People have long venerated stone idols, stones with inscriptions and marks, and crosses. Even a whole historical era was called the Stone Age. And today, many travel around the country to see amazing stone artifacts, or simply go to the Museum of Boulders, created in the Uruchye microdistrict of Minsk. To look at the wondrous and feed on the magical energy that has long been attributed to the stone giants
Boris the baker
There are many stone riddles in the Polotsk land. One of the so-called Borisov stones is installed right in the city next to the famous St. Sophia Cathedral. They are also called the Dvina stones, since they were found along the banks of the Western Dvina. Scientists know seven stones, on which in the XII century, by order of Prince Boris Vseslavich, crosses were carved and inscriptions made. For example, on the Polotsk one installed near the walls of St. Sophia Cathedral, it is carved: "Lord, help your servant Boris …"
Only three of these stones have survived to this day. One was transferred to the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk from the village of Podkosteltsy. The second is located in the agricultural town of Druya, Braslav district. The third can be seen near the village with the self-explanatory name Kameno in the Vileika district.
Scientists still argue about the appointment of the Borisov stones. Some argue that, having made the inscriptions, Prince Boris wanted to transform the sacred pagan relics into Christian ones. Others believe that the inscriptions were carved in a hungry dry year. So the Polotsk ruler prayed to God for help so that the rains would come and the bread would be born. Hence the name of the stone - Boris the baker. The third version - in the inscriptions the Polotsk prince Boris Vseslavich just wanted to immortalize his name.
But tourists do not particularly delve into the intricacies of scientific disputes. Arriving in Polotsk, they take pictures with pleasure at the stone, leave paper and metal money in cracks and potholes. It is believed that such a sacrifice brings wealth to the house. Many, with their arms outstretched, fall to the boulder, trying to recharge with its positive vibes and feel the special energy, which, perhaps through an invisible connection with distant ancestors, makes us stronger and wiser.
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Belarusian Stonehenge
Did you know that there are, in fact, at least two of them in our country? In the Kupa tract near Orsha and on the shore of Yanova Lake - in the vicinity of the village of Bikulnychi, Polotsk region. If you are going to Polotsk, be sure to stop by. Get great aesthetic pleasure. From the wondrous beauty of the Dvinskoye Lake District and from an unprecedented miracle - an ancient stone religious building.
On the coastal meadow, you can see a whole scattering of huge red and pink stones, which, if you look closely, form a kind of geometric figure. Knowledgeable people claim that this is a huge letter P with sides about 15 meters long. With its open part, it faces the lake and is oriented towards Mount Volotovka, located on the opposite shore.
Experts are sure that these are the remains of a pagan temple, which was at the same time an ancient astronomical observatory. Moreover, it is twice as old as the famous British Stonehenge. At this place, our ancestors celebrated Kupala 10 thousand years ago on the day of the summer solstice.
The scattering of huge stones amazes with their silent grandeur and mystery. And if you strain your imagination and imagine the view of this ancient place, when the boulders were lined up in lines, then you can only wonder at the diligence and ingenuity of ancient people who managed to create such an amazing megalithic structure with their bare hands.
There is an interesting version about the stones of the Orsha Kupa. The Kupa tract and the famous English Stonehenge are brothers. These are ancient astronomical observatories. Belarusian temples, the British megalith and a whole series of mysterious stone statues in different parts of Europe are located at the same 54th latitude. It turns out that it is best to observe the moon from it. Indeed, before our era, many peoples lived according to the lunar calendar.
Petrified boat
The largest boulder in our country is located in the Shumilinsky district of the Vitebsk region near the village of Gorki. Locals call it the Great Stone. The length of the dark brown giant is about 11 m, the width is more than 5.5 m, and the height is 3 m. In shape, it resembles a small gentle hill, only granite. Or a huge inverted boat. It seems that the ancient sea is gone, and the giant canoe remained and petrified.
Photo: Maxima VECHERA / sb.by
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Many have heard about the stone crosses in Turov, which, like an amazing plant, rise from the ground. It turns out that stone crosses - even growing ones - are not uncommon for Belarus. And most of these rarities are in the Vitebsk region: in the Rossony, Polotsk, Glubokoye, Verkhnedvinsky, Miory regions. Interestingly, most of them are like twin brothers. It is believed that almost all of them have mystical powers.
But stone idols are very rare here. The most famous pagan idol found in the vicinity of Shklov is now on display at the National Historical Museum. In its natural environment, such a stone statue has survived only in the Rossony region - not far from the village of Yankovichi.
A separate topic is trace stones. These are boulders on which there are some semblance of ancient ornaments or marks that look like a human footprint. Such marks are called traces of God, the Mother of God or St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Hoof-like tracks are considered the seal of the devil.
And such a boulder itself is called a devil's stone.
Stones with footprints are worshiped. Hence their name - Poklonnye Stones. One of them can be seen in the Cherven district - at the cemetery near Smilovichi. Or in the village of Senezhitsy, Novogrudok district. It is believed that he preserved the trace of the Virgin. Such stones cannot be moved from their place, otherwise they will lose their strength.
But the believers avoid stones with a “hoof” and, passing by, spit on them. In Belarus, the largest of the devil's stones is a boulder near the village of Voronino, Senno district. But the village of Kamen in the Volozhin region, apparently, even got its name from the neighborhood with a unique attraction - the devil's stone.
By the way, there is an interesting boulder in the capital - Krupetskiy, or Minskiy stone. It is located not far from the “Minsk-Arena”. It depicts some kind of mythical creature that looks like a frog. Hence the local name - Frog Stone.
TOP-5 MOST FAMOUS STONES OF BELARUS
1. Borisov stone near St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk.
2. Borisov stone in the village of Druya.
3. Vorotishkin cross in the village of Kameno (Vileika district).
4. Boulder in the village of Gorki, Shumilinsky region (Big stone).
5. Devil's stone (Kravets) in the village of Voronino (Sennensky district).
Herman MOSKALENKO