Lena pillars message. Stone forests of the world: Russia, China, Bulgaria, Madagascar. The cheapest tickets from Ekaterinburg to Yakutsk and back

Tall rocks, an absolutely continuous wall stretching along the right bank of the Lena for four dozen kilometers. To some they resemble the walls of a huge medieval castle, others remember the fangs of a dragon, others think that stone giants have frozen in front of them forever.

But for the Yakuts, these rocks are a monument to love, fidelity and courage, since the Lena Pillars are actually nothing more than a pair of lovers who were bewitched by a dragon: the young man in a mortal duel defeated an evil snake who wanted to marry his beloved, but managed to take revenge.

The Lena Pillars are located, and with it the national natural park of the same name, on the territory of Russia, in the Republic of Sakha, in the Khangalassky district (ulus) of Yakutia, on the right bank of the Lena (on geographical map the exact location of the world can be calculated using the following coordinates: 61° 7′ 45.48″N. latitude, 127° 31′ 4.8″ h. d.).

To get here from Moscow, you need to spend several days: the flight to Yakutsk alone will take about seven hours (to get to this city, you need to fly across all of Siberia). To get to the Lena Pillars from the capital of Yakutia, you can use a boat or a motor ship (on average, the journey will take about twelve hours). They will tell you where to go next local residents, will conduct excursions and point out the most interesting places on the map.

Stone forest of the Lena River

Currently, this unique geological formation is included in the list of wonders of Russia and is a natural monument of world significance. Several years ago, UNESCO took the territory where the Lena Pillars are located under its protection.

In reality, the Lena Pillars are sheer cliffs formed from limestone, which, under the influence of harsh climatic conditions Yakutia, having broken up into separate parts, formed vertically elongated rocks of bizarre shape with a height of one hundred to two hundred meters.

The stone forest stretches along the Lena for forty kilometers, while the rocks are quite close to each other, and are most densely located between the village of Petrovskoye and the river islands of Tit-Ary.

The mountains that formed the Lena Pillars began to form about 550 million years ago on the site of a once shallow sea splashing here, at the bottom of which limestone gradually accumulated. It disappeared after the Siberian Platform began to rise, forming rocky formations, faults and river valleys made of limestone, while the shape of the mountains was affected by erosion, in particular weathering.

This process lasted a long time, until 400 thousand years ago, a stone forest was formed, the bizarre forms of which have delighted and amazed the human imagination for many centuries.

Eyewitnesses say: the Lena Pillars look especially charming at dawn, when illuminated by rays rising sun the red sandstone cliffs resemble a medieval palace, and thanks to the river flowing at the foot of the river, it all looks several times larger and more majestic. But at sunset the appearance of the rocks is somewhat ominous and looks like the castle of an evil sorcerer.

It is interesting that on the slopes of the rocks of the Lena Pillars, many caves were discovered, on the walls of which drawings of ancient people who lived in this area were painted in yellow paint, and tools were also found.

In the territory national park The remains of mammoths, rhinoceroses, bison were discovered, and in rock fragments - fossils of trilobites, an extinct class of marine arthropods that lived more than 200 million years ago.

Due to its unique natural attractions and unique finds found on the territory of the reserve, it is not surprising that UNESCO nevertheless decided to include the Lena Rocks National Park in the list World Heritage and took these lands under its protection.

National Reserve of Yakutia

Interestingly, the Lena Pillars natural park, where the stone forest is located, has a huge territory: the area of ​​the protected area is 81 thousand hectares, and the length along the Lena River is 220 km. On its territory, in addition to the Lena Pillars, there are three more natural object, protected by UNESCO:

• Buotama pillars - these rocky formations, located below the mouth of the Kharya-Yurekh Buotama River, consist mainly of marl, dolomite and limestone, which give the pillars a multi-colored texture;
• Sinsky pillars - despite the fact that these rocks are not as high as Lena (their height rarely exceeds 100 m), they also attract the attention of tourists.
• Tuculans are large sandy massifs, more typical of the desert. Their uniqueness is that they are not only located in the middle of the green taiga, but also occupy a considerable area, for example, the length of one of the dunes, Saamys Kumaga, is about 5 km, and the width is almost 900 m.

