Who built the Lena Pillars. Lena Pillars in Yakutia: photos, excursions, facts. Lena Pillars - a monument to the history of the Earth

This photo has been lying on my computer for a long time, I thought everyone would get their hands on it - I’ll find out where this unearthly landscape is. What are these rocks! Now the hands have reached and you know - I was surprised! Let's go into more detail under the cut.

Lena pillars- a geological formation and the national natural park of the same name in Russia, on the banks of the Lena River. It is located in the Khangalassky ulus of Yakutia, 104 km from the city of Pokrovsk. The Lena Pillars are a complex of vertically elongated rocks stretching for many kilometers, bizarrely piled up along the banks of the Lena, a deep valley cutting through the Prilensky plateau. The pillars reach the highest density between the villages of Petrovskoye and Tit-Ary.

Rock formations, the height of which reaches 100 meters, are composed of Cambrian limestones. Tectonically, the Lena Pillars lie within the Siberian Platform. The beginning of the formation of the rocks that formed this natural monument is usually dated to the early Cambrian - 560-540 million years ago. The formation of the Lena Pillars as a landform is dated to a much later period - about 400 thousand years ago, that is, relatively recent geological time. The territory of the Siberian platform was subjected to gradual uplift, resulting in the occurrence of faults and the formation of deep river valleys. This led to the activation of karst processes, which, along with the ongoing erosional weathering, gave rise to such whimsical and diverse forms of rocks composed of carbonate rocks.

The area of ​​the park is 485 thousand hectares, the park consists of two branches - "Stolby" and "Sinsky". In addition to the well-known stone "pillars", there are such remarkable objects in the park as fluttering sands-tukulans with separate sections of the cold northern sandy desert, the site of an ancient man at the mouth of the Deering-Yuryakh stream, during the excavations of which stone tools were found (Diringskaya culture ). There are unique permafrost ecosystems. Fossilized remains of representatives of ancient fauna have been found in the area of ​​the park: mammoth (Mammulhus primigenius Blum), bison (Bison priscus Boj), woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiguibatis Blum), etc.

Near each pillar resembles a magical statue, an ingenious sculpture. They remind someone of medieval castles, churches, oriental columns. Someone claims that the rocks are the heroes of the folk heroic epic. The Lena Pillars (Turuuk Hayalara) stretch along the river bank for more than 40 km. On the rocks rising along the banks of the Lena and Sinya rivers, numerous petroglyphs were found, made with yellow mineral paint by the ancient inhabitants of these places. These are stylized images of animals that have been preserved to varying degrees, fragments of ancient Turkic runic inscriptions, rock compositions depicting a person.

The Lena and Sinsk pillars are steep, completely sheer rocks, composed of Cambrian limestones. Such limestones were first discovered and described in England, in the county of Wales (the old name is Cambria). Time, precipitation, river water and wind have given the Earth's rock solids bizarre shapes. The length of the pillars, along with powerful stone rocks-outliers along the bank of the river. Lena about 80 km. The Lena Pillars have long attracted the attention of travelers and explorers. They are located on the right bank of the Lena opposite the village. Batamay, 200 km upstream from Yakutsk. Depending on the degree of weathering, the rocks break up into pillars, spiers, rocks, towers, and other bizarre shapes, and also form extended screes.

Above Lena, pillars usually rise in several tiers. The presence of stages is explained by outcrops of rocks of different stability. They are characteristic of the entire right slope of the river valley. Lena in this area. Now the Lena and Sinsk pillars, the valley of the river. The Blue River and the interfluve of the Lena and Buotam are included in the system of specially protected natural areas as national natural parks. This is a great place for those who love nature and new experiences.

The pillars on the Lena River are amazing evidence of the development of the Earth over millions of years. Numerous fossils of the most ancient organisms were found here - unique surviving evidence of a very important stage in the history of the development of the organic world and many biological species in the Cambrian era. The remains of mammoths, bison, rhinos and many other animals were found here.

