liquid that will stand for a day in a dolmen when it enters the human body stimulates the process of cell division, which can lead to cancer.
There are many secrets of these buildings. It’s impossible to solve all of them. The main secret that excites ordinary visitors to dolmens and famous scientists: “How were they built? How were the huge slabs dragged and how were they installed? ” There is a version that dolmens were cast in parts, as concrete structures do today.
Cost of visiting
The entrance to the gorge, where the Volkonsky dolmen is also located, costs 100 rubles.
Admission is free for children under ten years old, participants in the Great Patriotic War and military operations, disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups and other socially protected layers of the population.
Opinions of specialists
Ancient people, including our ancestors, did not possess modern building technologies, but they could build and possess such an opportunity, masterpieces of architecture that cost not only centuries, but also millennia. For example, the Egyptian pyramids, the British Stonehenge and, of course, the dolmens.
The fact that modern technology cannot repeat the construction of the ancients, tells us that the ancient people were not so primitive, but possessed such knowledge that their descendants had never dreamed of.
Therefore, scientists, researchers and all sorts of specialists only make a helpless gesture when it comes to the structures of antiquity. The only thing that scholars agree on is that almost all of these buildings, which have survived to our times, were intended to perform religious rituals and rituals.
Legends of Volkonsky Gorge
The dolmen is associated with a beautiful story that guides tell tourists. One rich and noble young man fell in love with a poor but beautiful girl. The older brother of the young man, learning about this, forbade her to marry. The lover then exclaimed that it would be better to turn into stone than live without a beloved, and then the gods fulfilled his request. The elder, having seen this, repented and asked heaven for the same fate that had befallen his brother. So two rocks appeared in the gorge, called “Two Brothers”. And the girl could not exist without her lover and was transformed into a pure stream, which flows nearby.
Here is such a beautiful legend explaining the toponymy of this wonderful and mysterious place.
Conclusion
Volkonsky dolmen is not only a monument to archeology, but also history. Many lovers of "places of power", alternativeists and ordinary tourists come here to touch the millennia-old antiquity, visit a beautiful place called Volkonskoe Gorge and enjoy the amazing view and the cleanest air.
Those who see in the domain not only a historical structure of the Stone or Bronze Age, but a sacred ritual place should keep in mind that it is extremely dangerous to conduct experiments on your psyche without proper preparation and necessary knowledge. Also, as already mentioned, none of the products should be “charged". Indeed, apart from the determination that the dolmen is a “place of power”, no one really knows what rituals were performed here, maybe they also made some sacrifices.
But in any case, everyone who approaches this ancient place feels some kind of solemnity, mystery and great antiquity. In the end, this is our story that we must know and respect. Moreover, there is substantial evidence that our ancestors did not "get off the trees" when the first Europeans came to them, but, on the contrary, already possessed ancient and megalithic structures, knowledge and a highly developed culture. And the described dolmen is an example of this.