If you move through the forest from the Belynichskaya village of Zaozerye towards the Holy Lake, you will not pass by a huge stone cross, which proudly rises in its entire two-meter height to the right of the road. Several dozen more hewn boulders of various sizes peep out of the moss among the pines. Around - thickets of blueberries and lilies of the valley. And the silence, broken only by the rustle of the wind and the distant crowing of the cuckoo, which, as if losing counting, begins its monotonous song again and again, counting year after year
Cemetery or sanctuary?
The gigantic cross stands as if it covers the space with its stone hands. On the one hand, it is convex, on the other, it is entirely split, covered with chips. It seems that something was cut off from him. Or maybe the notch in the front was made on purpose? It is convenient to lean against it with your back, and then it seems that the cross embraces you. Why not imagine that in ancient times people came here, believing that this place was drawing bad energy out of a person. The idea of the unusual energy of the forest glade is also suggested by the fact that two young pines growing directly at the stone itself are sick, unlike all other trees. Are not the hard fields removed from people going to them? There are several versions of the Zaozersk "Stonehenge". Tatiana Shestak, a history teacher at the Esmon School, is inclined to believe that this is an ancient sanctuary:
- In the center is the main statue, around it smaller stones are placed in a hemisphere, on which various images are visible: crosses, triangles, and most of all - arrows. And from all sides there are as if entrances.
Local historian Mikhail Karpechenko, a journalist with a regional newspaper, adheres to a different point of view:
- This is a necropolis, a burial place near the burial site, where the open cross seems to be protecting the peace. Such a metaphysical meaning … A native of these places, the Belarusian writer Mikola Telesh, who himself is a mysterious person, once wrote: “Behind our village to the west in a mighty forest there is a large cemetery, where there are huge boulders with a tent of four”.
True, only one large stone has survived now, the rest are small.
Local residents perceive the stones without special reverence and interest, believing that soldiers of the Napoleonic army who died in the battles of 1812 are buried here. And under the big cross, in their opinion, is the grave of a great French official.
An idea was also expressed about the path from the Varangians to the Greeks, which was guarded by a Viking colony. In these places Drut 'comes close to Dvina, but the shortcut disappeared due to the intrigues of the local witch. Like, she threw a charmed harrow into the river, after which not only the river, but also some nearby lakes dragged on.
Drawings on stones: a man, a horse and runes
Archaeologists have not yet gotten around to exploring the numerous mysteries of the Esmonshchyna. But black diggers are actively interested in them. Traces of their activities are visible everywhere. Many stones, judging by the grass growing under them, are out of place or are fragments of larger boulders. Yes, and the big cross had previously lay and was raised only a few years ago by workers of the local forestry.
- Residents of Zaozerye or Esmon are absolutely not afraid of this place, - says Tatiana Shestak. - I myself noticed these stones only five years ago. We walked with the children from the school local history circle to the lake, the lads saw - a capacious boulder, sat down to rest. And they got interested only this year. The guys put things in order, the stones were counted, photographed, and carefully examined. And who saw what on the boulders: arrows, crosses, inscriptions, a horse's head, a tree branch … All this is very clearly visible in cloudy weather. But the strangest image is a man.
A clearing of stones is not the only mysterious place in the local area. An ancient settlement is located a kilometer north of it. A little further away on the other side is a group of 110 mounds.
Mikhail Karpechenko told about another stone cross, which was also located nearby: at the intersection of three roads on the forest edge between two birches. In his opinion, this place was the sanctuary of the goddess Mozhana, who, according to legend, accompanied a person to the afterlife. The local historian was also led to this idea by the fact that the Mozha River flows nearby and the village of Mozhany is located. As for the cross itself, it disappeared around 1990. Moreover, to pull out the stone, a crane would be required, but there were no traces of technology.
At least one and a half dozen small stone crosses stick out of the ground at the edge of the cemetery near the neighboring village of Maysk. They say that the villagers tried to dig graves here, but they came across human bones, and they no longer bury in this corner. On the boulders there are crosses, inscriptions similar to runic and Cyrillic. And also the image of a cruciform man, like on one of the stones in the forest, only without a head. And again, where did this all come from? Riddle.
- Definitely nothing to say here. One can only proceed from poor historical facts, legends and legends, - says Mikhail Karpechenko, who recently wrote the book "Bridle of the stroma", dedicated to the secrets of the Esmon region. “But it is clear that this place is unusual.
- On our land, the guys and I find something amazing every year. But not in order to make a sensation out of this, but for your understanding of the place in this world, - admits Tatiana Shestak. - It is interesting to live when you understand that you are not the first on this earth, but behind you - so many centuries. And generations …
Some time after my first acquaintance with the Zaozersk "Stonehenge" I again happened to be in those places. Once again examining the mysterious stones, I suddenly realized that I could not find the one that depicts the "man". I combed the whole clearing a dozen times - the result was zero. It is possible that foresters accidentally filled up the stone with cut branches when thinning out the forest. Or maybe the black diggers tried, once again getting ahead of the archaeologists?
Andrey SKOROBOGATOV.
