Ruskolani's Call
If you open the "Book of Veles", then we will immediately face the image of the powerful ancient kingdom of Ruskolani in the Northern Black Sea region. At the time of its prosperity, at the beginning of our era, this kingdom occupied the lands from the Danube and the Carpathians to the Crimea, the North Caucasus and the Volga, and the subordinate lands seized the steppes of the Volga and South Urals. Closely related royal families then ruled in the lands of Sassanian Iran, and in Northern India, as well as in the lands of West Slavic, and almost throughout the "barbarian" Europe. The holy capital of all these kingdoms, the city of Kiyar Antsky, which in Russia was the predecessor of Kiev, was located near Elbrus, the great Alatyr Mountain.
"The Book of Veles", the legends of the peoples of the East and West, tell about more than three thousand years of Ruskolani history: about wars, about the construction of cities and temples, about the arrangement of trade routes with the East and West.
But until recently, for transient, political reasons, as well as because of an unscientific, but well-established tradition, this civilization, like the entire ancient history of Black Sea Russia, was recognized by Russian history and archeology as either non-existent or not related to the Slavs and Russians. Therefore, the Roksalan cities, sanctuaries and temples in this region are unknown to the official archeology.
Moreover, the position of the pre-revolutionary Russian historical and archaeological science was different. Then the first and very significant discoveries were made. So back in 1851, archaeologist P. G. Akritas examined the ruins of the Scythian Temple of the Sun on the eastern slopes of Beshtau. The results of further archaeological excavations of this sanctuary were published in 1914 in the Notes of the Rostov-on-Don Historical Society. There was described a huge stone "in the form of a Scythian cap", installed on three abutments, as well as a domed grotto. And the beginning of large excavations in Pyatigorye was laid by the famous pre-revolutionary archaeologist D. Ya. Samokvasov, who described 44 mounds in the vicinity of Pyatigorsk in 1881.
Later, after the revolution, only some burial mounds were examined; only initial exploration work was carried out on the settlements by archaeologists E. I. Krupnov, V. A. Kuznetsov, G. E. Runich, E. P. Alekseeva, S. Ya. Baichorov, Kh. Kh. Boyadzhiev and others. Therefore, now we have only rare and essentially random finds of objects attributed to the "Kobanians", Alans and Sarmatians-Roxalans.
A civilization comparable to that of ancient Greco-Roman? Fairy tales!”, I have heard such an opinion from historians more than once. Yes, and myself, working on the translation of the "Book of Veles" and rereading its news about the Ruskolans, I understood: these are legends written in the 9th century, that is, half a millennium after the fall of Ruskolani under the blows of the Huns. But I had no doubt that these legends had a basis. And that means that that great civilization could not but leave behind visible traces. The city of Kiya at the "Great Mountain", founded in the II millennium BC, could not disappear without a trace. The capital of Ruskolani from the time of Bus Beloyar, IV century, could not but leave traces. AD After all, the Busov monument has survived in Pyatigorye!..
The idea of searching for Ruskolani in the North Caucasus captured me for a long time. These lands and mountains have called me since my student years, since the first mountain hikes in the Elbrus region, made since the late 80s.
Promotional video:
And so, starting in the summer of 2001, since I was contacted by a wonderful connoisseur of the Caucasus, Alexei Aleksandrovich Alekseev, who works in the Moscow tourist club "Nord-West", we, a group of local history enthusiasts, began to organize scientific expeditions in the North Caucasus. And now ancient specialists have joined our work: historians, archaeologists, paleo-astronomers. The Center for Children and Youth Tourism and Excursions in Pyatigorsk, headed by Alexei Grigorievich Yevtushenko, is of great help to us.
In search of the city of Kiya
Did we manage to find the city of Kiya? Already in the first edition of the book "Slavic Runes and Boyan Hymn" (Moscow, 1999), I indicated the most probable location of Kiyar near Mount Karakaya, which is in the Rocky Range (height 3646 m). Subsequently, it was this position that turned out to be true, it was confirmed by the information of the Turkish traveler and the land of the 17th century descriptor Evliya elebi, who relied on ancient Persian manuscripts known in his time.
