In the central part of the mountain range of Western Sayan, which is in Eastern Siberia, the Ergaki range is located. The length of the ridge from west to east is about 80 km, with a maximum width of about 70 km. According to one of the versions, the name of these rocks is derived from the Tuva word "ergek" - a finger. There is also a mythological explanation of this name: Ergaki is nothing other than the hands of the Earth, on which the whole universe is held. Indeed, the top of the highest point of the ridge, the main "finger" - the peak of the Star, is always shrouded in clouds, as if rests against the sky and supports it. Some researchers argue that this remote place holds many secrets about an ancient civilization of extraterrestrial origin.
Star Peak
The main riddle and the center of the mythological attraction of these unique mountains is the rocky ridge Sleeping Sayan. If you look at it from the direction of the Usinsky tract, you can clearly see the figure of the sleeping giant, who lies on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. You can even see hair falling down. To believe that such a recognizable silhouette appeared by chance, almost impossible. Therefore, local residents for centuries considered this place sacred, and the appearance of a mysterious stone giant explains dozens of legends.
Sleeping Sayan.
One of the legends is retold by a philologist, collector of folklore Elena Shalinskaya: Once upon a time a man lived in the Sayan Mountains. He never beat the beast for the sake of entertainment, did not trample the grass in vain, he did not cut the trees unnecessarily, and watched that others did not violate the pristine purity of these places. For such dignity loved the righteous man gods, endowed with unprecedented health and strength, appointed Master of the taiga. He began to understand the language of animals and plants so that he could protect them from any evil. And he carried this service for centuries. But time is inexorable, it's time for the Boss to leave this world. The gods were looking for, but they could not find a worthy replacement for him. And then they decided to leave him forever to guard the rest of these places and turned into stone. So he lies, calmly folding his arms over his chest, - he follows that nobody disturbs Ergaki, protects the innumerable riches of these places.
One of the researchers of the Ergaki Ridge, Semyon Mishchik, says: Many researchers of these places call the Spine of Sayan Ridge not otherwise than the Siberian Sphinx. The fact is that the silhouette of the hero lying on his back and staring skyward is visible not only from one point of view, but also from all sides of this ridge, even with the opposite of the usual one, that which is on the Usinsky tract. It is visible and a kilometer away from the rocky ridge, and tens of kilometers from it. And this is what makes this rock phenomenon unique. There are no analogues in the world, because in all other cases, random rock formations create the silhouette of any person or animal only from a certain point of view.
Another place covered with legends is the Hanging Stone, a monolithic block weighing over 100 tons. It is kept incomprehensible on the slope of the mountain located at the feet of the Sleeping Sayan, although the area of contact with the surface is tiny, and most of the monolith hangs over the abyss.
There is a legend: when the Hanging Stone falls into the Rainbow Lake over which it hangs, the water splashes will fall on the Sleeping Sayan, awaken the hero, he will rise and ...
But what will happen next, no one knows, there is no legend about it, - says Elena Shalinskaya. "Therefore, we are regularly on the lookout for what is going to happen." According to the local bike, once a group of 30 tourists specifically came to the Hanging Stone to throw it into the abyss. Together they began to raise one of the edges in the calculation that then the balance would be broken and a huge block would go down. But the ill luck: the more they pushed, the further the stone moved away from the edge and nearly crushed people who wished to violate its centuries-old calm.
Lake Raduzhnoe
Because the Hanging Stone on all sides is blown by the winds, which are very strong in the mountains, then if you touch its surface, you can feel a strong vibration. This led to the appearance of a legend that the monolithic block is nothing but the heart of the Sleeping Sayan, which the gods took from his chest. And if you take into account that until the middle of the last century the Hanging Stone kept swaying like a pendulum in a clock, then the resemblance to the beating of the heart becomes even more convincing. Therefore, according to legend, if there is a person who will be able to raise the Hanging Stone, he immediately takes the place of the sleeping hero Sayan, and he finally finds peace and will be released from his eternal service.
Too many people wanted to try to throw the Hanging Stone down. Even specially hoisted winches to do this, but nothing happened. But the rock did not stop rocking - the grooves around it were filled with stone crumbs in the places of clinging to the rock. In these places there is a mysterious pond - Lake of Mountain Spirits, located above all other lakes of the Yergaki Ridge. According to numerous evidences of tourists, at night the water in it starts to glow. Local people always considered the water from this lake sacred. They were convinced that it was enough to plunge into its clear waters, as soon as any incurable ailments passed. And if only one thicket of holy water is poured into a perishing well or pond, they will be completely cleared and again become full-flowing.
Lake of Mountain Spirits
Employees of the Krasnoyarsk NGO "Geoecology" conducted a study of these places and came to the conclusion that this lake has an artificial origin, "says Semyon Mishchik. "They found an ancient dam that blocked off a stream that flows into it, the age of which is not less than 10 thousand years. According to the reconstruction, once the height of this artificial hydraulic structure, composed of granite blocks, was about 50-60 meters. For comparison: the height of the dam of Krasnoyarsk HPP is 114 meters. Moreover, geologists have found traces of drains and bypass canals through which water from the lake entered the valleys below. When, by whom, for what purpose the ancient dam was built, it remains only to guess.
With the highest peak of the Star ridge Ergaki another legend is connected, which has a completely modern origin. The fact is that in the immediate vicinity of it there is a rock Brothers, or, as it was christened modern tourists - "Parabola". Two huge peaks, each with a height of 20-storey house, look as if they were made of syenite blocks. And the jumper between them forms an almost perfect parabola. Nowhere in the world is there more of a similar natural phenomenon of such impressive dimensions.
But the most interesting is that in the days of the spring and autumn equinox the last ray of the sun passes through the fault in the mountain of Taigish, which stands opposite the peak of the Star and the rocks of the Brothers. He crosses a stone parabola in the middle, and then, before disappearing, illuminates the very peak of the Star Peak. Therefore, it was suggested that this complex of rocks is nothing more than an ancient megalithic astronomical laboratory, which has an artificial origin. Geologists argue that the surface of this two-horned rock formation shines as polished, because the depression in the Parabola rock is made artificially, it is possible to distinguish the traces of stone processing.
Stone Town
There is another belief that it was in these places that once lived the legendary Lemurians, from whom all the peoples of the world came. The civilization of the Lemurians was the legendary lost Eden, memories of which were preserved in many myths and legends of different nations of the world.
Others say that Ergaki is the legendary Shambhala, which they are trying in vain to find in Tibet. And they tell a legend about a secret expedition of high-ranking Tibetan lamas who came to these places at the beginning of the last century to worship the shrine.
And some believe that ancient Atlanteans lived here, - smiles Semyon Mishchik. - They refer to the "Secret Doctrine" of Elena Blavatsky, where it is said that 25 thousand years ago, when Atlantis sank, the surviving Atlanteans moved to Central Asia. As evidence that they lived in Ergaki, they give such an argument: that many of the local rocks are like the Dragon, the Elephant, the Bird, the Turtle or the Kit. But it is believed that the people of Atlantis worshiped animals. Perhaps they turned local rocks into huge sculptures, arranging a sanctuary of unimaginable dimensions. And the Sleeping Sayan is also a sculpture depicting one of the Atlanteans.
According to the Tuvan beliefs, people can not enter the territory of Ergakov to ordinary people. This place is reserved exclusively for gods and shamans. All the rest must worship the sacred mountains from afar.