Karelia: Land of the Flying Stones

Karelia is famous not only for its nature, but also for having a large number of unusual, almost mystical places. These places are revered by the locals and attract the interest of travelers.

No one will remain indifferent to Karelia's Stonehenge with its areas of primal force, stone idols, rock paintings, and extraordinary sights, some right out of a fairy tale, others more down-to-earth.

Mount Vottovaara is ambiguous, enigmatic, and mysterious.

At the peak of the mountain, spread over an area of 6 square kilometers, are numerous so-called seyd stones. A seyd is a sacred stone worshipped by the Sami, and some say that the top of Mount Vottovaara is none other than an ancient religious site of Sami shamans.

The stones are unique in that they stand on smaller stones that act as supporting legs.

There are about 500 such stones at the top of the mountain: some are isolated, others are grouped together.

Since time immemorial, the Sami (known as Lapps in Ancient Rus) were renowned as powerful sorcerers or shamans.

Every stone was thought to have its own sorcerer, who, as legend has it, would inhabit the stone after his death.

Sacred stones were afforded particular respect during the life of the shaman, and even more so after his death.

It was forbidden to shout or swear in the vicinity of a seyd stone, and women and children were generally not allowed to approach them. It was believed that if these rules were not followed, the spirit of the sorcerer could severely punish the offender.

The Sami also believed that if they made sacrifices to a seyd stone, its spirit would help them.

There are many versions as to where the stones came from and how they were lifted into the air and rested on their pedestals.

Some believe that it was the work of the Sami; others say that the Sami did not possess the technology to do it and that they inherited the stones from a more advanced civilization that existed long before.

There is a more prosaic tale about the origin of these unusual stone structures: many geologists believe that the culprit is a glacier that passed through millions of years ago, and assert that the movement and melting of the ice created the unusual structures.

Cars can reach only the foot of the mountain; to see the most interesting part, a long hike is in order.

"To wrap up the story of Vottovaara, I'd like to stress once more the strangeness of the place, regardless of whether you believe the legends and fairy tales, or prefer the glacial explanation — it's not important. But if one day you decide to come here, don't do it in a hurry in a large and noisy group. This is not a place to come for a picnic. Such places are ideal to forget about the bustle and hectic pace of urban life, to be alone with yourself, and think about life. Let it remain so," says Andrei Dovgan of Long-Way.