(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Maximaximax)
Mount Vottovaara is a popular attraction in Russia. However, the mountain situated in the remote forests of Karelia, 160 kilometers west of Medvezhegorsk, is surrounded by mystique.
What Is Mount Vottovaara?
Mount Vottovaara is a collection of prehistoric stone monuments called "seids," which means "hanging or flying stones." The complex's size is astounding. It features hundreds of small and huge boulders combined to create an intricate network of geometric patterns and labyrinths.
The facility is far more extensive than all the combined public worship spaces in Scandinavia and Europe. Thus far, a curious investigator has discovered things in the furthest reaches of the Karelian taiga that do not conform to the framework of rational conceptions of contemporary man, including the monument situated atop Mount Vottovaara.
The closest village is at least 30 kilometers from the summit of the West Karelian Highlands, Vottovaara Mountain, which rises 417.3 meters above sea level. A major earthquake approximately 9000 years ago in the Vottovaara location resulted in a gigantic failure. Thus, a naturally occurring amphitheater with little lakes and cliffs in the middle of the mountain exists. Karelian geologists regard Vottovaara as a special geological landmark.
Scientists speculate that this is a remnant of an antiquated religion. One name for the stones is Vottovaara Sejdiu. A seid is a cult boulder or a piece of rock with clear evidence of human impact and artificial seclusion from the surroundings. The ridge's highest point and the amphitheater's slopes are home to the densest populations of stone-seids.
Most stones are found in clusters of two to six pieces. The structure's "legs" are supported by multiple smaller stones and topped by massive stones that can weigh up to three tons.
The rest of the stones are found resting on cliffs and the banks of an old river. Seids blended perfectly with the mountainous landscape, leaving amazing, chaotic remnants of past earthquakes.
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Various Rumors About Mount Vottovaara
Superstitious people consider the place the focus of evil forces and the bridge to the other world. One reason is the anomalous phenomena observed in the place.
The trees are reportedly ugly, and there's almost no fauna. Not to mention, the lakes are dead. Due to its dire condition, it earned the nickname -- Death Mountain.
According to proponents of many mystical movements, Death Mountain is the bridge to the other world and the center of evil energies. As such, it has become a popular destination for pilgrims.
There are moss-covered stone terraces on the mountainside. Spruce and pine with remnants of past forest fires and ancient logging scattered throughout.
Tops is a stony plateau with strange heights and patches of tree cover. Also, the ancient pine trees, around 122 years old, are only two meters tall. Furthermore, something strange appears to be causing the local birch trees to spin.
Sergey Simonyan, a local researcher from the village of Sukkozero, acknowledged the possibility of the Seids' anthropogenic origins on Vottovaara and shut down the presence of esoteric and mystical phenomena. However, that doesn't stop people from believing that the place is a portal to another world.
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