This article will focus on the legendary city of Kitezh, hiding from enemies at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar ( Nizhny Novgorod Region). Scientists from all over the world have been trying to solve its riddle for several decades.
Fervent prayer
The ancient chronicle of 1251, created 13 years after the events described in it took place, tells how the city of Kitezh disappeared under the water.
According to this literary source, in 1238 Batu Khan, having conquered almost all Russian principalities, fought in the battle on the City River with the ruler of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, Georgy Vsevolodovich. In a hot battle, the Mongol-Tatar invaders crushed the few regiments of the Russians, and the prince, along with the rest of the army, took refuge in small town Kitezh, which he founded several decades ago on the shore of Lake Svetloyar.
I must say that the approaches to the hail were reliably hidden by the Vetluga forests and impenetrable swamps, and only a few knew the way there. Wishing by all means to get to Prince George, Batu ordered to torture the prisoners in order to learn from them the way to Kitezh. Even the most terrible tortures could not break the captives, but one of them - Grishka Kuterma - still showed the invaders the way to the city, which became a refuge for the prince.
Having passed the secret path, the Tatar hordes saw in front of them the handsome Kitezh, practically devoid of military fortifications. Its inhabitants, instead of preparing for battle, fell to their knees and prayed earnestly. Anticipating an easy victory, the invaders rushed to the city, but then streams of water gushed out from under the ground, forcing the enemy to retreat ingloriously.
But even when the Tatar-Mongols retreated, underground springs have not dried up. The water rose around the city walls, reliably sheltering houses, temples and residents of Kitezh. Soon, on the site of the flowering hail, only the surface of the lake gleamed in the sun, which to this day is a silent witness to the cataclysm of the past centuries.
Reserved place
Today, many researchers of the events of those years have a question: why did Batu, who had practically conquered the entire Russian land, need to look for small city, lost in forests and swamps, which can hardly be called a tasty prey? Did the khan really spend time and effort in search of the coveted path to Kitezh just to destroy the already defeated prince?
The answer to this question is given in one of his works by the writer and historian Alexander Asov. In his opinion, Kitezh is one of the oldest cities Russian land, although its official history is only a few decades old. And it was founded in pre-Christian times in a difficult, reserved place.
From time immemorial, Slavic tribes believed that Lake Svetloyar was endowed with an unknown force. That is why the Berendeys living on its banks arranged sanctuaries for the light god Yarila, whose name gave the name to the lake.
In addition, according to Slavic legends, the powerful god Kitovras, who had the appearance of a half-man, half-horse, was born on this reserved land. He was a temple builder who knew all the secrets of the universe. Here the god of wisdom and hop Kvasura was born, giving people joy and fun.
The very same Kitezh-grad was first mentioned in the "Star Book of Kolyada" - the sacred chronicle of our distant ancestors. This city was patronized by many gods, and even when the Russian land became Orthodox, Christian churches were erected in places of power - the sanctuaries of Slavic deities.
The rulers of all principalities respected Kitezh and took care of holy city, as evidenced by six (!) white-stone churches erected here in a record short time. White stone in the Middle Ages it was very expensive, and builders spent it very sparingly.
Therefore, we can assume that after hearing about unusual city Batu decided to seize his great power in order to conquer the whole world with its help. (True, it is not clear why the great power of the city did not help Georgy Vsevolodovich to defeat Batu.) However, the higher powers ordered otherwise, hiding sacred Kitezh under water from both enemies and friends.
And what is at the bottom ?!
The city of Kitezh even today reminds people of itself from time to time. Many eyewitnesses claim that in clear weather at sunrise and on the eve of major Orthodox holidays, bells ringing and melodious singing can be heard from under the water. In addition, sometimes here you can see snow-white walls, crosses and golden domes of sunken temples under the surface of the lake.
Of course, the depths of Svetloyar have been repeatedly studied by archaeologists and amateur scuba divers, but traces of the drowned hail have not been found. The researchers concluded that the bottom of the lake can be called three-layer - consisting of three levels of underwater terraces related to different eras.
