There is a high mountain in the east of the Mari region. Quarries are hidden at its top, and, according to legend, a "drunken key" gushes from the slope. Chukshinskaya Gora is located in the Morkinsky region on the Vyatsky Uval, stretching across the Mari Territory from north to south. The regional center, the village of Morki, is only 15 kilometers away. The mountain is located 120 km from Yoshkar-Ola. The road to the mountain is not difficult - along the asphalt road to Markov and further. You only have to turn onto a dirt road to the village of the same name Chuksha, and further up the slope there is a dirt road. There is a stone quarry on the top of the mountain, so the road is designed for trucks and city cars on it can be bad. But those who master the path will have an amazing view of almost the entire area. Experienced tourists assure that from Chuksha you can see the valley of the Ileta River, all the surroundings and many local villages. The unusually beautiful view is easy to explain, Chuksha is the highest point of the republic. Its top is located at an altitude of 278 meters, and a small fire tower adds the required couple of meters to the round figure.
At the top of Chuksha there is a large stone quarry. Stone has been mined there for many years, which is then crushed into crushed stone. The view of the quarry is so unusual and unusual for Mari El that many speculations and rumors about Mari "megaliths" and even "pyramids" have appeared on the Internet. But scientists are in no hurry to confirm the sensational discoveries of amateurs. Therefore, there is no need to talk about ancient stonecutters in the Mari region.
A drunken key under a high mountain
Chuksha has another legend, even more incredible and attractive. There is a popular belief among tourists that a "drunk spring" gushes from the mountainside, the water from which either intoxicates or intensifies intoxication. Whole expeditions come to check the abilities of the miraculous source. But so far, enthusiasts have not found scientific evidence for the legend. Although some of the tourists claim to have experienced the "drunken key" effect on themselves.
The name of the source has more prosaic and plausible explanations. According to one version, the key runs down the slope along a winding channel, wagging from side to side as if drunk. According to another version, the source hidden in the forests was used by local moonshiners in the old days. Hiding from the authorities, they went to the deep forests under the Chuksha mountain to brew their "potions" on clean spring water. Hence the name. But whatever the reason for the strange name, the water in the "drunken key" is really unusual - unusually cold, very tasty.