The Lena Pillars were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006 as one of the amazing places on our planet with a perfect ecosystem untouched by man

Clickable 3000 px

High cliffs, stretching like a solid wall for forty kilometers along the coast of the Lena River, resemble walls medieval castle or frozen stone giants. This is nothing but the famous Lena Pillars (Yakutia). For the Yakuts, they are a symbol of courage, love and fidelity. After all, the Lena Pillars are the fossilized figures of two lovers who were bewitched by a terrible dragon. The serpent wanted to marry the girl, but her fiancé defeated him in a duel. And yet, the lovers were not destined to live together, the dragon finally managed to take revenge by turning them into stone. So says the ancient legend...

What are the Lena Pillars?

Lena Pillars (Yakutia) are high sheer cliffs of an unusual shape, stretching along one of the banks of the Lena River. Seeing them for the first time, you are amazed at their harsh and majestic beauty. This miracle of nature is located in the natural park of the Republic of the same name. Stunning rocks from forty to one hundred meters high are becoming more mysterious and beautiful every year due to the peculiarities of the local climate.

Creation of the park

The Lena Pillars Natural Park was created after the Decree of the President of the Republic of August 16, 1994. The main activity of the park has become the development of ecological tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular. The reserve welcomes guests on its territory throughout the year, offering to overcome specially designed tourist routes.

Lena Pillars (Yakutia) is a real miracle of nature. The mountain system stretches for tens of kilometers along the coast of the river. It is a vertical sheer cliffs, as if growing out of the bowels of the earth. The Lena River seems to be protected by a mountain range from the outside world.

The unique park is located in the Olekminsky and Khangalassky regions of Yakutia, 200 kilometers from Yakutsk. It is divided into four zones: Buotamsky, Sinsky, Lena pillars and Tukulan sands. The park is located on the banks of the Sinya, Buotama and Lena rivers, from where the pillars got their names. Currently, these wild places are very popular as part of eco-tourism.

stone forest

Unusual Lena Pillars (Yakutia) as unique geological formations are included in the list. In addition, they are natural monument world importance. A couple of years ago, the Lena Pillars (Russia) and the adjacent territories were taken under the protection of UNESCO.

Why is the mountain range so unusual shape? In fact, the pillars are made of limestone, which, under the influence of the harsh climatic conditions of the region, fell apart to form vertical rocks amazing shape. The Lena River is protected by stretching for many kilometers, and the rocks are located close to each other.

History of the stone forest

The mountain range, from which the pillars eventually emerged, began to form 550 million years ago. Once on these lands the sea lapped, at the bottom of which limestone accumulated. It disappeared from the face of the earth during the period when the Siberian platform was raised. Limestone formed rock formations, river valleys and faults. The bizarre shape of the mountains was influenced by factors such as weathering and erosion. The process lasted long enough, and already 400 thousand years ago a stone forest appeared, which has been admiring the human imagination for centuries.

Eyewitnesses say that the Lena Pillars are especially beautiful at dawn, when they are illuminated by the rays of the sun and resemble a medieval castle. The Lena River, flowing at the foot of the mountains, gives this picture an even more majestic look. The ridge looks completely different at sunset. In the evening hours, the rocks take on an ominous appearance, resembling the abode of an evil sorcerer.

On the slopes of the rocks, many caves were found, on the walls of which the inhabitants of these places are painted with yellow paint. In addition, their tools were found. Therefore, the natural park "Lena Pillars" is of interest from the point of view of archeology. The remains of rhinos, mammoths, bison were found here, and in the rocks there are fossils of trilobites that lived on earth more than 200 million years ago. It is thanks to the unique finds in the reserve and unique natural attractions that the park was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

reserved lands

The natural park, on the territory of which the Lena Pillars are located, has a fairly vast territory. Its area is 81 thousand hectares, and the length of land along the Lena River is 220 kilometers.

