Blue Stone, Sacred boulder in Gorodishche, Russia
Blue Stone is a grey boulder of fine-grained quartz-biotite schist on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo near Pereslavl-Zalessky. It measures 310 by 260 cm and weighs about 12 tons. Its surface is covered with small knobs, and after rain it takes on a blue hue from light reflecting off biotite flakes and quartz grains.
In 1788 the stone was loaded onto large sledges to be hauled across the frozen Lake Pleshcheyevo as a foundation for the new Dukhovskaya Church. The ice broke under its weight and the stone sank in about 1.4 metres of water. Around 70 years later it was washed ashore north of its previous position, a shift attributed to spring ice floes, hurricane winds and moving ice.
This stone held religious meaning for the Merya people and early Slavic communities who gathered here for sacred ceremonies by the lake.
The stone lies on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo, reached by a wooden boardwalk leading from the road to the stone and on to the water. The area around it is fenced and landscaped. The stone is sinking into the ground: a century ago it stood as tall as a person, now less than knee-high.
The stone is steadily sinking: forty years ago it rose almost to a person's height, now it stands less than knee-high. Its dimensions are recorded as 310 by 260 cm, and its weight is about 12 tons. The many red ribbons tied over its top are left by present-day neopagans, who bring gifts and hold rites here at festivals such as Kupala.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,033 contributors worldwide.