These terraces go into the depths of the lake from the shore like the steps of a giant staircase, alternating with flat sections of the bottom. On the "step", which can be attributed to the century when the cataclysm occurred, which destroyed the reserved city located at a depth of 20 meters, shards of dishes, coins, jewelry of the 13th century were found - and nothing more significant.
However, when exploring the depths of the lake, a geolocator at the bottom of Svetloyar discovered anomalous zone in the form of an oval, covered with a multi-meter sedimentary layer. The signals of the apparatus from it were rather dull, as if something interfered with the free passage of sound. This fact allowed the researchers to put forward the assumption that the ruins of an ancient city may well be in this zone, however, more substantial evidence of this has not yet been obtained.
Gateway to another world
Esotericists, who have also been studying the disappearance of Kitezh for a long time, have their own version of its current location.
In their opinion, the city, located in a place of power, which is the Svetloyar region, could be transferred to a parallel dimension, which was facilitated by the ardent sincere prayer of its inhabitants at a time of mortal danger. Moreover, the gates to another world are still being opened from time to time, for which there is also evidence.
The fact is that in the village of Vladimirskoye, which is located not far from Svetloyar, sometimes strange people in old clothes come in. These newcomers often try to buy goods in the local selmag and pay for them with coins ... of the 13th century - new and shiny, as if minted a couple of years ago.
In addition, in the area of Lake Svetloyar, repeated disappearances of people who decided to relax in nature in these protected areas were recorded. As a rule, these "hostages of circumstances" are absent from several hours to two or three days, and when they return, they rarely remember what happened to them.
However, there are exceptions. So, one man from Nizhny Novgorod, who was picking mushrooms near Lake Svetloyar, disappeared in the forest for three days, and when he returned, he told his relatives that he had visited the mysterious city of Kitezh, and as proof of his words showed a piece of bread that the "underwater inhabitants" had treated the guest to. But as soon as he got out "his proof", the "otherworldly" bread turned to stone in front of witnesses.
And yet, every year, many pilgrims come to the cherished lake, and of various religions. They are attracted here and glory mysterious place strength, and healing water, and land from the banks of Svetloyar, which is able to cope with even the most serious diseases.
In addition, it is believed that if you go around the lake three times clockwise, then it will fulfill any desire. True, this is not so easy to do, because the total area of Svetloyar is 12 hectares.
This small lake is located on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the interfluve of the Kerzhenets and Vetluga, the left tributaries of the Volga. It is with him that the legend about the city of Kitezh is connected, which sank to the bottom so as not to get to the enemies. Lake Svetloyar has unique properties: the water collected from it retains freshness for years, and on the banks there are plants that are no longer in this area. Pilgrims regularly come here - and every year there are cases of miraculous healing.
It all started with a meteorite
The reservoir is 470 meters long and 350 meters wide; it has the shape of an oval. Its name goes back to the primordial Russian words "light" (by the way, it also had the meaning "pure", "righteous") and "yar", meaning not only a cliff, depth, but also a place related to the Slavic sun god Yaril.
Until recently, the question of the origin of the lake remained open. In the 19th century, an assumption was made about the karst origin of the lake (that is, its formation as a result of the failure rock under influence climatic conditions). The proof was the similarity with many karst reservoirs: they are usually also small, often have the correct shape and great depth, the water in them can sometimes disappear and appear again - this is what, according to legends, happened to Svetloyar.
But exploration work carried out in the middle of the 20th century showed that there are no traces of karst processes at the bottom of the lake. An opinion was expressed about the glacial origin of the reservoir.
In the late 1960s, the members of the Literaturnaya Gazeta expedition examined Svetloyar and found that the lake consists of three terraces of different depths - the first, the deepest, in their opinion, arose about 1500 years ago, the middle one, located above, 800 years ago , the upper one - about 400 years ago. Thus, the lake was formed in several stages.
And only studies carried out in 2009 showed that the initial reservoir is of meteorite origin and was the result of a fall celestial body... The dates of its formation were also significantly adjusted. The original depression appeared about three thousand years ago. The second sinking took place about 1000 years ago, and the third and last - in the XII-XIII centuries.
