In the previous part, we, having overcome the three hundred-kilometer section of our journey, passing Kirillov, Ferapontovo and Vytegra, stopped for the night near the village of Oktyabrskoye, which is on the border of the Vologda Oblast and the Republic of Karelia. The further route, in theory, led us through Pudozh to the Sovereign Road - a path laid from the Nyukhcha pier on the White Sea to Povenets on Lake Onega by order of Peter I. The total length of the road is approximately 260 km.
After have a great holiday, which invigorated the soul and body, at breakfast we all suddenly suddenly decided that right here we had the legendary Devil's nose at our side and it was probably worth stopping by on the way to the White Sea. Not that we were prone to such eccentric adventures, but some excitement made us think about this little "detour" in our route. Even at home, I laid the Devil's nose, as an additional point of interest, capable of diversifying the "routine" road with a little adventure.
> Morning camp cooking. 
Geographically, Besov Nose is a rocky cape protruding 750 meters into Lake Onega, located between Capes Perry Nose and Kanin Nose and being part of a belt of coastal outcrops of crystalline rocks. In the historical sense, the capes Besov Nos and Kanin Nos are, preserved to our time, monumental paintings of primitive man. The gloomy stone shores of these capes bear groups of patterns of varying complexity - petroglyphs. The sets of petroglyphs of Capes Kanin Nos and Besov Nos are among the largest on the Onega coast, they include about 100 images. In the petroglyphs of Cape Besov, the image of an anthropomorphic creature, called the Bes because of the depicted growths on the head, resembling horns, stands out. The size of the image is about 2 meters long and it is surrounded by many smaller images depicting birds, people, drawings from everyday life. Petroglyphs are monuments of monumental art of the primitive era and date back to the 4th-3rd millennium BC.
In the jeep-tourist sense, Besov Nos is a transit point for all car travelers in Karelia. There are two roads to Cape Besov Nos. One through the village of Karshevo, along the Chernaya River. Another goes along the eastern shore of Lake Onega from the village of Shalsky. Most of the road through Shalsky runs along the sandy beaches of Onega, several times going into the forest in order to overcome three small capes that cut the coastline of Onega. In our case, the most optimal, from the point of view of the travel logic, was the route Karshevo - Besov Nos - Shalsky. Remembering numerous stories and videos about the heroic battles of jeepers on the roads to the Besov Nos, we were aware that our cars were in an insufficiently prepared state and in the event of an insurmountable obstacle, we would have to go back.
In all scenarios, it turned out to be very, very interesting. Suddenly, after breakfast, it turned out that everyone was already mentally ready to rush to the Demons and were in a state of mild euphoria, which accompanies the beginning of a real adventure. We quickly packed up camp and headed out on the road. The asphalt part passed without any difficulties. In the last year, the roads of Karelia have risen to a new level and a small section, 40 kilometers long, is overcome quite easily. Then there was a small section of a broken field road and, having overcome Karshevo, we found ourselves in front of a raised barrier. Further, having overcome the shaky bridge, we began to go deeper into the thicket.
> The road after the last village takes on a wilder look. 
> A bridge of a very sad appearance, which aims to stop travelers from rash acts and restricts entry into the territory of the "Demons Nos" nature reserve. 
In the dense forest, I remembered my first acquaintance with the nature of this northern land. Karelia, for the first time, greeted me with northern summer weather - it rained non-stop for a day and the wind blew, then it rained for half the day, and it was cloudy for half the day, and on the third day it was dry, sunny and beautiful. Then the cycle of three days was repeated and this continued for 14 days that I spent in Karelia. On the next trip, we met as "old" friends and all 15 days it was sunny and warm, it rained a couple of times, but otherwise it was dry and beautiful. It seemed that the local spirits tested me in the difficult conditions of bad weather and discomfort, and when they saw that I was not afraid of the hardships, they graciously allowed me into their lands. And once my friend, originally from Petrozavodsk, having heard my story about how I first came here, said such a strange phrase - Karelia, this is the land where the gods walk the earth. For some reason, these simple words stuck in my soul and since then the Karelian land has become a land of miracles for me.
> In places the road becomes unusually wide. 
> Prepared ambush places are winches. 
> Less prepared find detours ambush places. 
As soon as we were in the forest, a feeling of fabulousness of the surrounding world immediately came - pines and giant birches rise all around, growing here for more than a dozen years, untouched fields of blueberries and lingonberries spread around, here and there colonies of mushrooms are seen - white, russula, boletus . And the feeling is relentlessly haunted that someone invisible is watching every step, as if the owner of the forest is peering at the guests, trying to understand as soon as possible what to expect from them. And moving deeper and deeper you understand that there is something to take from such hostility of the local forest owner. Here and there you can see traces of thoughtless attempts to drive right here - the trees are cut with winch cables, which were tied without bark-protective slings, the road is literally “blown up” by lovers to press the gas pedal when the SUV is already obviously helplessly buried in the ground, spontaneous miniature dumps of technical garbage are periodically found . It should be noted that in the evening, having crossed the Devil's nose and setting up camp, we fell into prostration when we saw huge heaps of garbage all around, most of which was clearly left here by tourists who came here to "culturally relax." But that was later, and until then the presence of someone invisible did not leave for a minute.
