Siberian gem

The Stolby state nature reserve near Krasnoyarsk was created 85 years ago, on the 30th of June 1925. This unique corner well deserves its names of “Siberian Gem” and “Land of Stone Giants”. Here, in the spacious taiga forest, on the area of 47,000 hectares, exotic rocks rise as gigantic posts with the shapes resembling humans, beasts and birds.

Millions of years ago the magma, that spilled over during an underground eruption, made huge vertical gutters in the rocks. Later the wind and rain gave them fantastic shapes. The name of whoever discovered Stolby is unknown. At present about 100 unusual rocks up to 100 metres high can be found in the reserve. One of the most fanciful creations of nature is a massive rock named “Granddad”. It looks like the large head of a wise old man, deep in thought.A rock-climber from Krasnoyarsk. Valery Khvostenko, is doing an imaginary tour of Stolby for the audience of “The Voice of Russia”:

“When I bring people here I show them a huge stone lion with a gorgeous mane, lying with his head on the front paws, an elephant with huge ears and eyes, a toad, a snake…”

Valery Khvostenko and his fellow-rock-climbers prefer the rocks named “The Feathers”. Climbers can get to the top of those rocks with no supporting ropes. “The Feathers” are four formidable sheer stone slabs 40 metres high and adjoining each other. Each slab, sharp at the top, resembles an enormous bird’s feather. Climbers get to the top by setting their hands and feet against the vertical walls, which requires great physical effort.Stolby has been rock-climbers’ place of pilgrimage since time immemorial.

At the end of the 19th century “stolbism”, or a way of free rock-climbing, was created here. Today “stolbists” are all the fans of this amazing corner of nature, among whom there are a lot of foreigners. All of them notice the beneficial effect of Stolby on people. You come to this place exhausted and unhappy and leave light-hearted and full of energy.

“There are a lot of explanations for it," Valery Khvostenko says. "Some people say that the posts are pyramids that generate energy. Other people believe that some biologically active zones cross here. No one has studied this phenomenon seriously but it is there, it is a fact.”

The Stolby Reserve is also famous for its plant and animal life. In particular, 85 species of mammals live in this area, such as the sable, the ermine and the mousse. 22 species of fish live in the rivers, among them the umber, the sig, the pike and the perch. And among the birds in these forests you can find the capercaillye, the grouse and the golden eagle.

Over a hundred years ago the famous Russian artist Vasily Surikov who was born on this land said the following words about Stolby: “I have seen the Alps in Switzerland and Italy but Siberia beats them with its beauty”. One can hardly find a better description of this amazing land of whimsical rocks and picturesque forest annually visited by millions of tourists.