The Legend of the Lost City
According to popular beliefs, somewhere near the lake, Kitovras was born - a mythical creature, a winged half-man, half-horse (stories about him are recorded in the collection of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and some other old church books). He helped the Slavs to build cities and temples - and it was in his honor that this place was named Kitezh and was considered sacred for the Berendey tribe living here.
After the arrival of Christianity, Orthodox churches arose in place of the pagan ones. Prince of Vladimir Yuri (canonized in 1645 under the name Georgy) Vsevolodovich, the third son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, built on the shore of the lake (according to other written evidence - on an island in the center of the reservoir) the white-stone city of Big Kitezh with six temples with golden domes. A new castle was erected near Small Kitezh (now Gorodets), which was founded by Yuri Vsevolodovich's grandfather, Yuri Dolgoruky.
In 1238, the army of Khan Batu invaded the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, taking Small Kitezh, among other cities. Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich and his retinue took refuge in Bolshoy Kitezh, the path to which lay through impassable swamps. The captive Grishka Kuterma, who could not bear the torture, showed the way to the enemies.
But when the warriors of Batu approached Big Kitezh, the city suddenly went under water. According to some legends, this happened only for a while - and when the enemies left with nothing, the waters parted, and the city appeared again. But the ending of other legends is less optimistic: the water closed over Greater Kitezh forever.
Locals claim that it is from these times that the golden domes of the temples of the ancient city can sometimes be seen in the water of the lake. In addition, the ringing of bells is often heard from somewhere in the depths, and ghostly people in ancient clothes have been noticed on the shore more than once.
Why were the cheremis scared?
But to what extent can the legends of the ancient city be related to real events? For the first time, the Tatar-Mongols invaded Russia in 1237-1240 - and in time it coincided with the period when the last sinking of Lake Svetloyar took place. In the Old Believer books, the legend about Kitezh is written in a different way: the prince hid the sacred church utensils in the lake, and he himself was killed in battle with the enemies. It also says that the city did not perish, but became invisible and is revealed only to the righteous who can come to it by the path called Batu's path.
This legend is reflected in many works of art- opera by composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, paintings by artists Konstantin Korovin, Apollinarius Vasnetsov, Nicholas Roerich, poetry and prose by Maximilian Voloshin, Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Prishvin and many others.
Most historians agree that the sinking of the settlement that existed here could well have occurred. True, the divers who examined the bottom did not find any structures. But this, as well as the fact that the bottom and shores of lakes of meteoric origin usually do not collapse, you can find a logical explanation.
Almost the entire European center of Russia lies on huge tectonic plates. But, as geologists have found out, in the area of Lake Svetloyar there is a rift between such plates - thus, a failure here can really arise rapidly and reach a very great depth.
Indirectly, this assumption is confirmed by the events of 1903. Then the inhabitants of the village of Shary, located not far from Svetloyar, were greatly frightened by the roar coming from under the ground. Later, the Cheremis who lived in the village discovered a huge hole in the nearby forest, so deep that even the tallest trees disappeared without a trace. That is, for of this place an unexpected and rapid departure of a part of the surface to a great depth can be a consequence of the movement of tectonic plates and occur repeatedly.
The bread has turned to stone
Experts in anomalous phenomena believe that such zones have high natural energy. That is why many phenomena occur here that seem mysterious and inexplicable.
For example, before sunrise or after sunset, mirages often appear on the lake, and huge glowing crosses can be observed in the sky - in 1996 one of them was seen and documented by an employee of the local museum of local lore. The already mentioned bell ringing coming out from under the water.
Researchers note that people often disappear in these places - some disappear forever, others do not remember anything after returning.
Several years ago a resident of Nizhny Novgorod came here to pick mushrooms. The man disappeared, they were looking for him for a long time. A week later, he returned from the forest safe and sound, telling that he was in the invisible city of Kitezh, where he was well received. As evidence, the man showed a piece of bread that was treated to him - and this bread turned to stone in front of the interlocutors.