> The road winds parallel to the Chernaya River, and therefore views of the water and the autumn forest often flicker from the side. 
> Most often, especially ambush places have detours. 
> Views of the smooth surface of the river and the crimson of the autumn forest are fascinating. 
> On the opposite bank you can see " Bald Gora" at the base of Mount Kalya (71 meters, by the way). 
> You have to drive carefully. 
> Often have to stomp through the puddles-it is not possible to determine the patency by eye. 
> Meet the first reminding of a raging hurricane-the butt of a fallen tree is noticeably higher than the car. 
> The road goes somewhere up the stone. When you drive on such a road for the first time, you experience very unusual sensations. 
Overcoming pits full of dirty water, overcoming local swamps, the bottom of which consisted of white clay, we crawled forward. The whole team spent almost the whole day on their feet - they had to carry cables, measure fords, help each other in overcoming difficult terrain, circle around the car when there was a slalom among tree trunks and stumps. Already in the late afternoon, pretty tired, we got to the shore of Lake Onega. To tell the truth - I couldn't believe it exactly until we went down to the sand of the beach. Only when the dense still air of the forest, saturated with the smells of grasses, trees, the sounds of birds and animals, was replaced by fresh and clean moist air that had flown in from the Onega - only then did the understanding come that we had overcome this road and we came to the banks of the Onega. There was only a kilometer to Besov's nose. In order to take our time and calmly walk, wander, we decided to go for a walk to Cape Kladovets, see petroglyphs, drive a little deeper and set up camp in order to leave the inspection of the Besov Nos for the next morning.
> ahead of Onego! 
> The smallest guard of the team jumped out to stretch his paws after a whole day of shaking in a stuffy car over pits and potholes. 
> The coast of Lake Onega is predominantly sandy, sometimes interspersed with stone capes.
In the vicinity of Cape Kladovets, we met two surveyors of a very mysterious appearance, who were conducting some kind of observations or surveys in part of the terrain. And besides these two, we also met a wonderful cheerful shaggy dog of a beige color, it is not clear where it came from. Sobakin deftly galloped over the stones, rushed among the mast pines that cover Cape Kladovets and looked very joyful and contented with his life. It seemed to us that in what form the local spirit of the forest should live, so we decided to treat him with tasty treats so as not to anger us with our presence. The spirit of the forest turned out to be very friendly and peaceful - the sky cleared, although heavy gray clouds hung in the sky all day, the setting sun came out and the wind flying from Onega began to subside. In order to somehow call the cheerful spirit of the forest in the form of a dog, we called him Chuy. Chuy cheerfully galloped after us, showed us petroglyphs, rolled on the rocks of the cape.
> Here it is-the cheerful spirit of the Chui forest. 
> Petroglyphs of Cape Kladovets. Unfortunately, most of the stone rock (!) Was taken away for souvenirs. 
> Petroglyphs of Cape Kladovets 
> Petroglyphs of Cape Kladovets
After wandering a little more, we returned to the cars and drove off to set up camp. The day coming to an end was rich not only in new emotions, but also in the harvest of mushrooms. Having built a delicious dinner, we decided to sit a little, chat about this and that. The restless Chui spun around the camp, got a portion of evening delicacies, was very pleased with them and wished us good night and rushed off somewhere at dusk to settle down for the night.
> In the distance you can see Cape Karetsky. 
> Pleasant fatigue disposed to a quiet pastime.
> The red disk of the sun sank in the endless expanse of the great Onego. 
> "Noble Dony" for a leisurely evening conversation help in the power part of camp cooking. 
The morning greeted us with wonderful weather, conducive to a short walk. After a quick breakfast, a group of enthusiasts set off to conquer Cape Besov Nos. The road from the mainland to the tip of the Besov Nose makes it possible to feel the power of nature and the power of a hurricane that hit the cape a few years ago - mighty pines turned out of the ground, taller than a man, butts of giant pines are seen here and there. Having made our way through the windbreak, we came to the old non-working lighthouse, saw the blackened coastal cliffs of the cape below and walked along them, carefully moving from one stone to another. After some time, the first petroglyphs appeared, the number of which increased as one approached the center of the entire group of images - Besu.
> Windbreak blocked the road to the Devil's nose. 
> Non-working lighthouse, hinting that the Cape of Devils Nose is already close. 
> Cheerful spirit Chui accompanied us on this walk. 
> The same Bes. 
> Petroglyphs of Cape Besov Nos. 
> Petroglyphs of Cape Besov Nos. 
> A monumental canvas for painting our ancestors. 
> Chui kept a close eye on things to be calm 
On the way back to the camp, we decided to go along the coast - although a little longer, but the views are wonderful. When we got to the camp, the second breakfast was already prepared and leisurely preparations were going on. Indeed, it was not worth it to linger too much - we had an unknown road to Shalsky, the condition of which was unknown and which could also end with an insurmountable obstacle that could turn us in the opposite direction in the direction of Karshevo.
