The Manpupuner plateau, which is located on the territory of the Pechora-Ilych nature reserve on the Man-Pupuner mountain in the Komi Republic, is a real natural anomaly.
200 million years ago, impassable mountains were located on this place, but the scorching sun, strong winds and lingering downpours destroyed them day after day. Only tall stone pillars of bizarre shapes, which the Mansi tribes began to worship, survived. Therefore, translated from the Mansi language "Man-Pupu-ner" means "small mountain of idols". The height of the posts ranges from 30 to 42 meters.
According to one legend, these stone sculptures were once people from a tribe of giants. One of them wished to marry the beautiful daughter of the Mansi leader, but received an open refusal. Enraged, the insulted giant with his relatives attacked the settlement where the beauty lived. The girl's brother arrived in time, and with the help of his charmed weapon received from good spirits, he turned the giants into huge stones.
According to another legend, once upon a time giants lived in these parts that ate human flesh and no one could slay them. Once the giants decided to cross the Ural Range to feast on the Mansi tribe, but the shamans summoned spirits and turned the giants into blocks of stone.
It is also interesting that in both legends the same mythical creatures appear and the same outcome is present. In other sources, there are even clarifications: the last giant tried to escape, but a terrible fate overtook him too - this explains why one of the pillars stands at a distance from the others.
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In the future, the Mansi deified this place and worshiped it, but it was strictly forbidden to climb the Manpupuner plateau for anyone other than shamans.
Not everyone can see the miracle of nature with their own eyes. The path to it lies along the seething river, through the deep taiga, under heavy wind and freezing rain. In some seasons, only a helicopter can get there. A casual or unprepared person will never get to Manpupuner - the stone giants safely keep their secrets.