Geographer
Igor Sharukho's opinion: "Pagan temple"
“I think this is a pagan temple,” Igor Sharukho, associate professor of the Department of Geography and Nature Protection of Mogilev State University, expresses his opinion, carefully studying the photographs. - The stones could stand in a certain order, including playing the role of a place for observing celestial bodies - the Sun, stars - in order to determine the days, months ("keeping" the calendar of observations). This role was played by already known megaliths like Stonehenge. Simply put, when the sun entered its zenith, people determined the summer solstice by the fall of the shortest shadow throughout the year. And from him they were already counting the time, determining when what holiday. By the way, many scientists argue that the very concept of "calendar" has nothing to do with the Roman kalends … But they hint at an ancient holiday, Kolyada: the calendar is the gift of Kolyada.
But it is unlikely that such a large cross was carved and installed for any one purpose, the same chronology. It is too expensive, too much work.
- Where did these stones come from?
- From the point of view of geology, I can say that all these boulders are brought. Vyborg, glacial origin. They appeared together with the glaciers: the Scandinavian mountains were destroyed, and the boulders that were in the body of the glacier remained on our territory. There are more of them in the northern regions, while we have less. Even in the Museum of Boulders in Minsk there are only a few of our "fellow countrymen" from the western part of the Mogilev region.
- Only when you first looked at the large stone cross, you said: "Stone-Baba." What does it mean?
- Obviously, the front part of the statue is chipped. I am not a great specialist, but often in the field, in scientific literature, I met such a "Stone-Baba", when a small cross was placed on a large cross on the chest. It turns out the association of a mother and a child. It is quite possible to imagine a person in the form of a cross.
- Esmon local historians have a very popular version associated with the cult of the goddess Mozhana. How do you feel about her?
- I can only say that the cultural layer that existed before the Christian era is simply enormous. But, unfortunately, it is either practically lost or unrecognizable. For example, stones were processed by pagans, and then they were used by Christians. Many Orthodox holidays show the spirit of pagan traditions. Therefore, these stones themselves seem to me to be a very striking artifact, evidence of the high culture of people who inhabited these places many hundreds and thousands of years ago. Over the years, the tree has decayed and disintegrated into dust, but the stones remained, and this phenomenon must be treated as a monument. From my point of view, it is good and important that local ethnographers are interested in this.
The name Mozha indicates a swampy area, among which there are single hillocks and hills. In E. Murzaev's dictionary, the concept of "could / mozha" sometimes means a stone island, i.e. heap of stones among the swamp massif.
- Maybe now it's the turn of scientists? After all, many stone statues that have stood for centuries have already disappeared.
- The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The well-known Belarusian archaeologist Vyacheslav Kopytin once issued maps of archaeological sites in 20 districts of the region, except for Mstislavsky. And everywhere these monuments are on the verge of complete destruction by black diggers. There is a law on archaeological sites, but the protection itself is often of a declarative nature. There is not enough strength for a true guard …
In an amicable way, the place where the stones are located should be ennobled and try to make sure that these monuments do not disappear. But how do we do it sometimes? In Mogilev, in the Fatin area, a figure of a wooden monkey was placed and a kind of park of stones was organized around it. I think that one of the boulders may even be considered a natural monument. What happened next? They took the boulders and painted them. Why do this to nature education? It's not beautiful, not aesthetically pleasing, not environmentally friendly, and in general - not normal. You could just as well make various shapes out of concrete and then paint them. Nowhere in the world you will see a painted natural stone, which says: "Take care of nature!" Stones, or rather, rocks and minerals, are an integral part of inanimate nature, and they also need protection, belong to the category of geological monuments.
Therefore, everything must be approached wisely. And so Zaozersky material is very interesting and gives a lot of food for thought.
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The opinion of the archaeologist
Igor Marzalyuk: "Ground burial"
- The stones found in the Zaozersk forest are a normal ground burial ground of the Middle Ages. To more accurately determine the era, it is necessary, of course, to carry out excavations. But judging by the outlines of the letters on the stones, this is the 16th-17th century, - believes Associate Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Igor Marzalyuk. - The largest cross seems to me to be an ordinary butt, a gravestone, a kind of monument.
- That is, you see nothing pagan in this stone story?
- At all times the Belarusians had a great cult of stones, and it is definitely connected with the era of paganism. Hence all the legends that these stones grow, increase in size … Indeed, the pagans used stones in cult practice, but judging by the photographs, the Zaozersk finds are associated with the era of Christianization. This is indicated by the largest carved cross. The so-called image of the "little man" is a flourishing cross, which is also not uncommon. In addition, six-pointed crosses, classic for the Orthodox tradition, are carved on some stones. This is, of course, a very interesting monument, but most likely it belongs to the late Middle Ages.
- If this is a cemetery, then who is buried there?
- It may well turn out that this is an ordinary peasant burial. A similar place was excavated near Polotsk: there were tombs of the 18th century.
But it seems to me that the most interesting are the stone crosses at the May cemetery. In essence, they mean that the ancestors of the current villagers who lived about 400 years ago lie on this place.
- Do you deny the version that there was a pagan temple in the forest?
- It doesn't look like a temple. Moreover, there is Christian symbolism … Maybe there was something somewhere, but I very much doubt it.
As for Mozhany, the word “mozha” may in general have a Polish origin. For example, the Poles have a fairly common surname - Mozha. It seems to me that the search for analogies with pagan goddesses is nothing more than a fantasy. And the temple itself must have a whole set of signs.
No, this is a normal cemetery. I can assume that the gentry lies in the forest. When there are such big butts, this is primarily due to the elite. Most likely, there must be a gentry torture chamber somewhere nearby. The large cross may indicate the tomb of the family, be the central grave.
- Or maybe it's the French after all?
- This is definitely nonsense and legend. We call everything old French or Swedish.