The Lena Pillars of Yakutia are among world heritage UNESCO, and at the same time are calling card Yakutia. 50 kilometers of tall cliffs that stretch along the coast are a truly impressive sight. For some, at their sight, pictures of medieval castles emerge, and for some, fantasy takes them to the land of dragons, while others see giants frozen for centuries.

A.A. expressed his admiration for this creation of nature. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky. Today, this mysterious corner of Yakutia attracts tourists from different parts of the world, and the natural park itself is becoming more interesting year from a year. The special climate of the area contributes to such qualitative changes. The height of the rocks in some places reaches 100 m. This is really impressive, and the closer the ship comes to them, the more delight and admiration is born in the traveler's chest. Lucky for those who get here at sunset, at this time the pillars with their outlines resemble fairy palace or some ancient castle, and the river itself at the foot serves as a mirror, thanks to which the rocks seem twice as large, more majestic.

Since 1995, the Lena Pillars Natural Park has received the status national reserve. If earlier tourists from nearby traveled here, today foreigners make a pilgrimage, and scientists are also interested in the place. The latter are attracted by unusual flora and fauna. It is inhabited by unusual species of birds and animals, including bears, wolverines, squirrels, lynxes, muskrats, hares, golden eagles, eagle owls, white herons, falcons. There are many different fish in the waters of the Lena River, there are quite valuable species of it, such as sturgeon, grayling, and nelma. A large part of the local fauna and flora is listed on the pages of the Red Book.

The total area of ​​the reserve is 500 hectares. This includes not only tall cliffs, but also forests. The reserve itself consists of two parts - the Lena Pillars proper and (translated from the local dialect, this word means "sands").

The tours consist of a visit to a natural attraction (sometimes climbing trips are organized to some peaks), as well as sightseeing walks along the sandy area. The second part of the tour is to get acquainted with the local flora and fauna, enjoying the beautiful views. There is something to do for a tourist who is not used to sitting still: dozens of tourist routes, there are picturesque viewing platforms, you can raft down the river.

As soon as mysterious high rocks appear on the horizon, a person immediately forgets all the difficulties that had to be overcome on the way to this park. They literally catch the eye and it is very difficult to stop considering their greatness. rocks natural park consist of red sandstone, in some places they are overgrown with forest. All this is reflected in the water, as if in a mirror, layers of quartzite glisten against the sun, cliffs of light gray limestone hang over the water surface. The rays of the setting sun change the picture - from calm, silent, it becomes almost sinister.

Not every rock admits climbers, but there are a few viewing platforms at an altitude of 100 m. They offer a stunning view, make it possible to enjoy the beauties of the Siberian river, breathe in the grandeur of Russian nature to the fullest.

Since the area national park The Lena Pillars are not so small, it is better to go here not for one day, but at least for two. Two-day excursion tours will reveal many interesting things for the traveler. Nature did a good job creating this corner on the planet. Stunning reliefs, unique vegetation and living creatures will always remain in the memory of everyone who gets acquainted with all this.

The archaeological value of the reserve is great. Research suggests that the formation of a ridge of unusual stone massifs began about 400 thousand years ago. The basis of sheer cliffs is Cambrian limestone. And at the Tukulan site, scientists discovered the remains of a mammoth, rhinoceros and bison. Also in this reserve you can find traces of the sites of ancient people.

Surprisingly, it was found that ancient people left information about their lives on the pillars themselves, using natural yellow paint for this. These inscriptions were discovered recently, which served to increase the interest in the park among anthropologists and archaeologists. Some scientists suggest that it was here that the "cradle of mankind" could have originated. Such conclusions were made after the discovery of ancient tools along the Lena River. All this allows us to say that the Lena Pillars National Park in Russia is a unique place and, definitely, everyone should visit it.

Where are

Many of you have heard about this amazing reserve, but not many know where they are. The Lena Pillars on the map of Russia are located in the Eastern part, or rather in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Khangalassky district, on the right bank of the Lena River. The length of the reserve is more than 50 km. In terms of area, this park occupies a vast territory - about 500 hectares, originates approximately from the village of Kachikatsy and ends near the village of Churan. The distance from the city of Yakutsk to the Lena Pillars is 200 km.

Climate features

The climate here is perhaps not mild. It would be more accurate to call it sharply continental. In winter, the air temperature in the park drops to -65 degrees Celsius, and in summer it rises to +35 degrees. This is not surprising, because the Lena Pillars are located on the banks of the huge river - Lena. It is she who gives high humidity, so the park is very cold in winter, and stuffy in summer.

How to get there

In winter, when the Lena River freezes, you can get to the Lena Pillars by car directly from the city of Yakutsk. To do this, you need to go towards the city of Pokrovsk to the village of Batamay (200 km), and there, along the winter road, cross the Lena River to the park itself. When the winter road officially opens, you can also get to the natural park in a small car.