On the territory of the park, in addition to the Lena Pillars, there are other equally interesting natural objects. Buotama rocks are mountain formations located below the mouth of the Buotama River. Their feature is a multi-colored texture, which appeared due to a combination of limestone and dolomite.

Sinsk pillars are not very high, they rarely exceed the 100-meter threshold. In addition, there are sandy Tukulans on the territory of the reserve. Such large sand massifs are more characteristic of deserts. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are located in the middle of the taiga and at the same time occupy a fairly large territory. So, for example, one of the dunes has a length of about 5 kilometers and a width of almost 900 meters.

The entire reserve is undeveloped land, so any work on its territory is prohibited. Rivers such as Lena, Buotama and Sinaya flow through the park. There are a lot of protected lands and lakes. Natural reservoirs have a shallow depth (from two to three meters) and are filled with rainwater. Their shores are usually flat and swampy.

The park has a wide variety of fauna and flora. There are 500 varieties of plants, 20 of which are listed in the Red Book, 42 ​​species of mammals, a large number of fish, more than a hundred species of birds.

local legends

The Lena Pillars and the nearest lands have been shrouded in an incredible amount of secrets and legends since ancient times, which the Yakuts do not tell about them. For many centuries, the mysterious pillars have been something inexplicable and terrible for people. They inspired genuine horror in any person who saw them for the first time.

Locals say that their own Bigfoot lives in these places. The Yakuts call him Ulmesh. His height reaches ten meters, he wears a pointed hat and sometimes attacks hunters, and sometimes, on the contrary, helps them. Local peoples generally endowed these mysterious places with special power. The Lena Pillars for them were a sacred place, inspiring horror and fear. People were terribly afraid of angering the spirits living in the rocks. Many believed that the pillars are people frozen forever, punished for something by supernatural forces. Mere mortals were afraid to even approach these places. And only shamans and elders had the right to approach the pillars, thereby proving their connection with the spirits.

The climate of the protected area

The territory of the park is located in a sharply continental climate. The Lena Pillars Reserve plunges into cold in winter, which lasts for almost half a year. The temperature sometimes drops to -36 degrees. But in the summer, the temperature is in the range of 20-40 degrees.

Do not forget that the reserve, as well as the whole of Yakutia, is characterized by permafrost. For this reason, the soil freezes at great depths (from 100 to 700 meters). This situation is due to the distance Atlantic Ocean. The mountain ranges of Siberia block the path of air masses moving from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But the cold masses of the Arctic get here very quickly. For this reason, this region is characterized by extreme weather.

Lena Pillars (Yakutia): how to get there

As we already mentioned, the Lena Pillars are located in Yakutia. The nearest village from them - the city of Pokrovsk - is located 104 kilometers away, and Yakutsk - 200 kilometers away. Despite the climatic and weather conditions, getting to the reserve is easy. For example, you can fly from Moscow to Yakutsk by plane, and then make a five-hour voyage on a comfortable boat to the Lena Pillars Reserve (Yakutia). Tours are best purchased in one of the agencies, then you can ride comfortably on one of the ships. It is also possible to rent a private motor boat. However, a trip on this type of transport is not very convenient, but its cost is lower than a ticket for a boat.

Local travel companies also organize winter tours to the Lena Pillars. A trip on prepared SUVs is a pleasure for people who love extreme sports. Directly to the mountain range through the bed of the Lena River, tourists are brought on a snowmobile.

Lena Pillars can be reached both in summer and in winter. The park has specially designed routes that allow tourists to get acquainted with natural objects. One of the most popular is climbing the rocks at the mouth of Labuy. The road runs along a path lined with log steps with wooden railings. The ascent takes about 50 minutes. There is also a shorter, but forbidden trail. On it you can reach the peaks in 25 minutes. Tourists tend to go upstairs to see the stunning views and capture them on cameras.