> View from the camp on the Devil's nose. 
Schematically, the road to Shalsky can be divided into three special stages divided by runs along the sandy coastline of Onega. And although our way back was somewhat longer than the arrival from Karshevo, but thanks to the long journeys along the banks of the Onega, we hoped to get to civilization as soon as possible. Indeed, coastline runs made up about 60 percent of the way, but we remembered the remaining 40 percent of the way for a long time.
> The team is ready to move forward. 
The first special stage began immediately after the Shalsky tract (? in many sources it is listed as the former village of Besonosovka) and consisted of a difficult mud road, limited by the fact that it was actually cut through a windbreak and often changed directions. By the way, our cheerful spirit Chui stubbornly accompanied us to the exit ashore. While we were moving ashore, he remained in the forest, sitting on the ground, and as soon as we were on the sandy beach of Onega, he looked at us, shook his tail and, wishing us a good road home, rushed off somewhere into the forest on his forest affairs. The second special stage was a little more difficult, because stone thresholds of small height and an abundance of stumps of all stripes were added to the mud road. The third special stage began with a hill, 20 meters high and 45-50 degrees climb, which had to be overcome on winches. Then the road retained all the previous features - stone rapids, stumps, dry rocky rivers, mud and additionally more stones appeared. After we again found ourselves on the sandy beach of Onega, several kilometers of the beach road along the sand awaited us, the finish line of which was the village of Shalsky.
> The road again pampered with views of the forest, painted with golden-purple flowers. 
> The first stone rapids appear. 
> overcame such stone mountains. 
> There are still fields of moss all around with crimson lingonberry drops and blueberry blots. 
> Periodically there are hunting lodges, in some incredible way nestled on the rocks. 
> In some places, to go along the beach, you have to overcome such braids. 
> There is no photo clearly showing the steepness of the slide, so it's just a view through the eyes of a pilot.
> Stone rapids have become familiar. 
> Stone trial, from a certain point, ceased to strain. 
> Stony banks of the Onega. 
As soon as we stopped in the center of the village, dark heavy lead clouds covered the sky (although this could have happened earlier, only we didn’t notice), and the way back to civilization was somewhat difficult, so I didn’t want to fool around with spending the night in the field. We had a little drive to Pudozh and there, we decided to look for a guest house with beds, a hot shower and clean linen. Replenishing fuel supplies at the TNK dispenser, standing on the outskirts of the city, they spotted unobtrusively spread out business cards of a local guest house at the checkout. We decided to go to it - we never regretted it. The house stands in the depths of Pudozh, on a dead-end street, there is silence and tranquility all around, behind the site on which the house stands, the Vodla River winds. Having parked our cars in the yard, we took out especially valuable things, some of the products and went to rest.
> A little bit of beach vegetation. 
> Asphalt and civilization - as if he was on another planet, especially after two days at one with nature and the team. 
And ahead of us were kilometers of the Karelian grader, the Osudareva road, repairs and the western shore of Lake Onega.
Karelia is famous for its many protected areas that annually attract travelers from all over the world. This is untouched nature, unique cultural and historical monuments, but one of the most mysterious places is Cape Besov Nos. The area got its name because of the elongated shape, which really resembles a caricatured elongated nose, curved down and wide at the base. The length of the cape is 750 meters, the width in the narrow part is no more than 100 meters. This is one of the most beautiful sights of Karelia, located just a couple of kilometers from another monument - the Dormition Murom Monastery. The cape on the eastern coast of Lake Onega is very picturesque, dense caps of northern forests have been preserved here, interspersed with steep rocks, which are also called sheep's foreheads. This name is due to their unusual shape - from the side of the movement of the ancient glacier, the rocks are smooth and gentle, from the opposite side they are steep and very uneven. The cape itself is known not only for the richness of nature, but also for its mysteries. Among local residents and ufologists, this place has the glory of mystical. According to the assurances of many who visit this cape, there is a strong upsurge of strength, incredible energy.
How to get to Besov Nos?
The road to Besov Nos is not so easy, two car routes are usually used:- to Shalsky, after which along the coast of Onega to the cape;
- through Karshevo, along the channel of the Chernaya River.
