Devil's Settlement - riddles of the "stone city"

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

A jagged ridge of granite outlier towers stretches from the south-east to the north-west. From the north, the Settlement is cut off by an impregnable wall, and from the south, the rock is flatter and you can climb on it by giant stone steps. The southern part of the Gorodishche is being destroyed quite intensively. This is evidenced by the stone placers on the southern slope of the mountain. This is due to sharp temperature fluctuations on the southern slope, well illuminated by the sun.

A wooden staircase installed there helps to climb to the highest point of the rock. From the top you can see a wide panorama of the surrounding mountains, forests, and lakes. The mound has a mattress-like structure, which gives the false impression that it is built of flat slabs. The origin of "stone cities" refers to the distant past of the Ural Mountains. The rock granites are of volcanic origin and were formed about 300 million years ago. During this solid time, the mountains have undergone severe destruction under the influence of temperature extremes, water and wind. As a result, such a bizarre natural formation was formed.

On both sides of the main granite massif (at some distance) you can see small stone tents. The most interesting is the stone tent to the west of the main massif. It reaches a height of 7 meters, a mattress-like structure is very clearly visible here.

Almost all the surrounding mountains are also dotted with stone tents. Devil's Settlement is located in the center of the so-called Verkh-Isetsky granite massif, but of hundreds of other rock outcrops, it is certainly the most grandiose!

Below, under the mountain there is a cordon. The Semipalatinka River, a tributary of the Iset River, also flows there. Devil's Gorodische is perfect for training climbers. The area is dominated by beautiful pine forests, with lots of berries in summer.

Devil's Settlement: history

As for the origin of the name, it is quite obvious. These rocks appear too unnatural before the satellite - as if they were built by an evil force. However, there is one more, rather original hypothesis of the origin of the toponym. The fact is that the word "Chortan", more precisely "Sortan", can be decomposed into the components "Sart-tan". Translated from the Mansi language, it is "front trade". These words, when perceived by the Russians, were transformed - Sartan - Chertyn - Devil. So it turned out the Devil's Settlement - a settlement of the front trade.

As established by archaeologists, a man has been present in the area of the Devil's Gorodishche for a long time. During the excavations at the foot of the rocks, many shards of pottery and pieces of sheet copper were found. They also found copper pendants-amulets. The finds date back to the Iron Age. Our distant ancestors deeply revered the Settlement. They considered them a refuge for spirits and made sacrifices to them. Thus, people tried to appease the higher powers so that everything was safe.

We owe the first scientific description of the "stone city" to members of the Ural Society of Natural History Lovers (UOLE). On May 26, 1861, a campaign took place, initiated by a resident of the Verkh-Isetsky plant, Vladimir Zakharovich Zemlyanitsyn, a priest, a full member of the UOLE. He invited his acquaintances (also members of the ULE) - bookseller Pavel Aleksandrovich Naumov and teacher of the Yekaterinburg gymnasium Ippolit Andreevich Mashanov.

However, the report on this expedition was published only 12 years later ("Notes of UOLE", volume 11, issue 1, 1873). Here is a snippet of it:

“One of the permanent residents of the Verkh-Isetsky plant V. Z. Z. I decided to visit the Devil's settlement with my acquaintance, having heard from local old-timers about (his) existence near Lake Isetskoye. From Verkh-Isetsk, they drove first to the north-west along the winter Verkh-Nevinsky road to the village of Koptyaki, which lies on the south-west of the Isetskoye lake. In Koptyaki the travelers spent the night in the house of the elder Balin. In the evening we went to the shore of Lake Isetskoye, admired the view of the lake and the spurs of the Ural Mountains on the opposite shore, and the slightly noticeable village of Murzinka on the northern shore. On the lake, in the distance, the Solovetsky Islands could be seen - schismatic hermitages existed on them. The next day, May 27, the travelers set out, guided by the advice of the elder Balin. According to him: "Unclean power" painfully plays near the "Settlement" and often leads the Orthodox astray. The travelers went to the "dam" located two miles from Koptyaki.

Leaving the horses on the dam with the watchman and asking again about the road to the "Gorodishche", the travelers decided to set off alone, without a guide, having only a compass with them. Finally, passing the swamp, they went up the mountains into a wide clearing. The clearing rested against an isthmus that connected two low mountains. Three giant larches grew between the mountains, which later served as lighthouses for those who went to the "Gorodishche". They hide in the forest on the right mountain. Then there was an uphill climb, first along the thick grass, then along the windbreak, and, finally, along the so-called "Devil's Mane" by the people. However, this "mane" greatly facilitates the ascent to the "Devil's Settlement", because you walk along the granite slabs, like steps. One of the travelers was the first to reach the Devil's Mane and shouted: “Hurray! It should be close! " Indeed, a mass has turned white among the pine forest. It was "Devil's Settlement".