The Lena Pillars National Park was formed relatively recently, just over 15 years ago. In the mid-1980s, as a result of archaeological excavations at the mouth of the Deering-Yuryakh stream, which flows through the park, a site of ancient people, traces of prehistoric Deering culture, was discovered. Scientists have found not only tools, jewelry and household items, but also the remains of ancient animals: woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiguibatis), bison (Bison priscus) and mammoth (Mammulhus primigenius). There is a version that the Deering-Yuryakh site is one of the oldest in the world.

according to natural criteria national park claims to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

general information

• Full name: Lena Pillars National Natural Park.
• IUCN Category: II (National Park).
• Foundation date; February 10, 1995.
• Yakutia region, Khangalassky ulus.
• Area: 485,000 ha.
• Relief: mountainous.
• Climate: sharply continental.
• Official site: http://www.lenskiestolby.ru/.
• Email: [email protected]

Walk in the park

The path from Olemkinsk to the village of Pavlovsk along the Lena River leaves an unforgettable impression. After all, it is here that the amazing pearl of the North is located - the Lena Pillars. The national park consists of two branches: "Stolby" and "Sinskiy".

On the right bank of the Lena one can see fluttering sands-tukulans. Translated from the Evenki language, "tukulan" means "sand". The air temperature here can reach +40 °C. There are no analogues to such a miracle of nature anywhere else on the planet. For scientists, the origin of tukulans is still a mystery.

Vegetable world

464 species of higher vascular plants have been identified on the territory of the Lena Pillars park. The plain larch taiga dominates. Interestingly, only here grows an endemic plant - Redowskia sophiifolia. It is not found anywhere else in the world. In tukulans there is another very rare plant - Scriabin's thin-legged (Koeleria skrjabinii). There are many other rare flowers and herbs here: small-flowered wallflower (Parietaria micrantha), spotted slipper (Cypripedium guttatum), Pennsylvania lily (Lilium rep-sylvanicum), etc.

A truly amazing plant is the Arctic lupine (Lupinus arcticus). The fact is that its seeds have broken all world records of viability. So, in 1954, during archaeological excavations on the Canadian Yukon plateau, the seeds of this plant were found. Their age was also determined: 10,000 years. After the excavations were completed, the seeds lay in storage for about 12 years until they were tried to germinate. The experiment was successful!

There are many bizarre mosses and lichens on the territory of the Lena Pillars. Moss moss, or reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina), has a very high frost resistance. Thanks to this, it serves as an excellent food for reindeer even in the most severe cold weather, making up to 90% of their diet in winter.

Animal world

The park is inhabited by 42 species of mammals, 99 - birds, 27 of which are rare and endangered, 4 - amphibians and reptiles, 23 - fish.

Most often in the forests and on coastal areas there are columns (Mustela sibirica), sable (Martes zibellina), American mink (Neovison vison), steppe polecat (Mustela evers-manni), wolverine (Gulo gulo). Smaller animals include flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), Asian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), long-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), white hare (Lepus timidus).

Musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), a relatively small deer-like animal, is found here. The body length of an adult musk deer reaches one meter, the height at the withers is 70 cm. It has no horns, instead of them, fangs serve as a tournament weapon for males. Pay attention to the Latin name of this animal. The word moschus is of Greek origin and means "musk", and moschiferus means "bearing musk". Each male musk deer has a special abdominal gland that produces musk, a strong-smelling substance that has long been used and highly valued in perfumery.

Lesser swan (Cygnus bewickii), peregrine falcon (Falcoperegrinus), gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), white-tailed eagle (Hali-aeetus albicilla), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), white crane , or Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus), and dozens of other bird species.

The golden eagle is one of the most famous birds of prey, the largest and strongest eagle. Recently, their number has sharply decreased, mainly due to serious violations in the ecological balance of nature and the targeted destruction of birds. Golden eagles, like many other predators, have very sharp eyesight: they are able to see a hare from a distance of 2 km. Golden eagles can attack animals that are equal and even larger than them in size: foxes, deer and their cubs, chamois, roe deer, sheep.