Mysteries of petroglyphs - what is interesting about Cape Besov Nos
The line of the cape is broken and complex, it is replete with outcrops of red and gray granites near the water, overhanging forests. It is on the gently sloping rocky outcrops that one of the mysteries of Besov Nos is located - petroglyphs, whose age is at least five thousand years. These rock paintings are older than the pyramids, but they were discovered relatively recently - only in the middle of the 19th century. Petroglyphs are unique in that they have no analogues in the whole world. The main figures of the drawings are three basic images - lizards, fish and demons. The dimensions of each drawing are huge, they can reach two and a half meters, but they are located at the very edge of the water. The most unusual is an imp with a humanoid figure, a square head, a very thin neck and small twisted limbs. The mystery is the image of the Orthodox cross on his left hand. It is generally accepted that this is a later image, applied by the monks. The exact meaning of the petroglyphs is unknown, except for the main figures, there are dancing men, birds, deer, crescents. It is not so easy to immediately notice the drawings, they are turned by time and water, it is difficult to get to them. The best time for observation is quiet sunny weather, when the surface of the lake is not touched by waves. At this time, the drawings are very clearly visible, but only at sunrise or sunset do they seem more embossed, difficult to come to life and emerge from the water. In addition to petroglyphs, on the cape there is the now abandoned village of Besov Nos, the buildings of which are practically hidden in the raspberry forest. One of the houses in the village, which is better preserved than the others, is associated with a local legend. It is believed that two brothers built it, but they did not have time to live in the house - they went to the front, where they died in battle. And the house is still standing, waiting for its missing owners in the middle of dense thickets of raspberries. Ancient lighthouse on Onega
The cape attracts not only with its mysteries, but also with one of the oldest lighthouses in Russia. In Europe, lighthouses have been built since antiquity, but in Russia they appeared only under Peter I. The lighthouse on Onega is one of the first, it was built of wood, which distinguishes it from others, for the construction of which stone and brick were used. The lighthouse of Cape Besov Nos is part of the Volga-Baltic waterway system, not so long ago it was used as a reliable reference point for boats, motor ships and yachts, but today the lighthouse does not operate. The ancient wooden tower is empty, the stairs and the lower part of the building have been dismantled, although the upper platform has been preserved. Many visitors to these beautiful places cannot resist climbing onto the site and enjoying stunning views of the lake and shore from there. Cape Besov Nos is a unique nature reserve that attracts with unexplored mysteries, the mystery of ancient petroglyphs and the beauties of untouched nature. This is one of the untouched corners of Karelia, which attracts travelers who are trying to penetrate the secrets of this place. In the middle of the 19th century, a professor at the University of Tartu, geologist Konstantin Grevingk, discovered many drawings carved on stones on the rocks on the eastern shore of Lake Onega. Since that time, people have become aware of the existence of the Onega petroglyphs - one of the main attractions of Karelia.
Rock paintings in Karelia can be found in several places, but the most famous are the White Sea and Onega petroglyphs. The first are located near Belomorsk near the sea coast, others are on the eastern side of Lake Onega in the Pudozh region of Karelia. Onega petroglyphs were carved about 5-6 thousand years ago, when the territory of modern Karelia was only inhabited by primitive tribes. These petroglyphs are so unique that, along with the famous Kizhi, they are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Unknown artists used stone chisels to carve images on coastal rocks for many years and even centuries. To knock out such drawings on a granite rock, which only a diamond drill will take, is difficult even for a modern person, not to mention our ancestors from the Stone Age. Scientists have established that the authors of the petroglyphs used a piece of quartz as a chisel, using the second piece of stone as a hammer. To date, more than a thousand images are known, ranging in size from a few centimeters to four meters. They are concentrated on a rocky section of the coast 20 km long.
Almost half of all known images were carved on the capes Besov Nos and Peri Nos. These places are removed from travel roads and popular tourist routes, therefore, not all tourists who come to Karelia on vacation can look at petroglyphs.
Primitive artists on the shores of Lake Onega most often depicted birds and a little less often animals. There are also images of people or supernatural beings. Some of the Onega petroglyphs have not yet been deciphered, and scientists can only assume that ancient people painted on the stones.
The most famous Onega petroglyph is the image of the "Demon" on the Besovy Nos. A huge (more than 2 meters in height) disproportionate figure of a humanoid creature is carved on a rock, and a deep crack lies in the middle of the image. Next to the "Demon" images of a catfish or burbot and a lizard or otter are carved. For several millennia, this petroglyph remained unchanged, and only in the 19th century the monks of the local monastery decided to "neutralize" it and knocked out an image of an Orthodox cross over its left hand. In this form, this petroglyph now appears before researchers and tourists coming to Karelia.
Why ancient people carved these images on stone, scientists can only speculate. Perhaps they were used in rituals. Some even believe that sacrifices could be held on the Demon Nose. Other researchers consider our ancestors less bloodthirsty, and petroglyphs, according to their version, could serve as a kind of observatory, with the help of which the movement of celestial bodies was calculated. By the way, it is worth admiring the petroglyphs just before the appearance of the stars. The images are best seen in the last rays of the setting sun. In this light, the relief of the rock appears along with the slightest crevices.
How to get to the Onega petroglyphs:
Petroglyphs on Lake Onega, unlike the White Sea ones, are located away from popular tourist routes. Therefore, few tourists can see the unique stone writings with their own eyes. You can get to Cape Besov Nos both by water and by land. In the first case, the easiest way would be to rent a boat in the village of Shalsky. The village is located just 10 kilometers from Besov Nos.
In order to get to the petroglyphs by land, you will need a prepared off-road vehicle. First you need to get to Pudozh - this is the regional center, then tourists will have a 35-kilometer section, first to the village of Karashevo, and then along a forest dirt road to the very cape. The journey will turn out to be quite exciting, because there are abandoned villages along the way, and the road itself can add adrenaline to the blood, so you need to go on a prepared jeep with a winch, several jacks and, preferably, experience in trophy raids. In general, there are many such impassable roads in this region and jeep tours in Karelia are very popular. Such a vacation will allow you to get to know Karelia from a completely different side and look at such hidden places that, at times, the locals themselves do not know about.