A detailed survey of the ruins of this city, which occupies a wide valley between the villages of Verkhniy Chegem and Bezengi, is a matter for the future. It is necessary to carry out archaeological excavations here, which requires large investments and involvement of leading scientists and not only Russia in the work. The same work, extremely careful, so as not to disturb the shrines, should be carried out in other "cities of the dead" of the North Caucasus. And it should be noted that the sleep of those graves has long been disturbed by robbers and "black archaeologists". It is known, for example, that on the eve of the Civil War, one of the last untouched graves was opened, and a mummy was found in it, the fate of which is now unknown. Such a find was also reported by the note: “A unique find: the mummy of an ancient man in the Alan-Adyg burial ground (“Lenin's banner”, Cherkessk, July 4, 1974). But let's hopethat not everything is lost and that the archaeological discovery of Ruskolani is still ahead.
The final decision whether the ruins pointed out by Evliya elebi are in fact the ruins of Kiyar can only be decided by large-scale archaeological excavations. And from the very beginning, we also considered other possibilities. Mount Karakaya (Karkeya), indicated in a number of manuscripts as the main landmark for the location of this city, is not only here. In the Elbrus region, near Elbrus itself, there is another mountain Karakaya with a height of 3350 m. On the way to it from the first mountain, in the valley of the Kirtyk River, there is another, third, low mountain with the same name Karakaya. It is located halfway from Kiyar to Elbrus and the sacred Irian valley.
It was this ancient sacred path that we surveyed in 2001, and in subsequent years we conducted exploratory expeditions near Irahit and its environs.
From Kiyar to Iriy
If you move from Kiyar by the way of pilgrims, then you must first walk along the gorges of the Chegem River, then cross the Kachkortash ridge and go to the city of Tyrnauz or Bylym on the Baksan River. Then, passing along the Baksan River, you should go to its tributary, the Kyrtyk River. And then along this river to reach the small mountain Karakaya.
In the Turkic languages this name means "Black Mountain". And, obviously, in this case, the name reflects the essence. This is really the "Black Mountain" with the remains of an ancient temple, caves and "Alan" tombs. In that mountain there are mineral springs with healing, but quickly deteriorating "dead water". According to legend, this water heals only the body, but not the soul, it heals wounds even on the dead, and only living water can revive him.
It is possible that the ancient Arab writer Masudi mentioned exactly this sanctuary near the Black Mountain when describing the vicinity of Elbrus, which he calls the Highest mountain in the world … in the Slavic region. " He literally wrote the following: "Another building was built by one of the Slavic kings on the Black Mountain, it is surrounded by wonderful waters, colorful and varied, known for their benefits …". Very similar!
If you pass this Black Mountain, then beyond it and beyond the Chatkara pass ("Black Pass") a terrain opens up, which can be conventionally called the "Valley of Death". In this valley behind a wide glacier (frozen lake) there is a moraine ridge - an ancient lava flow. It is cut by the Kyzyl Kol River, that is, the "Red River" (or "Fire River"). So, beyond the Black Mountain and the Black Pass, behind the "valley of death", a glacier and a bizarre moraine of rocks and stones, reminiscent of a troll's refuge, is the River of Fire …
Yes, this is the Fiery River Currant! The river of death … This is the river of Firebog, the guardian of the spiritual world. The sacred plant of Firebog is a currant bush, on which the berries are first red (fiery), similar to dogwood, and then black as coal. Kyzyl-Su (Currant) is the river of death, crossing it you can get into the world of gods and spirits. Indeed, a natural bridge of fallen rocks leads across this river in a narrow gorge. This is the fabulous "Kalinov Bridge". The same "Kalinov Bridge", on which, according to ancient Slavic legends, dragons, the guards of Navi, stood in the way of the heroes.
A. A. Alekseev, who led us to this bridge in 2001, stated this with great conviction, and I also believe it is very reliable. What a picturesque place! Not only to ancient people, but also to us it seems to be the image of the Otherworld, Navi.
This path led us from Yavi to Nav. And in Navi, according to tradition, there are two kingdoms: Iriy and Inferno … And this hell, Black Mountain, Black Pass and dead rocks of a lava flow, we have already passed … And Iriy … He is also here!
On the Irian plateau
Iriy is a neighboring vast plateau, sparkling with greenery and flowers, called Irakhit-syrt (“Iriy pasture”). The Irahit pasture is the earthly image of Iriya! This consonance is not accidental.
To the south of it is the majestic bulk of Elbrus. The northern edge is cut off by a deep gorge, through which the Kyzyl-su river flows, behind which the Tashlyt-syrt ridge. During the 2002 expedition, I thoroughly examined this plateau and its surroundings.