The Lena Pillars Nature Reserve is located entirely on undeveloped lands, and therefore any economic work is prohibited here. In addition, several waterways of the region flow through the park: the Lena, the second longest river in Russia, and its tributaries - Buotama (sites of primitive people were found along its banks) and Sinaya.

On the territory of the national park there are many lakes with a depth of two to three meters, formed both in natural depressions and on flat watersheds. These lakes are filled with water thanks to rainfall (and therefore during drought, large reservoirs become shallow and small ones dry up completely), their shores are flat and almost always swampy.

The diversity of the flora and fauna of the national park cannot but amaze: there are about 500 species of plants (of which about twenty are listed in the Red Book of Russia), 42 species of mammals, more than a hundred species of nesting birds, great amount fish and quite a few reptiles.

Climate

The climate in the Lena Pillars Park is sharply continental and very contrasting. If in winter the air temperature often drops below -36°C and lasts about six months, then in summer these indicators may well be either +20°C or +40°C.

Do not forget that Yakutia and the Lena Pillars natural park are characterized by permafrost, as a result of which the soil freezes very deeply (from 100 to 700 meters). This situation arose due to the fact that Atlantic Ocean located far from this area, and high mountains South and Eastern Siberia are natural barriers to air masses coming from the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while air currents quickly reach here from the Arctic. Those wishing to come to this harsh region need to be prepared for extreme conditions.

Lena Pillars are tall columnar rocks, the origin of their name is associated with the Lena River, along which these stone formations stretch for 80 kilometers. The Siberian miracle is located less than two hundred kilometers from the city of Yakutsk. In 1994, the authorities of Yakutia organized a national park of the same name, which, in addition to the Lena Pillars, included several other important objects of the Republic, and in 2012 the Lena Pillars were included in the UNESCO list.

On average, the height of the Lena Pillars is about 100 meters. Some cliffs reach 200 m, the most high point– 321 m. Similar rock formations can be seen only in the USA (Grand Canyon) and Australia (Uluru). Scientists, historians, and archaeologists never tire of making presentations, writing reports and messages about these unique rocks.

How were the Lena Pillars formed?

Bizarre stone sculptures hanging over the surface of the water sometimes resemble the ruins of ancient castles, which instilled superstition in the local ancient peoples and forced them to compose legends. Modern scientists know how the Lena Pillars were formed: more than 1.5 billion years ago, Siberia was a continent almost completely covered with water. In one part there was the open sea, and in the other there was a large salt marsh, and they were separated by a reef belt.

The Lena Pillars rocks began to form about 550 million years ago, as a result of the uplift of the Siberian Platform and the growth of reefs. Under the influence of the movement of tectonic plates in the thickness earth's surface faults and deeply flowing river valleys were formed. Under the influence of water and wind, the carbonate rocks acquired the shape that we can see today, but modifications of this World Heritage Site are still ongoing.

The value and global significance of the Lena Pillars

Each layer of the Lena Pillars preserves the history of the continent and the entire Planet. The formations contain traces of primitive worms and mollusks. Each glass of fossil reefs contains the remains and skeletons of living organisms that ceased to exist millions of years ago. In the area where this landmark of Yakutia is located, the remains of a mammoth, bison, Lena horse and woolly rhinoceros were found. The carcasses of dead animals were preserved not thanks to the permafrost inherent in the remote northern regions of Russia. The bodies of deceased representatives of the ancient fauna were enveloped in tiny particles that fell off the reef slopes in clouds of turbidity. The clay deposit hardened, the animal tissues petrified, retaining their structure.