For visitors

park mode

The park has ecological routes and trails that introduce tourists to unique natural monuments: the Lena Pillars, tukulans, flora and fauna.

How to get there

From Yakutsk to the park "Lena Pillars" the distance is about 180 km, from Pokrovsk - 104 km. Before national park The easiest way to get there is by tourist boat. You can also get from Olemkinsk. More detailed information about tourist routes can be obtained from the administration of the park.

Where to stay

One of the options is the Buotamskaya recreation center, which is located on the right bank of the Lena River in the park. It has ten heated houses. In addition, you can stay at the recreation center "Verkhny Vestyakh", located a few kilometers above the village of the same name. The base is electrified, there are summer houses, a bathhouse, a dining room. Up to 20 people can stay here.

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Introducing a guest post Yuri Gelios. He lives in one of the most beautiful, in my opinion, corners of Russia - in Yakutia. There are many amazing creations of nature. And today there will be a story about the Lena Pillars, which rise above the waters of the Lena River. Few can boast of having seen them with their own eyes. So get ready for an exciting journey!

- it's unique nature reserve located in Yakutia on the river Lena. Local residents often go to the Lena Pillars in the summer on motor ships or boats (if they personally have one). You can go on this cruise only in summer by water, in winter, this way is quite extreme, also along the river, but by car.

Sometimes the pillars are visited by foreign tourists - extreme people who usually come to Yakutia to test themselves at the Pole of Cold - Oymyakone.

Lena pillars - greatest miracle nature, it is a kind of stone forest, almost the same as Wulingyuan pillars in China. These majestic rocks, whose height reaches 200-300 meters, stretch along the banks of the Lena River for a length of 80 km.

Nearby, some columns, rocks, pillars resemble either some strange animal or a dragon, and some dreamers even see the ancient ruined walls of the castle.

On the rocks that rise along the river bank, you can find rock paintings made by the ancient locals in red and yellow paint. The images are different, but for the most part they are animals, people and letters.

The history of the appearance of this Yakut miracle of nature has its roots deep in antiquity. Sometime in the Cambrian period (about 540 million years ago) over Oymuran barrier reef there was not a very deep warm sea and there, at the bottom of the sea, carbonate sediments formed. Over the past time, due to the movement of tectonic plates, this area has risen by 200 meters, and as a result of this, deep fault zones appeared, and this was the beginning of the incision of the rivers, at the same time the Lena River was formed with steep steep banks, which are called Lena Pillars.

Excursion to the Lena Pillars

In general, for most local residents the cruise is not cheap, which is a little strange. It can be said that whether you are an Englishman or a Yakutian, you will pay approximately one amount for a trip to these majestic pillars. But, you can have a great time there. Usually the cruise lasts 3 days, so during this time you can swim, swell, catch fish, and just have fun with friends.

However, this is one of the best tourist routes, which is not ashamed to be shown to foreign tourists. Of course, there is also a route to Oymyakon and Tiksi, but this is already for natural extreme people, usually there are few Russian tourists among them, the cost of tours is quite high, but we are often visited by Discovery and NatGEO TV channels. More about Oymyakon and others interesting places Yakutia, you can read on my blog. For now, back to our pillars.

More often among those wishing to spend a cultural holiday in nature, the weekend route is in demand. Collection and departure begins on Friday evening at the river station. Already in the morning the ship arrives at the Lena Pillars. During the Sabbath day, the ship stays at the shore. All Sabbath day you do what your heart desires. And in the evening on the same day, boarding and departure back. On the way to Yakutsk there will be a short stop at Rassoloda Island and then back to the river port of Yakutsk.