The Irakhit-syrt plateau is a true natural wonder. It was created over millions of years. Glaciers descending from the slopes of Elbrus passed along it. Lava flows flowed around it, which were for the ancient people the Fiery River. And this river last flowed during the time of Busova, during the last major volcanic eruption. Then the lava flow blocked Kyzyl-su, and until the river cut a road in the cooled lava, the Irakhit plateau separated a wide lake from the other mountains. And you could only get to it by crossing the Kalinov Bridge.
And what about Iriy himself? Does it correspond to the descriptions of paradise found in all the sacred books of world religions? Both biblical and Koranic paradises are located in the Caucasus. It is said in these descriptions about the Garden of Eden, and about the source of living water that flows in it, as well as about the tree of life, and about the tree of knowledge. We meet the same images in the Vedic traditions that have come down to us in national versions.
Thus, in the Zoroastrian paradise, there are seven immortal saints Amesha Spenta, who are the essence of the "qualities" of the Supreme Ahura Mazda (Asa the Wise). Ahura Mazda in the Slavic tradition is the essence of Asil the Wise, or Veles, who has seven faces. That is, in this paradise there are seven abodes of the seven faces of Veles.
These seven faces are: 1) Asila Rodovich, the first of the Aesir, the face of Rod; 2) Semargl Svarozhich, the fire god and the first blacksmith, the commander of the heavenly armies; 3) Finist Dyevich, Fire Wolf and Clear Falcon, god of war and sacrificial fire. And also the four Suns of the gods Surich, Ramina, Valia, Vritya and Don.
The Slavic Vedas give the following description of Iriya:
That Irian garden is seven miles away, he stands on eighty pillars
high, high in the skies.
In that heavenly garden there is a grass-murava,
a flower on each grass, and on each flower a pearl.
And around Iria is a silver tyn, and on each post there is a candle.
"Seven versts", on which Iriy is arranged, these are his seven levels, on which there are seven abodes of seven gods, seven faces of Veles. In the Old Russian language, the meaning of the word verst is a row, a level. And also on the Irahit plateau there are seven levels, hills, surmounted by seven altars. And here there are these stones, including those that look like stone bowls of the correct shape, bowls for the preparation of sacred surya.
Grass-murava, flowers - and this is rich in the Irahit plateau, and the entire surrounding valleys. And it is important to note that on each of the seven hills, one type of flower prevails. So on the first of the hills, at the very "gate of Iriya" - blue bells. Slightly higher, near the "Surya bowl", there are yellow bells. And at the highest point of the plateau, near the group of stones that represent the altar of Svarozhich, then, in 2002, a lonely fiery flower, starflower, or mountain aster bloomed. And by the way, many cultivated plants, and especially flowers, spread around the world from here, from the “Garden of Eden”, according to the works of Academician N. K. Vavilov. And to this day, their wild subspecies can be found here everywhere.
Opposite to the altar of the blacksmith god Svarozhich, on the slope of Tashlyt-syrt, iron ore outlets are visible. And there are ancient Alanian mountain mines, ancient furnaces. According to ancient legends, it was here that the secret of making iron from ore was discovered …
A magical, holy country! This is where Kiy's son Arius was walking. It is possible that it was here that he found the "city of the gods" … The city, as well as the sanctuary of the Sun … And we go further through this enchanted country.
From Iria to the Sanctuary of the Sun on Mount Tuzuluk
Walking along the edge of Irakhitsyrt, the Iriy plateau, passing the "Kalinov bridge", you can go to the Valley of Castles and the springs of narzan Dzhilysu (hot waters).
Valley of Castles! Indeed, the conical cliffs on the side of the mountain opposite us resemble castles. A unique natural formation, and below, in the gorge, the Sultan waterfall … Sultan or Saltan … but in Russian fairy tales this was the name of the ancient Slavic king who ruled in the Caucasus. Remember Pushkin's "kingdom of the glorious Saltan", which is next to Pyatigorye. After all, A. S. Pushkin retold a famous folk tale.
And next to this waterfall, warm healing springs gush out of the rocks … Living water! Unlike “dead water”, it lasts a long time and gives strength, it is not by chance that this water is called “narzan”, or “nart-sane”, that is, “the holy drink of the narts”. Narts, the ancient warriors of the Caucasus, drew their magical power from this water.