If the way to the Onega petroglyphs seems too long, you can simply visit the National Museum, located in the very center of Petrozavodsk. Its funds contain a piece of rock with real petroglyphs, brought from the eastern shore of Lake Onega.
What to see nearby
Onega petroglyphs are located in the Pudozh region of Karelia. For a long time it was considered a remote territory, located on the edge of the republic, and even getting a court was quite difficult. Now the federal highway connecting Karelia, the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions passes through the territory of the district. Every year it will get better and better, so the flow of tourists here in the coming years will only increase.
This area is special. Traditionally, a predominantly Russian population settled here, whose life acquired its own special features. All this can be told in the local history museum of the district in Pudozh. Due to its position, the area has managed to preserve the unique nature untouched by civilization. Europe's largest wildlife park "Vedlozersky" is located here, and pilgrims will be interested in visiting the Murom Monastery, founded back in the 14th century.
In June 2003, our already established tourist group decided to see the Onega petroglyphs at Cape Besov Nos in person, and not only from photographs on the Internet. The five-thousand-year age of the rock paintings was impressive, and I also wanted to see the eastern shores of Lake Onega. Based on the meager information gleaned from the network, the achievement of the goal of a hike in cars initially seemed unlikely, and therefore two inflatable motor boats were included in the equipment this time, which significantly increased the weight and dimensions of our belongings.
As it turned out, it was worth it... It was thanks to water transport that we were able to see the cave paintings of primitive people on Cape Besov Nos...
The information about the roads in those places was the most controversial, and the atlas of Karelia even predicted a decent part of the route along the forest road, but as it turned out, the devil was not so terrible ... The most impartial and caused a lot of strong words from drivers was the part of the road that ran through the territory of the Vologda region. The roads of the Vytegorsky district are large sections of primer, interspersed in the villages with pieces of asphalt that are exactly the length of the village. And only near Vytegra they become similar to those that should be according to all kinds of atlases.
By the way, it is that very forest road (according to the atlas of Karelia), in the section between Vytegra and Pudozh, that is a recently rolled up “runway”, as we dubbed it after two hundred kilometers of exhausting primers in the Vologda region.
In the village of Karshevo, local “local historians” explained to us that it was not possible to reach Cape Besov Nos by land, since a week before us, on the way to the cape, even a state farm tractor drowned in mud. Therefore, it was decided to go to Shalsky and climb along the coast of Lake Onega as close as possible to the object of interest to us.
After an operational interrogation of local punks in the village of Shalsky, we acquired knowledgeable guides in the person of two grimy boys, one of whom registered with us in the camp for the entire time of our stay there. But we saved time looking for a place to camp. Having driven along the long beach from the village to the south, we camped at the closest point to Cape Besov Nos, accessible by a regular car. And although the road continues its way into the forest, it can hardly be called a carriageway even for the Niva. Maybe for tracked vehicles?
Throughout this beach there are small fishing huts located along the edge of the forest and equipped with at least a stove, a table and sleeping places. In summer, these huts are usually empty and in case of cold weather you can always take shelter there.
We chose a place for camp in a clearing, almost on the edge of the beach, where the breeze dispersed numerous mosquitoes and Karelian midges, which are in abundance here in June.
The whole next day after arrival, we waited for the improvement of seafaring conditions on Onega, since the sensations in a boat gliding on a large swell cannot be called particularly pleasant. At the same time, we looked around the surroundings of our camp, rounded the nearest cape, which, judging by the atlas of Karelia, should be named Cherny, in search of petroglyphs, but found nothing. On the other hand, we stumbled upon a large fishing camp equipped with a small cellar, apparently for storing fish, and even an impromptu solarium on the roof ... True, it is possible to get to it either on foot or from the water, we did not find other entrances.
The prospect of walking several kilometers along a forest path to the next cape
we were not impressed, and we decided to make a sortie to Besov Nos the next day and using water vehicles.
The next day, the weather was not very favorable to us, but this should not stop real travelers, and therefore two equipped motor boats set sail towards Besov Nos, proudly overcoming all the hardships and hardships of the Onega swell. True, halfway through, reminiscent of driving a car along a “high-quality” unpaved “comb”, we did not pass the test and landed at Cape Peri Nos for a smoke break. Having overcome several bays with the last jerk and heading straight for the lighthouse whitening on the Besovy Nos, we rounded the cape and entered the bay, which struck us with its silence and water surface.
Judging by the publications on the server of the Petrozavodsk Museum of Local Lore, we expected to see equipped paths, a restored site of an ancient man, signs and a layout of petroglyphs, as well as a close-knit team of scientists studying these petroglyphs.
So no! We met at Cape Besov Nos with complete desolation, a dilapidated lighthouse that had been taken for firewood, and a huge strip of forest burned and blown down by the wind.
