Hanging Stone
Hanging Stone
ContinentAsia
Coordinates52°50′04″N 93°21′13″E / 52.834444°N 93.353611°E / 52.834444; 93.353611
Largest lakeLake Raduzhnoye
TerrainMountain

The Hanging Stone (Russian: Висячий камень, Visyachyi Kamen') is located in Ergaki Nature Park in southern Siberia, Russia. It is a 500 ton granite rock seemingly hanging 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above Lake Raduzhnoye (meaning Rainbow).

Background

The Siberian Times has said the stone has been in this position for "tens of thousands of years". The Hanging Stone is on the edge of a cliff above Lake Raduzhnoye (also known as Rainbow Lake) in the Western Sayan Mountains in southern Siberia, Russia. It is thought that a glacier receded during the Ice Age and the Hanging Stone was left behind.[1][2]

Legend

The Hanging Stone, Western Sayan, Ergaki mountains

The legend of the stone is thought to come from the Turkic peoples and Sayan aborigines. They believe that that the world will end when the stone falls. The area features a chain of rocks, which from above, resembles a person (Sleeping Sayan) lying on their back; if the stone should fall into the water, it would wake Sayan bringing the end of the world.[3] The park has a rock ridge known as "Sleeping Sayan". The ridge appears to be a silhouette of a man lying on his back.[4] Local legend states that when the stone falls into Lake Raduzhnoye, the Sleeping Sayan will wake up. Another legend teaches that the monolithic stone is the heart of the Sleeping Sayan.[5] People say that the stone vibrates which is evidence of the beating heart.[3] The rock may also represent the Russian mythical hero Svyatogor.[3]

Several groups of tourists have tried to dislodge the landmark by pushing it down the mountain, but without any success.[3] Some people have even brought winches and Jacks to try and dislodge the stone.[3] It did not move at all; it is held on with stone chips supporting its base.[5] The area also experiences frequent earthquakes but as of 2023 the stone has not moved.[6]

Description

The stone is perched on a precipice giving the impression that it may fall. The weight of the stone is estimated at 500 tons.[2] It is positioned approximately 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above the lake. The rock is made of granite and it is attached to the cliff by a 1 m2 (11 sq ft) contact point.[1] The stone is 15 m (49 ft) long.[7] At one time the stone reportedly swayed but over time grooves became clogged and froze the stone in one place.[3] In 2012 a crack has appeared in the stone.[1]

There is a trail that can be navigated between June and September and it leads to the stone. The trail is 12 km (7.5 mi) long and takes five to seven hours. The Ergaki Nature Park charges a trail fee of 4,800 rubles to visit the stone.[8] The weather in the region changes quickly and can even receive snowfall in the month of June.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gertcyk, Olga; Salnitskaya, Vera (2 January 2016). "Hanging Rock 'defies gravity', above a 1,000 metre abyss". siberiantimes.com. The Siberian Times. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 "НаЕнисее Висячий камень". naenisee.ru. Tourist portal of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the republics of Khakassia, Tyva. 2024. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "В Красноярском крае наблюдают явление, которое не поддается законам физики". adi19.ru (in Russian). Business Information Agency LLC. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Природный парк «Ергаки» - туристический центр региона". regruss.ru (in Russian). Regional Russia. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Фоторепортаж: Легенды и факты о парке «Ергаки»". News Laboratory LLC. 30 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Мистическая Россия. Загадочные места и самые невероятные легенды городов, которые вы не знали (in Russian). Russia: Litres. 7 August 2023. pp. 99–101. ISBN 978-5-04-568633-4. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Где отдохнуть с ребенком в Сибири: термальные источники, Висячий камень и Долина гротов | Новосибирская область". FederalPress Editorial Board (in Russian). 6 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Висячий камень". ergaki-park.ru. Ergaki Natural Park. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Snow fell on the highway in Ergaki and in the mountains in the first week of summer". НГС24 – новости Красноярска (in Russian). 6 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
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