Mashanov took samples of granite from Chertovo Gorodishche and handed them over to the UOLE Museum.

In 1874, members of the UOLE conducted a second excursion to the Devil's Settlement. This time Onisim Yegorovich Claire himself took part in it. The rocks of the Devil's Settlement made such a strong impression on him that he wrote: "are they not cyclopean structures of ancient people?.."

V. L. Metenkov was the first to photograph the Devil's Settlement and published a postcard with his image.

The artist Terekhov took a very distinct image of these rocks. He produced 990 photographs free of charge for WOLE Notes and requested that these photographs be credited to him as a lifetime contribution to WOLE. His request was granted.

The photographs show that the appearance of the Devil's Settlement gradually changes over time.

Another excursion took place on August 20, 1889. Members of UOLE S. I. Sergeev, A. Ya. Ponomarev and others. They set off from the newly built Iset station. We walked several kilometers along the railway and turned towards the mountains.

But their campaign did not work out. On the first day, they could not find the Devil's Settlement and spent the whole day wandering in the swamps in the floodplain of the Kedrovka River. Then we accidentally met people sent by the head of the Iset station to look for them and returned to the station, where we spent the night. Only the next day they found the Devil's Settlement and climbed to the top of the rocks.

Devil's Settlement: a weekend hike

At present, the Chertovo Gorodishche is the most visited rock mass in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg. Unfortunately, more than a hundred years of mass visits could not but affect the ecological situation and the external appearance of the rock mass.

Almost the entire surface of the rocks is covered with inscriptions. The first of them appeared in 1902! The total number of rock inscriptions, according to the calculations of the Sverdlovsk schoolchildren, conducted under the leadership of T. Yu. Serykh in the 1970s, around 1700. This greatly spoils the view of the rocks. Rocks, Chertovo Gorodishche, photo, Sverdlovsk region Now it is hard to believe, but there was a time when the Devil's Gorodishche was closed to tourists. For the self-restoration of nature, the Pervouralsk City Executive Committee for 5 years (until December 31, 1985) closed this area for tourists. At the same time, the entire district was cleared of household waste accumulated over many years, and a climbing wall was equipped on the rocks. After 5 years, the rocks were again open for mass visits.

How to get to Devil's Gorodishche?

Devil's Settlement is good to visit at any time of the year. In order to get to the Chertovo Gorodishche, you need to take the Sverdlovsk - Nizhny Tagil electric train and get to the Iset station.

After getting off the train, walk 200 meters back along the railway tracks. Here you will see the road going off at a slight angle to the right. Walk along it past industrial enterprises. Gradually the road turns into Zavodskaya Street. You need to walk along it to the end, then turn right onto st. Mira (there are yellow two-story houses on it). 50 meters after that, after house number 3 (in front of the grocery store) turn left. This road goes into the forest. After the forestry, there will be a fork at the foot of the mountain. A well-worn dirt road turns left, but we need to go straight along the road up a long mountain. This is a direct path to the rocks we need. On it you need to go straight in the south direction, without turning anywhere. Even in winter, it is always well-trodden.

Approximately a kilometer before the Devil's Gorodishche you will come out to a vast clearing and on a hill on your right hand you will see rocks - the so-called Small Devils. In terms of height, they are not comparable to the Settlement, but they are worthy of seeing them. You can also get to the foot of the Chertova Gorodishche mountain by car. A fairly good dirt road goes from Iset. The reference point to go to is the cordon at the foot of the mountain. In winter, there is usually a trail to Gorodishche and from the Gat station. To do this, from the station you need to follow the path to the west. In summer, you can't go here - the swamp won't allow.

If you wish, you can go along the interesting route of Art. Iset - Devil's Settlement - Lake Sandy - sk. Falcon Stone - Art. Severka. The distance will be about 30 km. It is better to set aside two days for this trip. Also, near the Chertova Gorodishche there are such attractions as the rocks of Peter Gronsky (Petrogrom), Mount Motaiha, Lake Isetskoe.

GPS coordinates

56.941667, 60.347222

Where to stay: Rocks Chertovo Gorodishche?

Trekking to the Chertovo Gorodishche is the most popular weekend route in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg. You can spend the night here only in your own tents. The nearest hotels are only in Yekaterinburg.