We found petroglyphs quite easily, but not at all where we expected to see them according to some scheme, again “downloaded” from the network.
Their main concentration, including the largest images of a demon and an otter, are located almost at the very tip of the cape, thirty meters south of the lighthouse. Most of the petroglyphs are located on sloping stone foreheads two or three meters from the coastline for twenty to thirty meters.
The image of the demon in the area of the mouth is crossed by a deep crack, they say, strange sounds are sometimes heard from there, as if the demon is talking to you. True, we could not hear anything, as we did not listen.
The legend is beautiful and romantic, although it is clear that this is the sound of Onega water flowing through the cracks. We encountered a similar phenomenon in the summer of 2001 on the opposite bank of the Onega. Then we set up camp on the stone forehead of Cape Podshchelye, near the village of Shcheleyki, and every night, when the wind and wave subsided, we listened to the whisper of Lake Onega.
The gathering dusk hurried us home, and saying goodbye to Cape Besov Nos, we headed north. In the middle of the journey, they did not deny themselves the pleasure of climbing to the lighthouse on the island, since Onega abounds in these places with islands and almost every one has a lighthouse. Although all of them are now abandoned, apparently in connection with the development of electronic means of navigation.
The impressions from the contemplation of five-thousand-year-old rock paintings would be even brighter if it were not for the modern "cave" people who covered the creations of primitive artists with their "highly artistic" writings, which can only be called barbarism. Somehow, seventy years do not fit with five thousand, and the plot of modern "artists" is very banal.
It is a pity, of course, that the state is not yet able to ensure the proper protection of such monuments. One can only hope for the sanity of people visiting these places, because photographs of petroglyphs cannot convey the charm of the harsh northern beauty of the Onega Sea.
Despite the not too hot weather and the water in Onega, which is not at all hot in June, we had the best impressions of these places. A wonderful sandy beach, relative privacy and the complete absence of problems with dry firewood. It was possible not only to sunbathe on the sloping stone foreheads that are well warmed up by the sun, but also to swim in Lake Onega. Swimming in icy water after a well-heated tourist bath added thrill to the contemplation of the majestic landscape of one of the largest lakes in our country.
Source of text and photo
Just a few kilometers separate the Murom Assumption Monastery from another attraction of Karelia - Cape Besov Nos. It really resembles a caricature nose in profile in its shape - it is narrow at the base, then it expands and bends to the bottom.
Its length is about 750 meters, the width in the narrow part adjacent to the mainland is no more than a hundred. Like the entire eastern coast of Lake Onega, the cape is very picturesque, with a dense cap of the northern forest and high rocky shores. Rocks of this kind are called sheep foreheads - on the one hand, where the ancient glacier moved, they are smooth and flat, on the opposite side - uneven and steep.
Here, on the cape, all the harsh power of Nature is clearly manifested. And he himself, and all his surroundings remained unchanged - the same as it was several millennia ago.
This is not only a wonderfully beautiful place, but also very mysterious.
Ufologists, part of the local residents and some of the tourists who have been here sincerely consider it (and provide evidence!) A special, so-called “place of power”. They assure that portals to other worlds open here, unknown energy entities appear, human consciousness changes, the rise of forces is really felt, that the very course of time changes here.
But that's not even the point. It is also mysterious from purely materialistic positions.
Here, at Cape Besov Nos in Karelia, expeditions of scientists from the Scandinavian countries and the Russian Academy of Sciences have been traveling for many decades. The close attention of the professors is drawn to the drawings carved on rock slabs - the famous Onega petroglyphs. It is not surprising that Cape Besov Nos has been declared a historical and natural reserve in Karelia.
Good morning on Onega
Morning has come. The bright hot sun quietly sorts through the edge of the tent with its rays, in the silence the bayous barking of our dogs (they are hunting dogs!) Is loudly heard, chasing ducks with ducklings with excitement.
Sanya is already moving on to water procedures and races with gadflies into the depths. Here he is diving. The gadflies, buzzing with displeasure and gleaming with iridescent eyes, scatter to the sides, but are not in a hurry to fly away at all: they are guarding the place. Promising prey emerges, bright flies react instantly.
They recklessly cut circles around the body of my husband, covered with Onega water. And they bite painfully - as if cauterized with a red-hot iron. Fleeing from the bloodsuckers, Sanya rushes at a good speed to the tent for repellent. Gadflies lose quite a bit in this race.
You need to have a proper breakfast, because there will be no lunch, and it is not known what time dinner will be. We sit down in cars - the journey across Karelia continues, ahead of the mysterious Cape Besov Nos and Onega petroglyphs.
How can a jeeper get to Besov Nos
We return back along the gati to the track. There are more butterflies than yesterday. They are crowded on the edge of the puddles, sitting in large white spots. Butterflies feel sorry, we try to go around them ...
In order to get to the Karelian Cape Besov No on an off-road vehicle, you can choose any of two options - to Shalsky, and then along the shore of Lake Onega, or through Karshevo along the Chernaya River.