Local historians claim that before the revolution of 1917, a letter was kept in the local museum in Old Russian, where the son informed his father that he was in Kitezh and asked not to worry about him. During the revolutionary coup, the letter disappeared.
Residents of the surrounding villages say that people in old clothes sometimes come to them and buy bread or bagels, for which they pay with ancient copper coins. Ufologists considered this money - it really belongs to the times of the legendary city's existence. Has he moved to a nearby parallel world?
Burial of giants
Lake Svetloyar is also famous for the fact that its water heals many diseases, removes spoilage and prolongs life. For all this to happen, according to another legend, the sufferer must kneel down and in this position walk around the reservoir three times clockwise, after which you can wash yourself with healing water or drink it. At first glance, such actions have little to do with the usual medical practice for us, but the reviews of hundreds of people who have got rid of diseases indicate the opposite.
It is known that during the Great Patriotic War several women performed such a ceremony, praying that trouble would not happen to their spouses, and all the men returned home unharmed.
Another mystery of the lake is a spring located five kilometers from it, the water of which has the same properties. Perhaps the spring is somehow connected to Svetloyar through underground layers? This has not yet been proven.
According to legend, when Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich was leaving the pursuit in Big Kitezh, his horse stumbled - and a fountain of water suddenly gushed out from under the hooves. The group of pursuers considered this a bad sign and turned back.
There are three ancient burials near the source, the sizes of which are much larger than traditional Christian graves. Some researchers suggest that giant people who lived in these places thousands of years ago are buried here. The opening of the graves has not yet been carried out - those who believe that because of this the healing water of the source may lose its strength are actively opposed to it.
Local residents say that no one is destined to learn the secrets of the lake. You just have to believe in his miracles.
The first written mention of the ancient city of Kitezh was in the Kitezh Chronicle, which was written by the Old Believers in the 1780s.
According to this chronicle, the city of Small Kitezh at the beginning of the 13th century was founded by Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, on the banks of the Volga, in the Voskresensky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Then he discovered a nice place upstream, on the shore of Lake Svetloyar. There the prince decided to build the city of Big Kitezh. It was founded as a monastery town. Everyone considered this city a saint.
"The Grand Duke did beautiful city, built it in the shape of a circle with churches, monasteries and boyar palaces. Then he surrounded it with a trench and erected walls with loopholes, "- wrote Adele Barker and Bruce Grant in the book The Russia Reader: History, Culture, Politics.
Lake Svetloyar in the Resurrection District. Photo: Public Domain
Destruction of Kitezh
In 1238, North-Eastern Russia was captured by the Mongols under the command of Khan Batu. Having besieged the city of Vladimir and the surrounding cities, the khan learned about the powerful city of Kitezh and was determined to capture it.
First, the Mongols came to Small Kitezh. Grand Duke George rode out to meet them and entered into battle with them. But in the end he was forced to flee in the direction of Greater Kitezh, the location of which remained unknown to the Mongols.
Mongols under the walls of Vladimir. Photo: Public Domain
Batu was furious and ordered to torture the prisoners until they give out the location of Greater Kitezh. The captives did not betray the secret of their holy city, because, in their conviction, this would bring eternal damnation on themselves and their descendants. However, one of the captives named Kuterma could not stand the torture and revealed the secret paths to Lake Svetloyar.
Descriptions further developments in the annals are vague and ambiguous. “The only thing that is known is that the Grand Duke managed to hide church utensils in the lake, after which he fell in battle. By the will of God, the city itself became invisible; water and forest were visible in its place, ”Barker and Grant say.
"The Invisible City of Kitezh". Painting by Konstantin Gorbatov (1876-1945). Photo: Public Domain
Legends of the invisible city
It is not clear what exactly happened to Kitezh, but for many centuries its mysterious disappearance was told in legends and folklore.
According to one popular tale, the whole city plunged into the lake by the will of God to prevent its treasures from falling into the hands of the Mongols. Because of this, Lake Svetloyar is sometimes called the Russian Atlantis. Legend has it that the army of the Golden Horde watched in dismay as the city plunged into the lake. The last thing they saw was the white sparkling dome of the cathedral with a cross.
