RUSSIAN GRAVITY FALLS

Vottovaara mountain in Karelia 

On September 3 Enjoy Russian language school starts a group course for people who wants to start speaking Russian in a short time (you may enroll here). We usually offer diverse cultural program to our students but sometimes they choose the places to visit in Karelia by themselves and this autumn we highly recommend you checking out some mystic places in Russian North. Why? Because here in Karelia we have it all: mountain idols, ancient petroglyphs, stone labyrinths and one more place – Vottovaara mountain. It can be compared to Gravity Falls  from the famous Disney series and here’s why.

A healthy habit to explore: what is Vottovaara mountain famous for?

They say one may find mystic spots almost in every Russian region. Near Chelyabinsk, lake Baikal,  Chukotka or even in Moscow (famous Patricarch’s  Ponds described by M. Bulgakov in his novel). The Republic of Karelia is not an exсeption.

People say Russian North is a place of energy and inner strength and that a trip around all the “unordinary” spots in Karelia may take 1 month. Vottovaara mountain (470 m) is a place that the locals are always asked about. The mountain was discovered about 30 years ago and still catches everyone’s attention. It is situated in the Central Karelia not  far from Segozero lake. Some ppeople are ready to take travelers there while others strictly say NO. Let us clarify what’s wrong with this place and why everyone should see this.

1. You may fall asleep in a second. That happened many times with travelers. May be because of ancient Saami people’s rituals or because of the placebo effect. Anyways, you should come to try.
2. Stones are everywhere. Almost 1500 stones that are called “seidy”. They look like absolutely typical stoenes but there is one tiny moment here. They are extremely heavy but when you get closer to one of them you notice that it stands on several stones that are extremely small in comparison with this big one. How did they get under? No one knows.
3. Spectacular view of the whole Karelia and even Finland. Even though it is not that high, you may see beautiful lakes and forests of Karelia and even a part of neighbouring country.
4. Go here if you are a UFO hunter. The locals say you may see here aliens from time to time.
5. The most tranquil place in Karelia and maybe in the Russian North. Not a single bird, fly or ant. Just you and the energy of mysterious Karelia.