This world heritage of Russia has changed the way scientists think about the evolution of the Earth. Transitional forms found in Lena Pillars different types living organisms. For example, researchers concluded that ringworms are not at all one of the most primitive animals from which other species were formed. The fossils found prove that most groups of worms, on the contrary, “lost” the legs of their ancestors who possessed them. And although the conclusions have been drawn, any 4th grade Natural History textbook still does not always contain reliable information about the origin of earthly animals.

Tourism and protection of the Lena Pillars

Today in the Far East, where the Lena Pillars are located, tourism is actively developing. The reserve attracts with its amazing taiga landscapes, unique flora and fauna. Here you can find not only bears, hares, squirrels and moose, but also such rare animals as wapiti and wolverine. The Lena River and its tributaries are home to sturgeon, nelma and other types of fish. Any report for children will tell you that on the territory of the reserve there are dozens of plants and animals from the Red Book of Russia.

Many tourist routes include mountaineering to the tops of the Lena Pillars. A large number of observation platforms allow you to view the majestic nature of Siberia, as if on a map. Motor ships ply along the Lena River for vacationers, attracting tourists with a wide variety of recreation programs. And yet, the mysterious Lena Pillars, which keep the secrets of the origin of earthly life, are not conducive to noisy relaxation. Exploring these places should be done slowly and thoughtfully. Even the photo shows what immense beauty lies in these ancient rocks - majestic nature Siberia is more suitable for philosophical reflection and understanding the meaning of life.

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The Lena Pillars are the most beautiful creations of nature on a global scale, as well as the pride of our country. In July 2012, they became the 25th unique site in Russia, and were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Lena Pillars and the national park of the same name are located on the banks of the Lena River, in the Khangalassky ulus of Yakutia, 104 km away. from the city of Pokrovsk. These are majestic-looking geological formations stretching vertically elongated rocks along the banks of the Lena River for many kilometers. The highest density of pillars is observed between the villages of Petrovskoye and Tit-Ary.

The Lena Pillars Natural Park was founded by decree of the President of the Sakha Republic in 1994. The area of ​​the park is 1,272,150 hectares, and consists of two branches - “Pillars” and “Sinsky”. The park's goal is to develop eco-tourism.

Scientists have discovered the remains of ancient animals in the area of ​​the Lena Pillars: mammoth, bison, Lena horse, woolly rhinoceros. On the territory of the park there is such an object as developing sand-tuculans with separate areas of the cold northern sandy desert. At the mouth of the Diring-Yuryakh stream, stone tools (Daring culture) were discovered during excavations. There are also unique permafrost ecosystems.

There are many caves in the local rocks, and on flat ground you can see the Lena Pisanitsa - drawings and writings of ancient hunters.

Rumor has it that Bigfoot, whom the Nenets and Yakuts nicknamed Ulmesh, lives in these places. He is about 10 meters tall, has a pointed hat on his head, and on his belt he keeps bags with fur and claws of animals. At times he attacks hunters, and sometimes, on the contrary, brings them good luck and even opens treasures.

The Lena Pillars amaze with their power and splendor. Everyone sees something different in them - castle ruins, dragon fangs, brick walls, petrified volcanoes. This unique creation of nature is capable of transforming the soul, filling it with some kind of magical light.

How to get to Lena Pillars?

A trip to the Lena Pillars can be made both in summer and winter. IN winter period- on snowmobiles and jeeps along the frozen river, and in the summer - on motor ships that moor directly to the sandy shore. You can also reach by motor boats taken from local residents.

If you go on a trip by car, it is better to take an SUV. You will need to get to the village of Elanka, and then by water to the Lena Pillars.

Tours, prices, where to stay

All kinds of tours from Yakutsk are organized to the Lena Pillars.

For a group of 3 or more people, the tour will cost from 7,534 rubles per person. It all depends on the number of people in the group and the duration of the tour.

