Holy Stone tract (Aleutas)

The Holy Stone tract, also known as Mount Aleutas, is located in the Sol-Iletsky district of the Orenburg region, 2 km north of the former village of Prokhladny. It is located on the interfluve of the Kuraly and Berdyanka rivers, near the elevation mark of 284.9 meters, and 10.5 km southeast of the village of Perovka.

This unique place consists of blocks of quartz sandstone, up to 2.5 meters high, scattered over an area of 120 square meters. Various plants grow here, such as birch trees, rose hips and St. John's wort.

The Holy Stone, or Mount Aleutas, has been significant since ancient times and is revered by local residents, especially Kazakhs, as a sacred place. Various ceremonies and rituals are held here.

A visit to this place in early May allows you to see nature at its awakening. At this time, the grass is just beginning to turn green, the leaves are blooming, which creates a special atmosphere of mystery and renewal. By mid-May, tulips bloom around the mountain, adding even more color to this unique place. It is important to note that these field tulips belong to the species listed in the Red Book.

Geological description

The Holy Stone tract represents unique ruins of dark brown quartz coarse-grained sandstones with plant imprints that date back to the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era and existed for 50 million years. This natural miracle took 188 years to form until people realized its uniqueness.

The territory of the tract was filled with sandstones, sands and clays at the junction of three structural zones, creating depressions up to 500 meters deep. Today, piles of sandstone blocks reach a height of up to 2.5 meters and occupy an area of 15 by 8 meters.

Geological sections of the Jurassic system preserve evidence of intensive migration of iron during the accumulation of continental sediments. Because of this, Jurassic sands and clays in most sections are white in color. Sandstones on limonite cement on Mount Aleutas are the remains of one of the ferruginous lenses of the Jurassic period.

Legend of the Holy Stone

The legend of the Holy Stone (Aleutas) is permeated with mysticism and romance, adding a special charm and significance to this place for local residents. She tells about a mysterious and sad story connected with an unearthly beauty of a girl and her young man in love, turned into an eagle.

Since ancient times, this mountain was the center of a religious cult, attracting nomads who considered the place sacred and made sacrifices. The stone monolith located in this place served as a symbol of tragic history, and the cycle of life and death, expressed in the form of natural elements.

The holy stone, surrounded by legends and myths, became a place where people brought symbols of their hopes and sorrows. The tradition of leaving pearls or money here as symbols of human tears traces the deep meaning of human experiences and aspirations for a brighter future.

Tourists visiting this place follow the tradition by tying ribbons on the trunk of a birch tree and making wishes, believing that they will definitely come true. Thus, the Holy Stone continues to be not only a natural miracle, but also a place where faith, hope and mystery come together.

Note

Not far from the tract there are several “frozen” gas wells, with signs dating back to 1982! There is no good asphalt road to this place; you will have to get there along a dirt road, over bumps and potholes. You can get there both from Orenburg and from Sol-Iletsk. In winter and summer, after rains, it is very difficult to get to this place - the road is either washed out or there is no road at all.