Hanging Stone (Ufa)

Hanging Stone is a rock outcrop on the right bank of the Belaya River in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, one of the city's best-known viewpoints: from it opens a panoramic view over the river's floodplain and the land beyond. The outcrop can be reached on foot through the forest from Boulevard of Glory.

What It Is

The outcrop is formed of limestone that makes up the Ufa karst slope; the rock is constantly exposed and worn away by water erosion, which is why the site is considered dangerous. The cliff rises as high as 110 metres above the river.

History

In ancient times the site held a settlement of the Ananyino culture. In 1846–1851, Orenburg civil governor Nikolai Balkashin built a summer house on the slope, which after 1851 was used for picnics; the house was demolished by 1864. In the 1930s the former country houses were turned into NKVD dachas — Soviet writer Alexander Fadeyev lived here for a time — and an NKVD training centre with a drill ground was also set up on the site. In the early 1980s a large part of the rock collapsed into the Belaya River, so the outcrop only partly kept the shape that gave it its name.

Safety

Falls from the rock happen on a regular basis: local news outlets have reported such incidents more than once, including in 2018, 2025 and 2026, often leaving the people involved with serious injuries. Getting close to the edge of the cliff or taking photos there is dangerous. Despite this, Hanging Stone remains a protected natural monument and one of the most popular spots among Ufa residents and visitors for a walk and for photographs.