You can stay either in a tent on the banks of the Lena River or in hotels in Yakutsk, of which there are a lot. Prices vary widely and depend on the comfort of the room and the number of guests. Here are some of them:

Hotel "Sanaa" - prices from 700 rub. per room per person per night.

Hotel “Otelsakha” - from 800 rub. per person per day.

Of course, a trip to the Lena Pillars will not be cheap. It all depends on where in Russia you go to them. Tickets to Yakutsk are very expensive. But if you find yourself close to this the most beautiful place, be sure to visit it. Look at the world from a height of a 200-meter cliff, watch at least one sunrise on the banks of the Lena, spend the night in a tent, walk along the sand dunes, through the caves of the Lena Pillars, and of course, go fishing. The stunning beauty and energy of this place will forever leave a mark on your soul.

What bizarre fantasies does nature present to us, creating landscape wonders! Here are the pointed rocks along the coast of the Lena River in Yakutia - either petrified trees with their tops directed upward, or ancient castles with towers propping up the heavens with their spiers!

Bizarre geological formations stretch along the right bank upstream rivers for more than 520 km from the city of Olekminsk to the village of Pavlovsk, but their density is especially high between the villages of Petrovsky and Tit-Ari. The height of most of the pillars exceeds the hundred-meter mark, some of them rise above the river level by almost 220 m.

It is believed that the rocks that make up this unique natural monument began to form in the early Cambrian period - approximately 550 million years ago. However, the formation of the Lena Pillars occurred much later, 150 million years later, when the processes of gradual uplift of the Siberian Platform began, leading to the appearance of faults and river valleys. Activation of karst destruction and erosive weathering contributed to the emergence of bizarre rock formations, exciting the imagination of everyone who was lucky enough to see them with their own eyes.

Once upon a time amazing creation nature was admired by the Decembrist A. A. Besstuzhev-Marlinsky and the famous writer V. Korolenko, and today not only nimble tourist boats, but also imposing passenger ships certainly stop at the Lena Pillars.

The pillars are beautiful in any season. In spring, their dark gray silence is embellished by snow-white clouds of flowering bird cherry trees, soft purple spots of lilac, and soft emerald mats of mosses. In summer, at the foothills there is a pink sea of ​​fireweed, a variety of flowers, lilies and lilies. In autumn, the entire right bank of the Lena blazes with crimson, and the winter marble-snow outfit is majestic and festive in its own way.

There is a ringing silence among the rocks, only occasionally it is broken by the timid chirping of swallows and swifts that have built their burrows in the limestone walls, and sometimes you can hear the creaking of spruce, pine and rowan trees, clinging to their roots in the crevices between the stone blocks.

Natural Park "Lena Pillars"

In the 90s of the last century, in the vicinity of a unique natural monument a natural park with the same name was founded, including two branches - “Sinsky” and “Stolby” and occupying total area 485 thousand hectares.

In the park, in addition to the Lena Pillars, there are many other valuable natural objects of interest for ecological tourism. The remains of ancient animals - bison, mammoth and woolly rhinoceros - were discovered in the natural park. Rare permafrost ecosystems are protected. More than 20 species of vegetation found in the park are listed in the Red Book of Russia, and protected species of fauna of world importance include the crane crane, the little swan, the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, the osprey, and the white-tailed eagle.

In 2012, the park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. natural criteria.

Attractions nearby Lena Pillars

Within the park there are many picturesque objects that many tourists seek to see.

In addition to the Lensky pillars, the Sinsky pillars are no less beautiful, which are not so impressive in size - no more than 50-100 m above the water level and stretch in downstream the Sinaya River for 180 km. They are especially grandiose in the place where the seething stream is hidden under the rocks.

Downstream after the mouth of the Khariya-Yurekh River, the beautiful Buotama makes its way among the same rocks as the Lena Pillars. The Buotam rocks impress with the variety of rocks that come to the surface - dolomites, limestones, marls.