But in fact, the disappearance of the city may not have been so remarkable. Some archaeologists have suggested that the city could have suffered from a landslide, which is why it fell into the lake.
According to folk tales, the city of Kitezh is visible only to those who are pure in soul and heart. Those who believe in these legends often say that they hear the sounds of church bells coming from the lake, they see lights or even the outlines of buildings under the surface of the water.
In times past, pilgrims visited the lake hoping to hear the bells. They went there to pray and left offerings for the inhabitants of the city.
It is also said that during World War II, women went to the lake to pray for their sons.
In search of Russian Atlantis
In 2011, an archaeological expedition was carried out to the village of Vetluzhsky in order to search for archaeological remains in the area of Lake Svetloyar. Excavations have revealed traces of an ancient settlement, as well as fragments of traditional Russian ceramics.
Scientists plan to continue their research. According to their estimates, the hill in which the artifacts were found was always prone to landslides. Due to one of these landslides ancient city could well plunge into the lake, which gave rise to fantastic legends about the invisible city of Kitezh.
The address: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod region, s. Vladimirskoe
Depth: about 34 m.
Coordinates: 56 ° 49 "07.3" N 45 ° 05 "34.5" E
Short description
130 km from Nizhny Novgorod, on the outskirts of the village of Vladimirsky, standing on the banks of the Lyunda River, is located mysterious lake Svetloyar. Sometimes this lake is called a small Russian Atlantis.
Bird's eye view of Lake Svetloyar
A legend about the city of Kitezh is associated with Svetloyar, which has survived to this day in the literary processing of the Old Believers. The "Kitezh Chronicler" reports that Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, wandering along the Volga on a ship, erected the city of Maly Kitezh (presumably the present Gorodets). Having passed the rivers Uzolu, Sandu and Kerzhenets, the prince came to Lake Svetloyar. Fascinated by the beauty of this place, Yuri ordered to build the city of Big Kitezh on the shores of the lake.
For three years of construction (1165 - 1168) a majestic city was erected from stone and many Orthodox churches were built in it. In 1239, the armies of the impious and godless Khan Batu moved to Russia. Soon the hordes of Tatar-Mongols captured Small Kitezh, and Prince Yuri with his retinue took refuge in the forests near Big Kitezh. One of Batu's captives, Grishka Kuterma, could not bear the torture, betrayed his compatriots and showed the enemies the way to the great city. Batu found Yuri's refuge and killed him.
Birch alley to the lake
And here the legend is closely intertwined with reality - in fact, the Grand Duke laid down his head in an unequal battle with the Mongols on the City River in 1238. According to legend, on the eve of Batu's attack, the patrol in Kitezh was carried by three heroes who warned the townspeople of the danger. Many people fell from the swords of enemies, and three heroes perished, blocking the path of the khan's army. And in the place where three warriors stood to death for their city, the holy spring of Kibelek appeared, the water in which still beats.
On the shore of Lake Svetloyar
The inhabitants of Kitezh did not erect any fortifications and did not even try to defend themselves, they turned with fervent prayer to God to prevent foreigners from visiting them. God heeded the prayer, and when the hordes rushed to attack, from the ground suddenly burst high-water springs, which began to flood the city. The Mongols retreated in fear.
Like Atlantis, the city sank under water, only one lone dome of the cathedral could be seen above the lake surface, but it soon disappeared too. But Kitezh survived: in clear, calm weather, from the depths of Svetloyar, a prolonged singing of people and a bell ringing can be heard, and in clear waters lakes you can see the domes of churches and monasteries.
The trail around the lake
Svetloyar - the sacred lake of ancient Russia
Even before the adoption of Christianity by Russia, the lake was considered sacred - on its banks rituals were arranged in honor of the Slavic sun god Yarila, from which the name came - Svetly Yar. Today Lake Svetloyar is a center of pilgrimage for both pagans and Orthodox. Every year on July 6, Christians from all over Russia come to Svetloyar and make a procession around the lake in honor of the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. In the evening, a pagan celebration begins here - on the night of July 6-7, people celebrate the day of Ivan Kupala.
Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on the shore of the lake
People kindle fires, throw wreaths on the water surface and go around the lake with candles in their hands. There is a belief that if you make a wish and walk around the lake 3 times, then your plan will definitely come true. During the Great Patriotic War, women made a pilgrimage around Lake Svetloyar, praying for the salvation of the lives of their sons and husbands who went to the front.
Hypotheses about the origin of Lake Svetloyar
The fact that the origin of Svetloyar has not been clarified until now adds to the mystery of the lake. Natural scientist V.V.Dokuchaev attributed it to lakes of karst origin. Geologist G.I.Blom, after drilling a well, concluded that Svetloyar is a typical glacial lake, which is a remnant of the ancient channel of the Lunda River.
Stone with a pile of the Virgin on Lake Svetloyar
It was also hypothesized that the basin of the reservoir was formed as a result of faults in the earth's crust and erosion of rocks. In 2009, Svyatoslav Engalychev, an employee of the St. Petersburg All-Russian Research Geological Institute, published the results of his research, confirming the version that the lake owes its origin to a meteorite that fell to the ground. In 1968, an expedition organized by Literaturnaya Gazeta detailed the complex relief of the Svetloyar bottom.
View of the lake Svetloyar
The central deep-sea bowl is framed by two underwater terraces. The expedition members proposed a hypothesis according to which the lake is very young in terms of geological time. So, the central basin was formed about 1200 years ago, and the immersion of the lower terrace under the water took place about 8 centuries ago, which quite accurately corresponds to the time when the city of Kitezh sank, miraculously escaped from the Mongol-Tatars.
This article will focus on the legendary city of Kitezh, hiding from enemies at the bottom of Lake Svetloyar (Nizhny Novgorod region). Scientists from all over the world have been trying to solve its riddle for several decades.
Fervent prayer
The ancient chronicle of 1251, created 13 years after the events described in it took place, tells how the city of Kitezh disappeared under the water.
According to this literary source, in 1238 Batu Khan, having conquered almost all Russian principalities, fought in the battle on the City River with the ruler of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, Georgy Vsevolodovich. In a hot battle, the Mongol-Tatar invaders crushed the few regiments of the Russians, and the prince, along with the rest of the army, took refuge in the small town of Kitezh, which he also founded several decades ago on the shore of Lake Svetloyar.
I must say that the approaches to the hail were reliably hidden by the Vetluga forests and impenetrable swamps, and only a few knew the way there. Wishing by all means to get to Prince George, Batu ordered to torture the prisoners in order to learn from them the way to Kitezh. Even the most terrible tortures could not break the captives, but one of them - Grishka Kuterma - still showed the invaders the way to the city, which became a refuge for the prince.
Having passed the secret path, the Tatar hordes saw in front of them the handsome Kitezh, practically devoid of military fortifications. Its inhabitants, instead of preparing for battle, fell to their knees and prayed earnestly. Anticipating an easy victory, the invaders rushed to the city, but then streams of water gushed out from under the ground, forcing the enemy to retreat ingloriously.
But even when the Tatar-Mongols retreated, the underground springs did not run out. The water rose around the city walls, reliably sheltering houses, temples and residents of Kitezh. Soon, on the site of the flowering hail, only the surface of the lake gleamed in the sun, which to this day is a silent witness to the cataclysm of the past centuries.
Reserved place
Today, many researchers of the events of those years have a question: why did Batu, who had practically conquered the entire Russian land, need to look for a small city lost in forests and swamps, which can hardly be called a tasty prey? Did the khan really spend time and effort in search of the coveted path to Kitezh just to destroy the already defeated prince?
The answer to this question is given in one of his works by the writer and historian Alexander Asov. In his opinion, Kitezh is one of the oldest cities in the Russian land, although its official history is only a few decades old. And it was founded in pre-Christian times in a difficult, reserved place.
From time immemorial, Slavic tribes believed that Lake Svetloyar was endowed with an unknown force. That is why the Berendeys living on its banks arranged sanctuaries for the light god Yarila, whose name gave the name to the lake.
