Not far from Riga is the Pokaini Forest, also known locally as the "Valley of the Spirits". This place is considered to be full of magic and myths.
Many believe that in the old days druids, fairies, nymphs and many other creatures, monsters and spirits lived here in the old days, filling trees, stones and the earth itself. For many centuries the place has been considered sacred. There was a time when pilgrims came here, wishing to be cleansed from their sins. Here they left stones, which they carried as a symbol of their sins. Also, this place was recognized as having the ability to heal various diseases and wounds.
At all times, the Pokaini Forest has given rise to stories of strange and unusual incidents and phenomena. Among the ancient trees, they saw balls of dancing light, strange figures that suddenly appeared and disappeared, and much more, which sometimes even managed to be captured in photographs. Anyone who comes to this forest may be faced with the fact that the compass will not work here. Electronic devices can also malfunction or fail altogether. Batteries suddenly lose all charge.
Those who have been in the forest say that they found themselves in places where the sounds of the forest disappeared and where the lightest whisper was heard at a great distance as clearly as if the whisper was nearby. Many people in this forest experienced a sense of disorientation. Those who come to the forest often have an increased heart rate and dizziness. The trees themselves in this forest are quite strange. Sometimes they only have foliage on one side.
One of the strangest features of this forest is the strange stone hills. In total, there are about 30 hills, which look as if they were neatly laid out of stones and boulders. The origin of these hills remains a mystery. No one knows who created them or why. It is known that they were not used for burials as no human remains have been found. Some argue that these stones have medicinal properties. But some of them are dangerous to handle.
It is believed that the temperature near these stones is always slightly higher than in the rest of the forest. Some of them are said to be warm and seem to radiate heat. According to one of the versions, a mysterious object, forgotten for many centuries, is buried somewhere under this forest. Some are sure that this is an ancient meteorite. According to other versions, it could be a tomb or even an alien spaceship.
Another oddity of the forest is that the weather is always calm, no matter what storms torment the surrounding area. This refers to the deeds of the druids or the spirits of the forest, once summoned by them. Druids are also considered responsible for the circles near the forest, in which nothing grows and which only add mystery.
In 1996, Ivar Vicks, a scientist from Riga, investigated the forest and found that some of the stones actually emit powerful electromagnetic radiation. He also documented temperature anomalies. Shortly after completing his research, Weeks fell ill and died.
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Another scientist, Russian physicist Yevgeny Sidorov, also studied the forest and came to the conclusion that some kind of radiation comes from an underground source and may be responsible for strange phenomena occurring in the forest.
GUSAKOVA IRINA YURIEVNA