The cost of the excursion to the reserve "Lena Pillars"

Cruises are carried out on two luxury ships: "Demyan Poor" And "Mikhail Svetlov" , in appearance, the ships practically differ little from each other. Both ships were built in the 80s of the last century in Austria, but despite their age, they look great. The decoration of corridors and cabins is made of wood, gilding everywhere, glass, good furniture, carpets, in general, comfortable ships. The cost of one place in a 4-bed cabin will cost about 6,000 rubles. In a 2-bed room - 6600 rubles. In 1 local - about 7000 rubles. If you want chic, then one place in a luxury cabin will cost you about 12,000 rubles. Well, if you want to rent the entire cabin, then the luxury option will cost 23,000 rubles. These are weekend rates. There are also several types of cruises: 1-day, 2 nights and 1 day, 3 days and 2 nights, the more days, the more expensive. A cruise on weekdays will cost a couple of thousand rubles cheaper. Do you want detailed information or maybe you want to come to Yakutia to take a cruise? Then you should familiarize yourself with the site of the tour operator - lenaturflot.ru.

What to do on the ship before arriving at the place?

You can entertain yourself and relax not only on the banks of the river, but also on the ship itself. It has various board games, karaoke, even a library (why read if you are going to have fun?!), and, of course, a disco located on the upper deck. You can also spend time in the sauna and if you don’t know how to have fun, then visit the cinema. Or you can drive balls in billiards, however, perhaps this is only during parking, because when moving, the balls themselves strive to get into the hole without your help 🙂 There is a local toastmaster who entertains people with various games and contests.

Tired of dancing and relaxing? Wanted to eat? There is a restaurant on the ship, although, of course, this is not Tygyn-Dyrkhan for you, but rather a dining room, which is why the food there is simple. Several types of hot dishes, several types of soups, a couple of salads, side dishes and drinks. Alcohol is also present, but it is quite expensive, as is usually the case in restaurants (some people manage to bring alcohol with them on board). Food is good, well prepared. You can buy cards and eat on them, or purchase a full meal package along with the voucher for the duration of the cruise.

By the way, if you want to feel like the owner of a ship, you can rent a ship, 1 hour will cost you only 30 thousand rubles. It takes 5 hours to sail from Yakutsk to the Lena Pillars, the average cruise is 30 hours. But it’s true, to amuse your pride, usually this option is used by enterprises and organizations that arrange corporate parties for their employees.

Going alone on such a cruise is money down the drain, well, unless you are absolutely the soul of any company. Usually they travel in small companies of 10-20 people (the ship can accommodate up to 200 people), organizations, someone leaves with their family, and there are even “lovers” who usually sit out in cabins all the time so as not to suddenly fall asleep 🙂

Arrival in the stone forest of Yakutia

All this I described the first day, or rather the period of time, Friday evening and Saturday night. In the morning the ship moored to the shore, and you go out and see them… Lena Pillars. Those who wish can undergo a shamanic rite of purification, and then on their way, conquer the tops of the rocks.

There are two ways to climb up: long and calm and fast but dangerous. The long way takes 40-50 minutes, it goes around the rocks, there are wooden paths, stairs, gathering areas. A short way for extreme people is 20 minutes and you are already at the top, but you will have to climb almost on sheer cliffs, but from these places a gorgeous view opens up and the pictures are more spectacular.

Having risen to the top, you have a stunning view of the panorama of the beautiful Lena River and the vast taiga. The sensations are indescribable - you must see it ... After the descent, there is an opportunity to relax on the shore, eat a barbecue and just sit by the fire. It is better to take the brazier and all the attributes with you, since their stock is limited on the ship.

By evening, the captain of the ship gathers all the tourists with long and drawn-out beeps, everyone boards and the ship goes back. But that is not all. On the way home, there is a stop at a pirate island called pickle island. Parking takes about 6 hours, during this time you can take part in the search for pirate treasure, play active ball games, and just take a walk, taking pictures beautiful nature. In the summer in Yakutia, the nights are bright, at 12 at night it can be as light as at 8 in the evening, so the evenings here are long. After a late evening walk around the pirate island, the ship calls everyone on board again and sets off on the return journey.