The natural park is also famous for its rare variety of landscape – northern sandy desert, presented in the form of large blowing sand massifs - tuculans. There are two tukulans in the protected area - Kysyl Elesin, sand dune near the mouth of Buotama, and Saamys Kumaga, almost 5 km long, consisting of ridges, shafts and basins, overgrown with herbs, wild rose thickets, and sometimes tall pine trees.

Within the boundaries of the natural park, a site of primitive people was discovered at the mouth of the small river Diring-Yuryakh, during excavations of which stone tools and burials of the late Neolithic period were found.

Excursions to the Lena Pillars

Weekend tours to the Lena Pillars are very popular. Those who want to go on a trip along the Lena gather on Friday evenings at the Yakutsk river station and set off on one of the ships. By morning, the cruise ship docks at the foot of the cliffs. The group of tourists spends the whole day in nature, and in the evening returns to the ship. On the way back, a 6-hour stop is expected on Rassolod Island to search pirate treasure. Arrival in Yakutsk late on Sunday evening.

Excursions to the Lena Pillars are also carried out by small 12 or 15-seater boats from Yakutsk or along a combined route: by road to the villages of Verkhny Bestyakh, Bulgunnyakhtakh or Elanka, and then along the river. The cost of the trip is approximately 6-8 thousand rubles for one person.

A visit to the Lena Pillars Natural Park is possible by purchasing a ticket at the office of the environmental institution in the city of Pokrovsk. Its cost ranges from 250-350 rubles for a one-day stay and 650-850 rubles for three-day accommodation in guest houses of tourist centers. The park offers interesting eco-trails for tourists:

• Tuculan,
• The feathered world of Buotama,

as well as rafting routes along the Sinaya and Buotama rivers. Recreation in the park is also possible in winter - a trip on snowmobiles across the Batamai - Lena Pillars ice crossing is no less exciting than a cruise on a motor ship along the Lena.

Where to stay

The easiest way to see the Lena Pillars is to stay at one of the hotels in Yakutsk and go to one day tour along the river for sightseeing. The cost of accommodation in hotels in the capital of the Republic of Sakha - Siberia, Sterkh, Landysh, Lena, Tygyn Darkhan and others from 800 to 5000 rubles. In Pokrovsk there is the possibility of temporary accommodation at the Buotama recreation center. On the territory of the Lena Pillars Natural Park there are several options for accommodating tourists - in guest houses in the Labydya area, in the hunter’s house and at the Lena Pillars recreation center in the village of Verkhny Bestyakh, at the Ust Buotama tourist center in the Buotama section of the natural park.

How to get to Lena Pillars

Russia, Republic of Sakha, Khangalassky ulus, Pokrovsk

From Moscow to Yakutsk, air travel is more rational than other options. Airplane tickets will cost from 7,800 rubles for one passenger. If you need to go to Pokrovsk, you should use bus route No. 202, the fare starts from 200 rubles.

The Lena Pillars National Park was formed relatively recently, just over 15 years ago. In the mid-1980s, as a result archaeological excavations At the mouth of the Diring-Yuryakh stream, which flows through the park, a site of ancient people and traces of the prehistoric Diring culture were discovered. Scientists found not only tools, jewelry and household items, but also the remains of ancient animals: woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiguibatis), bison (Bison priscus) and mammoth (Mammulhus primigenius). There is a version that the Diring-Yuryakh site is one of the oldest in the world.

Based on natural criteria, the national park claims to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

general information

• Full name: Lena Pillars National Natural Park.
• IUCN Category: II (National Park).
• Date of foundation; February 10, 1995.
• Region Yakutia, Khangalassky ulus.
• Area: 485,000 hectares.
• Relief: mountainous.
• Climate: sharply continental.
• Official website: http://www.lenskiestolby.ru/.
• Email: [email protected].