In the summer, because of the Lena River, it will not be possible to get to the reserve itself. Those who like to travel wild can drive their car to the village of Elanka (150 km), leave the car at a paid parking lot, order a motor boat and swim the remaining 50 km along the Lena River.

If you are in another region of Russia, then you can take advantage of various tours. It is best to fly from Moscow to Yakutsk by plane, while the flight duration will be approximately 7 hours.

Usually, ships that go to the Lena Pillars park have a library, board games, karaoke, a cinema hall and even a sauna. You can refresh yourself in the restaurant, which serves quite familiar and delicious dishes.

Excursion

If you decide to visit natural park Lena Pillars we highly recommend taking the tour. The cost of the tour is not so high, in 2017 it was 350 rubles per person, but a friendly guide will give you an entertaining tour, tell you in detail the whole history and facts of the Lena Pillars.

Upon arrival at the Lena Pillars National Natural Park, you should try to do the following:

• climb to the top of the cliff and see the nature of Yakutia from a 200-meter height;
• meet at least one sunrise on the banks of the Lena in an ordinary tent;
• swim in the waters of the great Lena (in summer the water temperature rises to +17 degrees);
• be sure to visit the site of ancient people in the Lena Pillars park - Dirin-Yuryakh;
• study the ancient inscriptions on the Pillars;
• take a walk along the sand dunes, which live their own lives and are almost completely devoid of vegetation;
• visit the caves of the Lena Pillars;
• catch a fish.

Such a holiday you will remember for a long time. On the territory of the park Lena Pillars there are no hotels, inns, entertainment centers, so you can still enjoy the unity with nature.

Video

We offer to see best video about the Lena Pillars, which became a hit last season:

A photo

No matter how well the photos of the Lena Pillars are taken, they still cannot fully convey all the greatness, the excitement that a person experiences at the sight of stone giants. But as they say, see once than hear a hundred times.

Tall cliffs, stretching like an absolutely solid wall along the right bank of the Lena for four dozen kilometers. To some they resemble the walls of a huge medieval castle, others recall the fangs of a dragon, to others it seems that stone giants have frozen forever in front of them.

But for the Yakuts, these rocks are a monument of love, fidelity and courage, since the Lena Pillars are actually nothing more than a pair of lovers who were bewitched by a dragon: a young man defeated an evil snake in a deadly duel, who wanted to marry his beloved, but that managed to get 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 world, the exact location can be calculated from the following coordinates: 61° 7′ 45.48″s. w., 127° 31′ 4.8″ in. d.).

To get here from Moscow, you need to spend several days: only the flight to Yakutsk will take about seven hours (to be in this city, you need to fly across Siberia). To get to the Lena Pillars from the capital of Yakutia, you can use a boat or boat (on average, the journey will take about twelve hours). Where to go next, prompt locals, will conduct excursions and indicate 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 natural monument world importance. A few years ago, UNESCO took the territory on which the Lena Pillars are located under its protection.

In fact, the Lena Pillars are sheer cliffs formed of limestone, which, under the influence of harsh climatic conditions Yakutia, having broken up into separate parts, formed vertically elongated rocks of a 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 the 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 shallow sea that once splashed here, at the bottom of which limestone gradually accumulated. It disappeared after the Siberian Platform began to rise, forming rock formations made of limestone, faults and river valleys, while erosion, in particular, weathering, influenced the shape of the mountains.

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 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 view of the rocks is somewhat ominous and looks like an evil sorcerer's castle.

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

The remains of mammoths, rhinos, bison were found on the territory of the national park, and in the fragments of rocks - fossils of trilobites, an extinct class of marine arthropods that lived more than 200 million years ago.

Thanks 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 World Heritage List and took these lands under its protection.

National Reserve of Yakutia

Interestingly, the natural park "Lena Pillars", 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 Kharyya-Yurekh Buotama River, consist mainly of marl, dolomite and limestone, which give the pillars a multi-colored texture;
• Sinsk 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.
• Tukulans are large sandy massifs, more typical for the desert. Their uniqueness lies in the fact 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 Reserve is located entirely on undeveloped lands, and therefore any economic work is prohibited here. In addition, several water arteries of the region flow through the park at once: the Lena, the second longest river in Russia, and its tributaries, the Buotama (near its banks, sites of primitive people were found) and the Sinya.

On the territory of the national park there are many lakes with a depth of two to three meters, formed both in natural relief depressions and on flat watersheds. These lakes are filled with water due to rainfall (and therefore, during a drought, large reservoirs become shallow, and small ones dry up completely), their banks 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 many 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 for about six months, then in summer these figures may well be both +20°C and +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 because Atlantic Ocean located far from this area, and high mountains Southern 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.

