Why was NASA interested in the Manpupuner Plateau?

There is not a single living settlement within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, only wild taiga and mountains. At the top of the plateau are seven giant stone statues that look like alien sculptures. This Manpupuner is one of the Seven Wonders of Russia, fanned by legends and ... the interest of the American space agency. We tell you what the "Small Mountain of Idols" of the Circumpolar Urals hides.

1. The Stone Army at the edge of the world

The Manpupuner plateau, which means "Small Mountain of Idols" in the Mansi language, is located on the territory of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve in the Komi Republic. Here, on a deserted plateau, there are seven remnants (Pillars of weathering), or, as the locals call them, "Mansi blockheads."

• Height: Stone giants reach 30-42 meters, which is the height of a 10-14-storey building.

• Age: Their history goes back about 200 million years.

At first glance, they seem to be man-made, but this miracle was created by nature. There was once a mountain range here. For millions of years, rain, wind, frost and the sun have destroyed soft rocks, leaving only columns of particularly durable sericite-quartzite schists. Six of them stand in a row, and the seventh, the thinnest, stands a little apart, resembling an overturned bottle or the figure of a warrior.

2. Sacred land and petrified giants

For the people of Mansi, Manpupuner has always been a sacred place. Everyone was strictly forbidden to climb the plateau, except for the shamans who conducted mysterious rituals here. This ban has given rise to one of the most beautiful and dramatic legends.:

Once upon a time, powerful Samoyedic giants marched through the mountains to destroy the Mansi tribe and capture the beautiful Aim. When the army of giants almost overtook the camp, Aim's brother, the hero Pygrychum, took out a magic shield. The sunlight reflected from it struck the giants' eyes, and they instantly turned to stone, turning into seven silent idols.

Many tourists who have visited the plateau note the special, oppressive or, conversely, energizing energy of this place. It seems that these stone figures are really watching you.

3. What does NASA have to do with it? The secret of the alien landscape

Why would the most advanced space organization in the world know about this wilderness of the Circumpolar Urals? It's not about ancient mysteries or mysticism, but about unique geology.

NASA scientists studying conditions for future space missions, in particular to Mars, are looking for so-called similar environments on Earth. These are places whose climatic, geological, or landscape conditions are as close as possible to those on other planets.

The so-called "skeleton" of the Manpupuner consists of quartz, and quartz, as we know, is used in the manufacture of electronic devices.

Quartz (silicon oxide) is not just a stone. This is the basis of modern electronics.

The connection is obvious:

Quartz is a key element in the production of semiconductors, microchips, and, in fact, everything that underlies Silicon Valley.

• The circumpolar Urals and the adjacent plateaus literally stand on deposits of this most valuable rock.

Geologists claim that these quartzite strata go underground to an unknown depth. In fact, these stone idols are just the visible tip of a silicon–enriched iceberg.

What if the "forgotten Switzerland" hides not just a mountain, but a colossal, almost inexhaustible resource reserve capable of meeting the needs of global technology for hundreds of years?

That is why the region, rich not only in picturesque peaks, but also in a strategic mineral, remains the object of close, though not public, attention. Perhaps his "forgetfulness" is not an accident, but a quiet strategic feature, but not for NASA (USA), but for Russia.

Researchers were interested in the Manpupuner plateau for several reasons:

1. Geological remnants: The weathering (erosion) processes that formed the Pillars are similar to the processes occurring on Mars. In conditions of a thin atmosphere and strong winds, bizarre isolated rocks also form on the Red Planet.

2. Virgin isolation: The plateau is located in an area where there is no anthropogenic impact for hundreds of kilometers. This allows us to study pure natural processes that are not distorted by civilization.

3. Harsh climate: Permafrost, extreme temperature changes and strong winds are an ideal testing ground for simulating conditions close to extraterrestrial.

By studying Manpupuner, geologists and climatologists gain invaluable data on how landscapes exposed only to natural factors can look and function. Thus, Manpupuner became a kind of "Russian base" for studying Mars.

4. How to see the UNESCO-protected miracle

Manpupuner is not just a tourist attraction, but a strictly protected area included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Due to the inaccessibility and the status of the reserve, a visit requires serious preparation.

• Season: Summer (hiking) season lasts from July to mid-September; winter (snowmobiling) — February-March.

• Path: Access to the pillars is possible only as part of an organized group and with the permission of the administration of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve.

• Helicopter tour: The fastest and most expensive way (one-day flight from Ukhta) Write to me in the Vkontakte group - Ethnoblogger: Heinrich Nemchinov and we will fly together.

• Hiking route: A multi-day hike through the taiga and mountains. It requires excellent physical fitness and experience.

• Snowmobile tour: In winter, groups travel by snowmobile, spending the night in heated modules.

Manpupuner is a challenge for the tourist and a reward for the eyes. To see these "stone blockheads" with your own eyes means to travel not just to another region, but to another, primordial world that remembers millions of years of evolution and helps us understand what the universe looks like.