Stone formations – likenesses of ancient statues as attractive objects of tourism

Aim. To expand tourism facilities through the involvement of stone formations, obvious similarities of ancient statues, as exceptionally attractive phenomena. To classify these objects.

Methodology. The materials of the study were field studies, as well as the analysis of data on the sculptures of specialists and travelers both in Russia and abroad. The main method of research is the systematization of the data obtained, which made it possible to classify these formations, as well as map the most significant ones on the territory of Russia, giving an idea of their distribution. Three groups of likenesses of statues were established – zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, fantastic and disappeared creatures.

Results. The analysis of the stone sculptures distribution has shown that they are mainly confined to the river banks, lakes, seas, as well as elevations. The features of zonality in the distribution of a number of sculpture types are noted, as well as the landscape confinement of some of them. Sometimes sculptures are concentrated in areas of mineral deposits. Some of them served as landmarks for navigation. The well-known likenesses of the statues have become iconic for local residents, and sometimes sacred phenomena, which are associated with legends significant for tourists, which increases interest in them. The ideas about the similarities of stone statues as both natural and man-made formations by origin are compared.

Research implications. A systematic assessment of the similarities of ancient stone statues has been undertaken, mapping of the most famous objects on the territory of Russia has been carried out, some features of their geographical distribution have been identified, which make it possible to present them as attractive, debatable by origin tourist objects.

1. Berezhnoy A. V., Milkov F. N., Mikhno V. B. Divnogorye: priroda i landshafty: (Muzeyzapovednik Voronezh. obl.) [Divnogorye: nature and landscapes: (Museum-Reserve Voronezh Region)]. Voronezh, Voronezh: Izd-vo Voronezh. un-ta Publ., 1994. 125 p.

2. Borsuk O. A. [Natural and man-made heritage: three books Al. A. Grigorieva]. In: Geografiya v shkole [Geography at school], 2019, no. 2, pp. 61–62.

3. Ganeshin G. S. [Kekurs on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan]. In: Priroda [Nature], 1957, no. 8, pp. 35–37.

4. Grigoriev Al. A. Kamennyye izvayaniya planety – igra prirody? Geograficheskiye aspekty [Stone sculptures of the planet – a game of nature? Geographic aspects]. St. Petersburg, Asterion Publ., 2022. 376 p.

5. Grigoriev Al. A. [Prehistoric stone sculptures of the Arctic as anthropogenic landforms and world heritage sites]. In: Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo oblastnogo universiteta. Seriya: Yestestvennyye nauki [Bulletin of Moscow Region State University. Series: Natural Sciences], 2019, no. 3, pp. 31–40.

6. Karchevsky M. F. [Works of pre-Christian art on the territory of the Leningrad region]. In: Skvortsov V. N., ed. Dokirillovskaya slavyanskaya pismennost i dokhristianskaya slavyanskaya kultura: mat-ly Pervogo mezhdunarodnogo kongressa [Pre-Kirillian Slavic writing and pre-Christian Slavic culture: materials of the First International Congress]. St. Petersburg, LGU im. A. S. Pushkina Publ., 2008, pp. 171–178.

7. Karchevsky M. F. [Man-made creations of the disappeared ancient civilizations on the territory of the southern part of the North-West of Russia]. In: Skvortsov V. N., ed. Dokirillovskaya slavyanskaya pismennost i dokhristianskaya slavyanskaya kultura: mat-ly Tretyego mezhdunarodnogo kongressa [Pre-Kirillian Slavic writing and pre-Christian Slavic culture: materials of the Third Int. congress]. St. Petersburg, LGU im. A. S. Pushkina Publ., 2010, pp. 245–256.

8. Markov E. L. V strane belykh gor. Poyezdka v Divnogorye [In the country of white mountains. A trip to Divnogorie]. Voronezh, Tvorch. obyedineniye «Albom» Publ., 2007. 64 p.

9. Marsadolov L. S. [Megaliths of Altai: «sphinx», «pyramids» and plates near Mount Seleutas]. In: Obshchestvo. Sreda. Razvitiye [Society. Wednesday. Development], 2008, no. 2 (7), pp. 103–114.

10. Milkov F. N. [Divas of the Central Russian Upland]. In: Priroda [Nature], 1954, no. 9, pp. 92–95.

11. Murzin Yu. A. Kigilyakhi Yakutii [Kigilyakhi of Yakutia]. In: Priroda [Nature], 2004, no. 5, pp. 54–58.

12. Obruchev S. V. [Gemorphological curiosities]. In: Izvestiya VGO [News VGO], 1940. vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 774–780.

13. Obruchev V. A. Izbrannyye raboty po geografii Azii. T. 1 [Selected works on the geography of Asia. Vol. 1] Moscow, Geografgiz Publ., 1951. 501 p.

14. Rozanov L. L. Ucheniye o geotekhnomorfogeneze: teoriya i praktika [Teaching about geotechnomorphogenesis: theory and practice]. Moscow, URSS Publ., Lenand Publ., 2019. 240 p.

15. Sukhorukov V. D. [Symbols of geospace: about the new book of Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University Aleksey Alekseevich Grigoriev «Stone Statues»]. In: Geografiya i ekologiya v shkole XXI veka [Geography and Ecology at School of the XXI Century], 2016, no. 3, pp. 78–79.

16. Devereux P. Sacred geography. Deciphering hidden codes in the landscape. L., Octopus Publ. Group. 2010. 160 p.

17. Konstantinov M. Discovery of a new type megalith in Sredna Gora Mountains, Bulgaria. In: Spasova D., ed. Megalithic monuments and cult practices: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium Blagoevgrad, October 12–15, 2016. University Publishing House «Neofit Rilski», 2016, pp. 140–149.

18. Markov V. Monumental rock images in the megalithic sanctuaries on the Balkans. Available at: http://satrae.swu.bg/media/31983/vasil%20markov%20-%20paper.pdf (accessed: 09.10.2022).

19. Schoch R. M., West J. A. Redating the Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt. In: Geological Society of America, 1991, vol. 23, no. 5, p. A253.