Do you want to see a monument created by nature itself in unimaginably ancient times, and still causing primal awe and delight? Then be sure to visit natural park Lena Pillars.

Nature Park Lena Pillars (Russia)

This miracle of nature is located in the Republic of Sakha (or Yakutia), just 180 kilometers from the capital - the city of Yakutsk. It is here, on the territory of the Olekminsky and Khangalassky uluses, that amazing geological formations are located, which received the name.


The Lena Pillars Natural Park in Yakutia is divided into 2 isolated sections - the stone pillars themselves, stretching along the right bank of the Lena River and the Buotama River basin, as well as the Sinsky section, which is located on the left bank of the Lena, just above the mouth of the Sinyaya River.

- these are massive stone sculptures, scientists estimate their age at 570 million years. Then, on the site of present-day Yakutia, a warm sea splashed, washing the shores of the ancient continent. Then, under the influence of a changing climate and the movement of continental plates, numerous rocks of the most varied, bizarre shapes appeared.


The Evenks and Yakuts considered it a sacred place. They believed that the rocks are frozen human figures created by unknown giants. When you see these statues with your own eyes, this legend is easy to believe - it often seems that the rocks are moving, changing the silhouette. This amazing effect is especially noticeable at sunset.

Lena Pillars and UNESCO

The pillars were included by UNESCO as a protected site in 2012. Ask why?


Numerous archaeological finds, which date back to the early Cambrian period.


In addition, archaeologists have found long-extinct mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses and other fossil animals here in exceptionally well-preserved form. Known Lena Pillars National Park also with its petroglyphs and tukulans (sand dunes, a real northern desert).

Video about the Lena Pillars of Yakutia

Lena Pillars on the map of Russia and the world

Coordinates: 61°07′45″ N 127°31′05″ E

The beauty of the Lena Pillars is both majestic and somewhat gloomy. Therefore, the legends of the local peoples about this landscape, for the most part, have a dramatic ending.

HALF A MILLION B.C.

It was then that this peculiar stone “fence” began to form, set up by nature itself along the banks of the Lena, which eventually turned into a complex geological formation and one of the wonders of nature.

The Lena Pillars are a fantastic erosive form of relief: a “fence” stretching for forty kilometers from vertically elongated remnant rocks. The pillars stand along the right bank of the Siberian Lena River, below the confluence of the Sinaya River with the Lena, where the Lena cuts through the Prilenskoye Plateau with a deep valley. The most densely palisade pillars lined up in the area between the city of Olekminsk and the village of Pavlovsk: the rocks go straight into the river water with their base. The pillars are separated from each other by deep and steep crevices, partially filled with rock fragments.

The average height of the Lena Pillars reaches 220 m above the river level. At the base of these river cliffs are limestones of the Cambrian period, about 550 million years old, formed from bottom sediments of the shallow and warm sea. The Lena Pillars themselves were formed much later - "only" about 400 thousand years ago.

The Lena Pillars are located within the boundaries of the tectonic Siberian platform. Approximately half a million years ago, as a result of tectonic processes, faults formed here, in which river beds began to emerge, and subsequently deep river valleys, which caused the development of karst processes (washout of limestone rock). Together with the strongest erosive weathering and a significant amplitude annual temperature(up to 100°C: from -60°C in winter to +40°C in summer), it formed a peculiar configuration of rocks. Each vertical crack in the limestone massif continuously expanded under the influence of water, wind and temperatures, which led to the separation of the next block from the general rock massif. Also noteworthy is the unusual multi-colored rocks of the Lena Pillars, in which red sandstone is interspersed with light gray limestone.

Lena Pillars and today - sacred place for Yakuts and Evenks. In the old days, only shamans could come here, an ordinary person was afraid of the spirits of the rocks, considering the pillars to be petrified people.

NATURE PARK

Lena Pillars is also a natural park, organized in 1995 and subordinate to the Yakut Ministry of Nature Protection.

The Lena Pillars Nature Park was organized by a decree of the President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in 1994 and by a decree of the Russian government in 1995. It is currently subordinate to the Yakut Ministry of Nature Protection. The documents of the park indicate that its main task is the development of ecological tourism.

In addition to the Lena Pillars, there are three more valuable natural objects in the park: Sin Pillars, Buotam Pillars and Tukulan Sands - Samye Kumaga and Kysyl Elesin.

The zone of sand-tukulans up to 5 km long also includes separate sections of the cold northern sandy desert. There are also areas of permafrost with unique flora and fauna.

The proof that people of the Stone Age lived here - the inhabitants of the banks of the Lena - is the parking ancient man at the mouth of the Deering-Yuryakh stream, belonging to the Ymyyakhtakh culture and the Deering Paleolithic culture. The age of the latter caused fierce disputes among archaeologists around the world. Also in the park area, fossilized remains of representatives of the ancient fauna were found: mammoth, bison, woolly rhinoceros.