According to the map of the General Staff from Karshevo to the cape - only 18 kilometers, but this is a difficult road: terrifying-looking deep ruts, high-quality mud, turns with overhanging wheels, stones, puddles, streams, swamps. And another dangerous dilapidated bridge across the Sustrezha River. But we are on serious machines, good tires, with winches, hijacks, cables, shovels, an ax, a saw, a set of tools.
And we choose a difficult path, dangerous as a military path.
We swans a lot - we had a good ride
The road was remembered as an endless struggle. Rut-river. Our cars, like an iron, sink and crawl along the bottom. Water almost poured into the cabin. The crocodile accelerates and flies through a puddle that has almost become a swamp. We - follow him and get stuck! Swans ... Then the Crocodile gets stuck. Sanya and Sasha H, racing to the victim's car ... The roar of engines, the ringing of cables.
I constantly look around: in the reports they wrote about a lot of snakes and snakes in these places, crawling out to bask in the sun on the road. Fortunately, we did not meet with any of these terrible reptiles.
There were so many extreme sports, impressions, adventures in one day! Not a day, but a fabulous dream of a jeeper! And finally, the victorious: “We did it!”
On the banks of the Onega, Sanya and his friends immediately take up repairs - the radiator is clogged, the car is buzzing and heating up.
Why is the Devil's nose interesting for travelers?
There are many people in the world who call themselves realists.
But if you ask them what they dream about, it often turns out that their soul longs for nothing or longs for something completely mundane, so you wonder where their youthful dreams of adventure and distant lands have disappeared. Their ardor faded away, romance slipped away like water between fingers, their eyes were covered with dust.
Or there are those that everyone is postponing the realization of their dreams - they say, to realize them. We are sure that a dream is always followed by an opportunity - just look carefully. And we grab the opportunity by the tail and hit the road!
Once I came across the words of one philosopher - "if you do not have a goal, then there is no point in choosing a path." We have preserved the youth of the soul - we are not satisfied with the acquaintance with the world. But we always choose the road - we set a goal in our travels, which we always (oh, although there was one) and know in advance what we would like to see in a new place.
What are the attractions at Cape Besov Nos
- The main and most interesting here, without a doubt, are the Onega petroglyphs - a cluster of ancient rock paintings.
The reserve occupies not only this cape, but also grabs two neighboring and several nearby rocky islands of Lake Onega. What is the name of one of them - Besikha! This is the lady of the heart of the owner of the nose we are talking about.
It is possible for a reason that near the habitat of infernal forces is the mouth of the Chernaya River, in the name of which is the color of darkness and mystery. - Reconstruction of a Stone Age settlement with theatrical performances.
The fact is that in the vicinity of Besov Nos, scientists have discovered more than fifty sites of ancient people. - The abandoned village of Besov Nos with dilapidated buildings.
There is nothing special to see there - continuous thickets of dense raspberries. But a piercing legend is connected with it: one of those houses that have been better preserved was lovingly built by two brothers just before the war. But they did not have time to live in it - they went to the front. Both did not return back, they died in battles, and the empty house still stood and waited for its owners. - Wooden, no longer working, 16-meter lighthouse on Cape Besov Nos. In some ways, this is unique.
Lighthouse at Cape Besov Nos
In Russia, a lighthouse service has appeared since the time of Peter I. But in Europe, lighthouses have been in service since ancient times.
In the beginning, they were built everywhere from wood, but fires on them were such a frequent disaster that builders everywhere were forced to switch to brick and granite. Lighthouse structures were erected like strong fortresses.
And this one on Onega was built of wood - a purely Russian improvised material.
Lake Onega is an integral part of the Volga-Baltic waterway system. Tons of cargo and many passengers are transported across its expanses. Motor ships, meteors, rockets, boats, passenger liners, pleasure yachts surf the water. And for navigation, this is a difficult place: shallow water, winds, indented coasts.
One of the guarantees of safe navigation has always been a burning lighthouse.
And this one once served as a reliable guide for yachtsmen and passing ships, but by now the need for it has disappeared. His saving fire was extinguished, the troublesome caretaker was removed, and the tower was abandoned to the mercy of fate.
The upper platform of the lighthouse is still preserved, but the lower part and the stairs - it is not clear who and why were dismantled.
So climbing the lighthouse turned out to be not so easy, and we retreated, although we wanted to. How nice it would be to have a look from above at the opened views, at the neighboring islands and capes.
In the empty lighthouse, in the azure of the window cavities, The autumn wind blows - and, ringing, Buzzes above. It is wet and cool, It intoxicates me with freshness. I.A. Bunin.
I thought: after all, the fact that he suddenly stopped serving people and saving ships also somehow logically fits into the general scheme of the negative impact of evil spirits. Do you agree?
Onega rock petroglyphs older than the pyramids
Karelia, Lake Onega, Cape Besov Nos - a rugged, uneven edge of the coast. Near the water there are exposed outcrops of gray and reddish granites. On them, in groups, for twenty kilometers, rock drawings petroglyphs stretch.
