Sunduki Ridge

Sunduki Ridge is a natural and historical monument of republican significance on the border of the Ordzhonikidzevsky and Shirinsky districts of the Republic of Khakassia, in the valley of the Bely Iyus river, not far from the Iyus railway station. The ridge consists of five separate rock-outcrop mountains up to 200 meters high and covers about 2,100 hectares. It takes its name from the "Sunduk" (chest) rock formation on the summit of its northernmost mountain, shaped like a box. Since 2011 the "Sunduki" museum-reserve has operated here, and the place has long attracted not only archaeologists but also fans of mysticism and anomalous zones.

History

The earliest rock carvings at Sunduki are dated to more than 16,000 years BC: the "White Horse" petroglyph on the neighboring Chernaya Gora (Solbon) is dated to roughly 18,000 years BC. The Fourth Sunduk preserves rock art from the Tagar culture (8th–2nd centuries BC), as well as later petroglyphs from the 2nd to early 1st century BC depicting a warrior's life from birth to death: hunting, battle, and death scenes. The archaeological complex of the Bely Iyus valley as a whole is dated from the 30th century BC to the 8th century AD; researchers have found more than 100 archaeological sites and more than 200 sanctuary-calendars, burial grounds, priestly temples, and traces of irrigated agriculture — part of the ancient canal system still works today.

For more than thirty years Sunduki was studied by Doctor of Historical Sciences, academician Vitaly Larichev. In his view, the mountain held an ancient astronomical observatory — an astrological sanctuary where natural sightlines and stone calendar niches were used to track the movement of celestial bodies. Locals call the First Sunduk "Mount Khokho-Babay," and its ancient Khakas name is "Khyzyl Khaya," meaning "Red Rock."

In 2011 the "Sunduki" museum-reserve opened on the ridge; in 2014 it absorbed the "Oglakhty" tourist complex and the territory of the Larichev cultural and educational center.

Legends and interpretations

Larichev's name is also linked to a bolder hypothesis: the First Sunduk is called the World Mountain, the place where the Universe was created — the "Primordial Earth." This echoes a legend that many millennia ago land rose from the water right here, forming the stone "chests."

According to one legend, shamans watched the sky from the eastern side of the rock outcrop, from a spot known as the Shaman's Chair; from there one can climb onto the lid of the Sunduk. The stones are said to carry "red energy," the energy of the physical body, most active at sunrise; the summer solstice is considered a special day, when the Sunduk "opens," and after sunset it is advised not to stay on the mountain off the marked path. Travelers who reach the ridge traditionally tie a strip of cloth to a sacrificial tree as thanks to the local deities.

The rock faces of the Fourth Sunduk, carved more than two thousand years ago, are called a heroic epic in pictures. In 2025 part of these petroglyphs was destroyed — a loss reported after an expedition to Sunduki.

Getting there

From Abakan, drive the R257 (Yenisei) highway through Chernogorsk to the village of Shira, then take the Shira–Chyornoye Ozero road and turn right at the sign for Sunduki at the 25th kilometer. From the turn, a gravel road leads to a parking area at the barrier — the last kilometers are unpaved. It is about 25 kilometers from Shira to the turn, and about 20 kilometers from Bely Iyus to Sunduki. GPS coordinates: 54.67923, 89.70835.

Good to know

Entry to the site is paid, collected at the barrier. From September to May, excursions and overnight stays run by advance phone booking only. The excursion to the First Sunduk ("Zavetnaya Tropa") takes about two hours along a 3-kilometer trail — the climb is short and easy enough for children. The excursion to the Saratsky Sunduk ("Temple of the Sun") takes about 2.5 hours on foot, while excursions to the Fourth and Fifth Sunduk involve transport between sites and last 1–1.5 hours. At the foot of the First Sunduk there is a small kitchen (pirozhki, borscht, herbal tea) and cabins for an overnight stay.