Walk in the park

The path from Olemkinsk to the village of Pavlovsk along the Lena River leaves unforgettable experience. After all, this is where the amazing pearl of the North is located - “Lena Pillars”. The national park consists of two branches: “Stolby” and “Sinsky”.

On the right bank of the Lena you can see blowing sand-tuculans. Translated from the Evenki language, “tukulan” means “sand”. The air temperature here can reach +40 °C. There are no analogues to such a miracle of nature anywhere else on the planet. For scientists, the origin of the Tuculans is still a mystery.

Vegetable world

On the territory of the Lena Pillars Park, 464 species of higher vascular plants have been identified. Lowland larch taiga dominates. It is interesting that only here an endemic plant grows - Redowskia sophiifolia. It is not found anywhere else in the world. In the Tuculans there is another very rare plant- Scriabin's slender leg (Koeleria skrjabinii). There are also many other rare flowers and herbs here: parietaria micrantha, spotted lady's slipper (Cypripedium guttatum), Pennsylvania lily (Lilium rep-sylvanicum), etc.

A truly amazing plant is the Arctic lupine (Lupinus arcticus). The fact is that its seeds broke all world records for viability. So, in 1954, during archaeological excavations on the Canadian Yukon Plateau, seeds of this plant were found. Their age was also determined: 10,000 years. After the completion of the excavations, the seeds remained in storage for about 12 years until an attempt was made to germinate them. The experiment was a success!

There are a lot of fancy mosses and lichens on the territory of the Lena Pillars. Reindeer moss, or reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina), has very high frost resistance. Thanks to this, it serves as an excellent food reindeer even in the most severe cold, constituting up to 90% of their diet in winter.

Animal world

The park is home to 42 species of mammals, 99 of birds, 27 of which are rare and endangered, 4 of amphibians and reptiles, and 23 of fish.

Most often found in forests and coastal areas are Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), sable (Martes zibellina), American mink (Neovison vison), steppe ferret (Mustela evers-manni), and wolverine (Gulo gulo). Smaller animals include the common flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), the Asian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), the long-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), and the mountain hare (Lepus timidus).

The musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), a relatively small animal similar to a deer, is found here. The body length of an adult musk deer reaches one meter, the height at the withers is 70 cm. It does not have horns; instead, fangs serve as tournament weapons for males. Pay attention to the Latin name of this animal. The word moschus is of Greek origin and means “musk”, and moschiferus means “bearing musk”. Each male musk deer has a special abdominal gland that produces musk, a strong-smelling substance that has long been used and highly prized in perfumery.

The Lena Pillars National Park is home to the small swan (Cygnus bewickii), peregrine falcon (Falcoperegrinus), gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), white-tailed eagle (Hali-aetus albicilla), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), white crane , or Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus), and dozens of other bird species.

The golden eagle is one of the most famous birds of prey, the largest and strongest eagle. Recently, their number has sharply decreased, mainly due to serious disturbances in the ecological balance of nature and the deliberate destruction of birds. Golden eagles, like many other predators, have very acute vision: they are able to see a hare from a distance of 2 km. Golden eagles can attack animals equal and even larger than them in size: foxes, deer and their cubs, chamois, roe deer, sheep.

For visitors

Park mode

The park has ecological routes and trails that introduce tourists to unique natural monuments: the Lena Pillars, tukulans, flora and fauna.

How to get there

From Yakutsk to the Lena Pillars Park the distance is about 180 km, from Pokrovsk - 104 km. The easiest way to get to the national park is by tourist boat. You can also get there from Olemkinsk. More detailed information O tourist routes can be obtained from the park administration.

Where to stay

One of the options is the Buotamskaya recreation center, which is located on the right bank of the Lena River in the park. It has ten heated houses. In addition, you can stay at the Verkhniy Vestyakh recreation center, located a few kilometers above the village of the same name. The base is electrified, there are summer houses, a bathhouse, and a dining room. Up to 20 people can stay here.