Kudepsta Stone, Megalithic monument in Kudepsta, Russia

The Kudepsta Stone is a sandstone megalith located near the Black Sea coast. The monument features two carved recesses that resemble seats and face a specific direction along the landscape.

The stone dates to ancient times and may have served as a gathering place for ritual activities or ceremonies. Archaeological finds around the site suggest a lengthy period of human use.

Local people also call it the Circassian Stone. The two seats, 75 cm wide and 45 cm deep, face an azimuth of 60 degrees, toward sunrise at the winter solstice. A sloping platform 1.95 m long and 0.9 m wide lies behind them, edged on three sides by a 15 cm rim. Small hollows of various shapes are cut into the stone and the stones around it.

The stone sits in an outdoor area beyond the main residential buildings of Kudepsta, reachable on foot in about fifteen minutes from the village center. Plan your visit during clear weather when the ground is dry and the path is easy to walk.

The two seats are cut at an azimuth of 60 degrees, which researchers link to sunrise on the winter solstice. Behind them a 1.95 m platform, tilted toward the seats and edged by a 15 cm rim on three sides, is also carved into the sandstone.