And in the Nart epic itself, in the Ossetian fairy tale about Aldar, there is a story about this source “Where, in enmity, the mountains are closed by peaks, like stubborn rams butting with their heads … Behind them a mountain spring beats from the rock. This water raises the dead …
And behind the Narzan valley, near the Kayaashik pass, there are the ruins of a certain city or fortress that once blocked this pass … What kind of fortress is this? In what years was it built? When did you fall?
Judging by the cruciform plans of the two churches, as well as by the grave-crypts made of stones, this fortress belongs to the Christian times. But Christianity in Ruskolani was also widespread during the time of Busova, that is, in the 4th century.
And this city could have an ancient history. Something could have been built here in the time of Kiy! This city-fortress could survive the Christian period. And it was destroyed, perhaps, by the Huns, but finally fell into decay, most likely during the time of Tamerlane, who eradicated Christianity in these places … That's where you need to carry out archaeological excavations!
If you come to that valley near the foot of Mount Karakaya, we will be greeted by a lone menhir, which stands here like an ancient sentry. The face of the knight is carved on a stone pillar, looking straight to the east. And behind the menhir is a bell-shaped hill. This is Tuzuluk ("Treasury of the Sun"). Another translation is "salt shaker" (from the word "ace" with the meaning "salt" in Turkic). Salt in ancient times was worth its weight in gold. It was believed that salt has the magic of the sun, as well as gold (hence the word "salt" has the same root base as the "sun"). In the Old Russian language, the word "tuzuluk" means "decoration on the belt", "jewel". There are no salt deposits near the Tuzuluk mountain, its name means “treasury”.
And at the top of Tuzuluk are the ruins of the ancient sanctuary of the Sun. The very structure of the sanctuary, the way the stones were processed, point to the Cimmerian times. At the top of the hill is, first, a tour marking the summit. Then three large rocks, which were processed. Once a gap was cut through them, directed from north to south. Also at the top there are stones laid out as sectors in the zodiacal calendar. Each sector is exactly 30 degrees.
And how can you not recall the description of the Temple of the Sun by the same Masudi: in the Slavic lands there were buildings revered by them. Between the others, there was a building on a mountain that philosophers wrote about, which is one of the highest mountains in the world. this building has a story about the quality of its construction, about the location of its heterogeneous stones and their different colors about the holes made in its upper part, about what was built in these holes to observe the rising of the sun, about the precious stones and signs placed there, noted in it, which indicate future events and warn against incidents before their implementation, about the sounds in the upper part of it and what comprehends them when hearing these sounds."
And it is obvious that each part of this temple complex was intended for calendar-astrological calculations. In this it is similar to the South Ural city-temple of Arkaim, which has the same zodiacal structure, the same division into 12 sectors. It is also similar to Stonehenge in the UK.
What brings it closer to Stonehenge, firstly, is that the axis of the temple is also oriented from north to south. And secondly, one of the most important distinguishing features of Stonehenge is the presence of the so-called "Heel Stone" far from the sanctuary. But after all, a reference-menhir has been established at the Sanctuary of the Sun in Tuzuluk.
Until now, scientists were perplexed: why was it necessary to spend so much effort, to build grandiose sanctuaries like Stonehenge, just to know the dates of eclipses. Indeed, their construction required the hardest work of thousands of people, the most complex calculations. What inspired the builders and astronomer priests? Why did they need to know the exact dates of the eclipses? Is it just to impress the gullible by predicting them?
Of course not! The main goal was different. This is what the "Book of Veles" says, which repeatedly mentions the expectation of the "Time of Sva", when new "Svarog Wheels" are turning. Astrological calculations were needed by the Magi to determine the most important dates in World history. So the stars, the appearance of comets and eclipses determined the time of the descent of the Son of the Highest, as well as the end and beginning of the zodiacal eras. And above all, the beginning of the New Kolo Svarog, or as we say now, the Platonic year, which includes 12 zodiacal eras or 27 millennia
Such a main date for the 1st century could be the date of the Nativity of Christ. According to legend, this Christmas was determined by the wise men and magicians who came from Persian countries. Incidentally, the Aryan dynasty ruled in Ruskolani, which is a branch of the Iranian-Persian royal dynasty. And this legend could also mean the Slavic Magi.
And for the IV century A. D. the Christmas of Bus Beloyar could also be predicted. The mystery of the Nativity of Bus Beloyar was also associated with an eclipse that occurred two weeks after the birth of Bus, namely on March 3, 295. By this eclipse it could be determined when Busovo Time ends.