In the evening, the ship already arrives at the river port of the city of Yakutsk and the people, cheerful, rested and relaxed, go home. And so, the journey can be considered over.

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The Lena Pillars are high pillar-like rocks, the origin of their name is connected with the Lena River, along which these stone formations stretch for 80 kilometers. The Siberian miracle is located less than two hundred kilometers from the city of Yakutsk. In 1994, the authorities of Yakutia organized the national park of the same name, which, in addition to the Lena Pillars, included several other important objects of the Republic, and in 2012 the Lena Pillars were included in the UNESCO list.

On average, the height of the Lena Pillars is about 100 meters. Individual rocks reach 200 m, the most high point– 321 m. Similar rock formations can only be seen in the USA (Grand Canyon) and Australia (Uluru). Scientists, historians, archaeologists do not get tired of making presentations, writing reports and messages about these unique rocks.

How were the Lena Pillars formed?

The bizarre stone statues hanging over the water surface sometimes resemble the ruins of ancient castles, which instilled superstition in the local ancient peoples and forced them to compose legends. Modern scientists know how the Lena Pillars were formed: more than 1.5 billion years ago, Siberia was a continent almost completely covered with water. In one part of it there was an open sea, and in the other - a large salt marsh, and they were separated by a reef belt.

The rocks of the Lena Pillars began to form about 550 million years ago, as a result of the uplift of the Siberian platform and the growth of reefs. Under the influence of the movement of tectonic plates, faults and deeply flowing river valleys were formed in the thickness of the earth's surface. Under the influence of water and wind, carbonate rocks took on the form that we can see today, but the modification of this World Heritage site is still ongoing.

The value and global significance of the Lena Pillars

Each layer of the Lena Pillars keeps the history of the mainland and the entire Planet. The formations contain traces of primitive worms and mollusks. Each stack of fossil reefs contains the remains and skeletons of living organisms that ceased to exist millions of years ago. In the area where this attraction of Yakutia was located, the remains of a mammoth, bison, Lena horse and woolly rhinoceros were found. The carcasses of dead animals were not preserved thanks to the permafrost inherent in the remote northern regions of Russia. The bodies of the dead representatives of the ancient fauna were enveloped in tiny particles, which were torn off by clouds of turbidity from the reef slopes. Clay plaque hardened, animal tissues petrified, retaining their structure.

This world heritage Russia has changed the view of scientists about the evolution of the Earth. Transitional forms of different types of living organisms were found in the Lena Pillars. So, for example, the researchers concluded that ringworms are not at all one of the most primitive animals from which other species were formed. The fossils found prove that most groups of worms, on the contrary, “lost” the legs of their ancestors who possessed them. And although the conclusions are made, any textbook of Natural History for the 4th grade still contains not always reliable information about the origin of terrestrial animals.

Tourism and protection of the Lena Pillars

Today on Far East, where the Lena Pillars are located, tourism is actively developing. The reserve attracts with its amazing taiga landscapes, unique flora and fauna. Not only bears, hares, squirrels and elk are found here, but also such rare animals as red deer, wolverine. Sturgeon, nelma and other types of fish live in the Lena River and its tributaries. Any report for children will tell that there are dozens of plants and animals from the Red Book of Russia on the territory of the reserve.

Many tourist routes include climbing to the tops of the Lena Pillars. A large number of viewing platforms allow you to view the majestic nature of Siberia, as if on a map. Motor ships run along the Lena River for vacationers, luring tourists with a wide variety of recreation programs. And yet, the mysterious Lena Pillars, which keep the secrets of the origin of earthly life, are not conducive to noisy rest. The study of these places should be done slowly and thoughtfully. Even the photo shows what an immense beauty lies in these ancient rocks - the majestic nature of Siberia is more suitable for philosophical reflection and understanding the meaning of life.

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