In addition, according to Slavic legends, the powerful god Kitovras, who had the appearance of a half-man, half-horse, was born on this reserved land. He was a temple builder who knew all the secrets of the universe. Here the god of wisdom and hop Kvasura was born, giving people joy and fun.
The very same Kitezh-grad was first mentioned in the "Star Book of Kolyada" - the sacred chronicle of our distant ancestors. This city was patronized by many gods, and even when the Russian land became Orthodox, Christian churches were erected in places of power - the sanctuaries of Slavic deities.
The rulers of all principalities respected Kitezh and took care of the holy city, as evidenced by six (!) White-stone churches erected here in a record short time. White stone in the Middle Ages was very expensive, and builders used it very carefully.
Therefore, we can assume that, having heard about an unusual city, Batu decided to take possession of its great power in order to conquer the whole world with its help. (True, it is not clear why the great power of the city did not help Georgy Vsevolodovich to defeat Batu.) However, the higher powers ordered otherwise, hiding sacred Kitezh under water from both enemies and friends.
And what is at the bottom ?!
The city of Kitezh even today reminds people of itself from time to time. Many eyewitnesses claim that in clear weather at sunrise and on the eve of major Orthodox holidays, bells ringing and melodious singing can be heard from under the water. In addition, sometimes here you can see snow-white walls, crosses and golden domes of sunken temples under the surface of the lake.
Of course, the depths of Svetloyar have been repeatedly studied by archaeologists and amateur scuba divers, but traces of the drowned hail have not been found. The researchers came to the conclusion that the bottom of the lake can be called three-layer - consisting of three levels of underwater terraces belonging to different eras.
These terraces go into the depths of the lake from the shore like the steps of a giant staircase, alternating with flat sections of the bottom. On the "step", which can be attributed to the century when the cataclysm occurred, which destroyed the reserved city, located at a depth of 20 meters, shards of dishes, coins, ornaments of the 13th century were found - and nothing more significant.
However, when investigating the depths of the lake, a geolocator at the bottom of Svetloyar discovered an anomalous zone in the form of an oval, covered with a multi-meter sedimentary layer. The signals of the apparatus from it were rather dull, as if something interfered with the free passage of sound. This fact allowed the researchers to put forward the assumption that the ruins of an ancient city may well be in this zone, however, more substantial evidence of this has not yet been obtained.
Gateway to another world
Esotericists, who have also been studying the disappearance of Kitezh for a long time, have their own version of its current location.
In their opinion, the city, located in a place of power, which is the Svetloyar region, could be transferred to a parallel dimension, which was facilitated by the ardent sincere prayer of its inhabitants at a time of mortal danger. Moreover, the gates to another world are still being opened from time to time, for which there is also evidence.
The fact is that in the village of Vladimirskoye, which is located not far from Svetloyar, sometimes strange people in old clothes come in. These newcomers often try to buy goods in the local selmag and pay for them with coins ... of the 13th century - new and shiny, as if minted a couple of years ago.
In addition, in the area of Lake Svetloyar, repeated disappearances of people who decided to relax in nature in these protected areas were recorded. As a rule, these "hostages of circumstances" are absent from several hours to two or three days, and when they return, they rarely remember what happened to them.
However, there are exceptions. So, one man from Nizhny Novgorod, picking mushrooms near Lake Svetloyar, disappeared in the forest for three days, and when he returned, he told his relatives that he had visited the mysterious city of Kitezh, and as proof of his words showed a piece of bread, which the guest was treated to by the "underwater inhabitants" ... But as soon as he got out "his proof", the "otherworldly" bread turned to stone in front of witnesses.
And yet, every year, many pilgrims come to the cherished lake, and of various religions. They are attracted here by the glory of a mysterious place of power, and healing water, and the land from the banks of Svetloyar, which can cope with even the most serious diseases.
In addition, it is believed that if you go around the lake three times clockwise, then it will fulfill any desire. True, this is not so easy to do, because the total area of Svetloyar is 12 hectares.