This means that the Busovo eclipse on March 21, 368, marking the Crucifixion and Transfiguration of Busovo, as well as the turn of eras, the end of the past Kolo Svarog, and the beginning of the New Kolo, lasting 27 millennia, could also be calculated in a similar way.
The stellar secrets of the Tuzuluk sanctuary, in everything, are similar to those of Stonehenge. But until now, these secrets remained hidden for researchers. And only now, after studying the Slavic astrological tradition, much has become clear to us. I described these secrets in detail in the book "Slavic Astrology" (M., 2001).
According to the Slavic Vedic tradition, each new year begins with the vernal equinox, that is, from March 21. And the next seven weeks from the Crucifixion of Bus to his Resurrection and Ascension to the throne of the Most High are the most important in the calendar. They repeat the mystery of 368. These seven weeks represent a cycle of continuous festivities, commemoration of the deeds of Bus and the great relatives of the Beloyar family.
Then at midnight on March 21, 368, exactly in the south (that is, in the direction of the gap cut in the rock at the top of Tuzuluk) the star Spica (Alpha Virgo) shone. And then, exactly over the menhir, the star Antares rose.
By the way, the name of the star Antares means "the man of Ares", according to Greek tradition, this is the son of the god Ares and Aphrodite. Moreover, Ares was revered as a non-Greek, Thracian and Scythian god. That is, he was also identified with the Slavic Yar (Yarovit, Yariloy), and therefore Antares is the son of Yarila, which means Yar, or Beloyar.
And so we see that when the star of Beloyar lit up over the menhir in the constellation Scorpio (Slavic Scepter-Serpent), then the Crucifixion of Bus Beloyar took place. And then, according to Slavic legends, Bus Beloyar, like earlier other Sons of Vyshnya - Yar, and Kolyada, and Kryshen, ascended on a dragon to the top of Alatyr Mountain (Elbrus).
According to the Slavic calendar, the Ascension took place seven weeks after the Crucifixion, that is, after March 21, 368.
And we see that in seven weeks the star Antares (a star of the Yarov family) in the constellation Scorpio (the constellation Skipper-Serpent), observed every time at midnight, moved along with the entire sky from the southeast (determined by the direction to Busov menhir) to the south, and a little further west. That is, it shone exactly over the peaks of Elbrus.
From the sanctuary on Mount Tuzuluk it looks like a star flight on the dragon Busa Beloyar to the throne of the Most High on Mount Alatyr. Just like in the songs about the Roof! And the same plot is depicted on the pedestal of the Busov monument.
And this mystery was then repeated every year. And she entered the traditional circle of Orthodox folk festivals that we have celebrated until now.
Other secrets of the Holy Mountains
We have just started exploring the Elbrus region. It is necessary to continue archaeological exploration and toponymic research, it is important to study the legends of these places - Alan (Ossetian), Adyghe, Karachai, and Balkar. They contain the most important evidence of the ancient history of Ruskolani.
Few people know that some of the ancient clans of these Caucasian peoples have a relationship, or even common roots, with the Slavs and Russians, and especially with the Cossacks.
Here's an example. We started our hike from the village of Verkhniy Baksan. The old name of this village is Urusbievsky ulus. So he was named after the Balkar prince. But after all, "Urus" means "Russian" in Turkic, and "biy" means "prince". That is, the name of this family means "prince of the Rus".
In the Caucasus, the ancestors of the Balkars mixed with the ancient Caucasian clans, and especially with the Karachais, but also with the remnants of the Ruskolans. The Türkic component in the language of the Balkars prevailed since the time of the Türkic Kaganate. But the very name “Balkars” and “Bulgarians” has the meaning of “white arias”, in fact “beloyars”. And it is important to note that among the Balkars at the beginning of the 19th century (see, for example, Johann Blamberg's book "The Caucasian Manuscript"), the Bassian (or Busian) clan was highly revered, which came from the ancient family of this people, to which Georgian historiography attributed the Alan (and hence the Roxalan) origin. Busov family!
A new mystery … and how many more awaits us in the Caucasus, and throughout the land of ancient Ruskolani!
Kiyar, Yargrad, Slavia and other "cities of the dead", as well as the "forge of Svarog" on Tashlyt-syrt. Irian valley … "Living water" of the Narzan. These mountains preserve unique natural forces, and they give the local residents longevity …