Their age is more than five thousand years, they are older Egyptian pyramids, but the scientific world discovered them recently - in the middle of the 19th century, and, in general, by accident. There are ancient images on stones in many countries of the world - France, Italy, Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Africa, even on the island of Borneo. We ourselves stood near the petroglyphs at the time!
Petroglyphs in Karelia are found:
- In the Belomorsky region near the mouth of the Vyg River
- On the shores of Lake Onega
If the engravings of the White Sea petroglyphs reflect the economic beginning of people's lives, there are no analogues to the fantastic and unusual Onega rock paintings in the whole world.
Onega petroglyphs - an exhibition of drawings from the Neolithic period
The main figures on the Besovoy Nose are considered to be three images - Bes, Fish and Lizards. Huge, about two and a half meters long, they are knocked out near the water at the bottom of the central ledge of the cape.
Bes is especially unusual. He has a human-like figure. A thin neck, on it is a square head. Mouth. One eye is in the form of a spot, the second is a circle with a dot. Small twisted legs, outstretched to the sides, with five fingers, hands. It seems that he is trying to cover everything around them: “Mine! Everything is mine here!”
On his left hand, overlapping, an Orthodox cross is applied. It is believed that this was done by the monks of the Murom Monastery. The figure of Bes is cut in two by a deep crack, the edges of which are processed.
Secrets of Cape Besov Nos
Flashed after their discovery, the interest of scientists in the Onega petroglyphs has not faded to this day. Why do countless foreign and Russian scientific expeditions come here, to the mysterious figures on the rocks?
Very little is known about the life of the Neolithic people. Archaeological excavations of ancient settlements provide meager information - they contain almost no objects. By studying petroglyphs and working on the basis of these drawings, specialists - anthropologists, archaeologists, and art historians receive new data on the dark periods of history.
But what do the Onega petroglyphs and, especially, the famous triad of figures mean? Academic disputes have not ceased about this for almost two centuries.
Scientists, for the most part, believe that there was once a sanctuary here. Five thousand years ago, local tribes performed cult rites here and turned to their gods with prayers, and sacrificial blood was shed into the crack on the figure of Bese, slowly flowing into the dark waters of Lake Onega.
It is curious that even now local hunters and fishermen, even sometimes tourists, in order to lure good luck, bring something as a gift to the invisible forces of the cape - for example, they throw a coin into the slot guarded by the Bes, pour a sip of wine.
Rock petroglyphs and the human factor
The drawings are small and large. Those in which people, deer, birds are guessed ... But there are many completely incomprehensible ones. Here is something round, a couple of rays depart from it, most likely a crescent moon is depicted here. There are absolutely fantastic pictures, they show some kind of hybrids of animal and human figures.
There are some that are quite difficult to comprehend - now you can’t make out what was once depicted on them. Time worked. But this is not always the case - sometimes the cause is human barbarism. Not so much for thousands of years as people have been causing irreparable damage to petroglyphs in Karelia, including the Onega drawings.
In our country, the state is not yet able to provide proper protection to priceless artifacts. Most of the Karelian monuments are protected only by mosquitoes and impassability. The mentality of our people is such that many do not pay any attention to the prohibition to set up tents and drive cars around the territory of the reserve.
And the huntsmen guarding the Devils Nose can influence such people only by persuasion, without being able to put the ban into effect. There is nowhere to wait for help, to the police - kilometers on a motorboat. Here vandals burn fires on rocks with petroglyphs, knock out their graffiti with chisels. So far, no one has been brought to justice for causing damage to the monument.
Pinkish-gray stone, rays of the midday sun, bizarre lines left by water ... We jump from one long, narrow granite tongue to another. On them, turned by time and water, there are figures, contours, sometimes indistinct silhouettes. People, animals, some sketches of everyday life ... We call each other, shout, wave our hands, offering to admire this particular drawing!
Here are our tips for viewing the petroglyphs on the Besovy Nos of Lake Onega:
- Calm weather is best for this so that there are no special waves.
- You need to walk carefully on the rocks - it is easy to slip on a wet stone, you can fall into the water and lose your camera
- A sunny day is preferable, in cloudy weather the knockouts are less visible
- In the slanting rays of the sun, at sunset or dawn, all the drawings look more embossed, as if they come to life.
- Great pleasure - to feel like a discoverer, to find the petroglyph yourself
Time flies ... I want to eat ...
The food of the gods and the long-lasting sunset
My friends, I tell you sincerely - rice with stew is the food of the gods!
We set up camp on the beach. Sand, clean as in Neolithic times. No garbage left by people, only a few snags by the water.
We decide to take a dip. But the water is cold, swimming turns into a race - shallow near the shore, a quick crouch and again, at full speed, on the sand.
Pine trees are crowded on the hill. Such beauty and silence around. It is evening, the sun disappears, giving way to soft twilight. Cirrus clouds spread across the horizon.
I am sitting in the pose of Vasnetsov's Alyonushka, looking at the sky, at the lake surface with splashes and diverging circles - traces of the abundant presence of fish, a fire is crackling nearby. Stop, moment! Evening, don't end! And the evening hears us and freezes ... Nine hours, ten, two hours - the same haze on the water, the same soft twilight ...
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