Stone women are such megaliths (or large stone statues) that personify warriors, in particular women. Some believe that they symbolized the victory of the nomads over the steppe. However, there are other opinions, for example, that they were idols-amulets for ancient people. In Azerbaijan, however, stone figures are believed to have been a kind of mark on the area of residence of certain tribes. There is another point of view, based on the fact that the statues played a cult role, personified ancestors.
What was the name of the stone women among the Slavic peoples? In fact, there were a lot of names. Here are some of them: "Kamena wench", "Kamen man", "Mamayam", "Blockhead", "Balbals".
There is a certain classification of stone statues that are found today in Russia and abroad. If we take as a basis the time of creation of megaliths, then these are:
- Humanoid steles of the Bronze Age, that is, dating back to the past era.
- Scythian statues.
- Polovtsian stone women.
In appearance, the stone figures could be sitting and standing, as well as female and male. As for the steles, they were vaguely detailed statues, however, it was possible to determine gender in them.
A bit of history
For the first time in written sources, such stone statues have been mentioned since the 12th century. However, according to archaeological data, the megaliths date back to 6-3 millennia BC. According to various sources, statues originally appeared on the territory between the Irtysh and Danube, depicting men with a mustache, in one hand holding a bowl, and in the other - a weapon. Gradually, female statues began to appear (in Kyrgyzstan) holding a bowl in their hands. In the 11-13 centuries, on the lands of the southern steppes, the Polovtsians began to install stone women on the mounds.
To this day, these stone menhirs have survived in Russia and beyond. Where are the most of them?
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- Steppe strip of Russia.
- Southern Siberia.
- Azerbaijan.
- Eastern Ukraine.
- Germany.
- Middle Asia.
- Mongolia.
- Kazakhstan.
- Altai.
As already mentioned, there are megaliths depicting a person, called Scythian. It was these peoples, as history says, that were the first to establish them on burial monuments. In general, the Scythians were Iranian-speaking tribes who seized dominance in the Russian-Ukrainian steppes in the first millennium BC.
Scythian stone women on the territory of Russia and not only began to attract special attention of scientists from the eighteenth century. And in the middle of 19, the first map was even drawn up indicating the location of stone women. In addition to the Scythians, the Polovtsians and, possibly, other peoples were also engaged in the construction of these statues. Let's talk in more detail about the statues that are closer to us in terms of time, about the Polovtsian ones.
It should be noted right away that the word "woman, women" here has a slightly different meaning, which has nothing to do with a woman. The fact is that the Turkic word "balbal", from which the term "baba" comes from, means "ancestor", that is, ancestor. Among the Polovtsians (a Turkic-speaking nomadic people), statues had a sacred meaning, that is, they were dedicated to gods and ancestors. They were made of gray sandstone. Their height could be different, but on average it varied from one to four meters. The scale of distribution of these statues is striking: from the south-west of Asia to the south-east of Europe. By the time of occurrence, the Polovtsian stone women belong to the 9-13 centuries.
Stone women were installed in elevated areas of the area, including in burial mounds and in sanctuaries. This once again underlines the importance of their purpose. Usually in one sanctuary there were several statues, both sexes. Their faces always turned to the east. In the sanctuaries, funeral rites were held in honor of the ancestors (hence the name of the statues). Interestingly, many of the stone figures were female. This is due to the fact that the image of a woman, as it was believed, gives strength to the soldiers, protects them, makes them immortal and invincible. And it is not surprising that sacrifices were offered to these statues, including in the form of animals.
Varieties of Polovtsian stone figures:
- Humanoid statues made of long stones.
- Male statues with a mustache and a beard.
- Male statues with braids (hairstyle), earrings in the ears and jewelry on the neck.
- Male statues, as if dressed in a caftan with a belt.
- Figures with daggers or sabers.
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Female statues with the designation of sexual characteristics, sometimes with a baby in her arms.
Stone women with bowls, goblets and other vessels.
Initially, the statues were very primitive, even without a clear outline of the image. But gradually, parts of the face and body were cut out in more detail on them, and additional attributes were added. Moreover, the greatest flourishing in terms of design, stone figures reached in the twelfth century. Then the number of statues installed and their variety increased. Figures were created in a standing and sitting position, with cups in their hands. Most clearly during these periods they tried to inscribe on the stone a costume, jewelry, and weapons. More attention was paid to the face: men were always depicted with a mustache and beard, and women were chubby, with soft features. By the way, in the latter, the breast was necessarily allocated as a feeding organ.
After the conquest of the Polovtsians by the Mongols (in the 13th century), many stone statues were destroyed. After all, then an active struggle against the remnants of paganism began. However, for several centuries the Slavs worshiped these monuments, thinking that they would be able to affect the fertility of the land, the weather conditions and the well-being of man in general. About two thousand stone women have survived to this day.
Location of stone women by region
Of particular interest is the localization of stone statues. Local residents of the republics and regions in which they survived are proud of these historical monuments, cultural traditions of their ancestors. And many also believe in the power of stone statues, bringing them gifts and asking them for something for themselves.
Stone women in Crimea
There are those in Alupka, on the terraces of the Vorontsov Palace. Today they are the property of the resort; excursions for tourists are organized to them. It is interesting that there are stone women of the Crimea, standing in their original place, and there are also those transported to other parts of the peninsula.
Stone woman in the Kursk region
Its other name is Polovtsian warrior. It is located in the Alekhinsky reserve. The face of this statue is not marked, but the arms are very long. In general, the stone is very roughly processed, there are almost no identification marks.
Stone women: Donetsk region There
are stone statues in museums and reserves, as they are protected objects. The area is famous for the fact that it contains several dozen figures. The most famous is the Donetsk Museum of Local Lore, which houses a whole park of Polovtsian stone women.
Stone women: Altai
Altai is famous for its historical monuments, one of which is stone women. Locals call them "kazer-tash". In Gorny Altai, about thirty sculptures have survived. Moreover, some were taken to museums in different cities of Russia, while some remained in their original places. Stone women, for which Altai is famous for a reason, are protected and protected as historical and cultural monuments.
Stone woman: Khakassia
The local residents of the republic call her Ulug Khurtuyakh Tas, which translates as a large stone woman (grandmother). It is located in the museum-reserve of the Askiz region. The village of Askiz, near which the stone woman is located, has become a real tourist destination. The figure is dated from the fourth to fifth millennia BC. Khakass consider the statue sacred, they venerate it. The stone woman is three meters high, but currently one third is underground. It is made of sandstone. Some residents believe that the statue helps cure infertility. To this day, a stone woman in Khakassia has the status of a real deity, to whom gifts are left.