Of the representatives of modern fauna living in the Lena Pillars area, one can name musk deer, red deer, northern pika, sable, brown bear, elk, roe deer. Within the Lena section, which is part of the park, there are Siberian lamprey, Siberian sturgeon, taimen, East Siberian lenok, tugun, whitefish, pizhyan, valek, East Siberian grayling, nelma, Siberian vendace, omul, muksun. Among the birds there are protected species of world importance: kloktun, osprey, golden eagle and peregrine falcon.

According to their natural criteria, the Lena Pillars were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.

ATTRACTION

Natural:

■ Geological complex Lena Pillars.

■ The Lena Pillars Natural Park (including the Lena, Buotam and Sinsk pillars, sand dunes of tukulans, frozen ecosystems, bison nursery "Bizonoriy").

■ Nozdrevata cave.

Historical:

■ Petroglyphs - cave drawings animals.

■ The site of the ancient man Deering-Yuryakh (II millennium BC).

■ Pillars in Siberia have long been called picturesque rocky peaks, remnants, ridges of pillar-shaped outcrops formed as a result of weathering of crystalline rocks. In addition to the Lena Pillars, the Nizhneudinsk and Krasnoyarsk pillars.

■ The name of large fluttering sandy massifs tukulan comes from the Evenk “tukal” – sand. Accordingly, “tukalan” is a sandy massif or dune.

■ Abroad, geological formations similar to the Lena Pillars are multi-colored columns of the Monument Valley along the border of the US states of Arizona and Utah, as well as columnar forms grand canyon in Arizona and Shilin Stone Forest in China.

■ In the area of ​​excavations in 1982 at the site of a Neolithic burial of the Ymyyakhtakh culture of the 2nd millennium BC. e. stone tools of the Deering culture were discovered, which were originally dated 2-3 million years ago. But, if this is so, then in Siberia a person appeared earlier than in North Africa - the ancestral home of Homo habilis (handy man) recognized by archaeologists. Subsequent analysis showed that the age of the Deering culture is 260-370 thousand years. This indicated that man had explored the banks of the Lena already in the Lower Paleolithic and could potentially penetrate from here to Beringia and from there to America. True, some scientists argue that the artifacts of this culture are not tools, but natural formations, that is, just stones.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location: central Yakutia,.
Origin: the result of water and wind erosion, as well as a significant annual temperature range.
The Lena Pillars Natural Park was founded in 1995.
Administrative affiliation: Khangalassky ulus, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation.
Immediate settlements: Yakutsk - 299 169 people. (2015), Pokrovsk - 9047 people. (2015). Lena river.

NUMBERS

Lena Pillars
Length: 40 km.
Average height above the river level: 220 m.
Maximum height above river level: 321 m.
Distance: 104 km downstream of the Lena - the city of Pokrovsk, 200 km - the city of Yakutsk.
The area of ​​the natural park Lena Pillars: 4.85 km 2.

CLIMATE

Sharply continental.
Winters are long and harsh, summers are warm, often hot, but short.
Average January temperature: -39°С.
Average July temperature: +18.5°С.
Average annual rainfall: 320 mm.

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

The 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. from the city of Pokrovsk. This is a majestic type of geological formations stretching along the banks of the Lena vertically elongated rocks 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 Republic of Sakha in 1994. The area of ​​the park is 1,272,150 hectares, and consists of two branches - Stolby and Sinsky. The task of the park is the development of ecological tourism.

Scientists have discovered in the area of ​​the Lena Pillars the remains of ancient animals: mammoth, bison, Lena horse, woolly rhinoceros. On the territory of the park there is such an object as developing tukulan sands with separate sections of the cold northern sandy desert. At the mouth of the Deering-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 places you can see the Lena Pisanitsy - drawings and writings of ancient hunters.

Rumor has it that a snowman lives in these places, whom the Nenets and Yakuts called Ulmesh. He is about 10 meters tall, has a pointed hat on his head, and bags with wool and claws of animals are stored on his belt. 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 magnificence. Everyone sees something of their own in them - the ruins of a castle, fangs of a dragon, brick walls, petrified volcanoes. This unique creation of nature is able to turn the soul, filling it with some kind of magical light.

How to get to the Lena Pillars?

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

If you travel by car, it is better to take an SUV. You will need to get to the village of Elanka, and then along the water and 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 7534 rubles per person. It all depends on the number of people in the group and the duration of the tour.

You can stay both in a tent on the banks of the Lena River, and in the hotels of Yakutsk, of which there are a lot. The prices are very diverse, and depend on the comfort of the room and the number of residents. Here are some of them:

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

Hotel "Otelsakha" - from 800 rubles. 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 get close to it the most beautiful place be sure to visit it. Look at the world from a height of 200 meters, meet 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.