The medieval Ingush towers, known as “vepshi,”

The medieval Ingush towers, known as “vepshi,” were primarily constructed between 13th-17th Centuries CE, by the Ingush people, a native ethnic group in the North Caucasus region. These towers are located in mountainous areas of what is now the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia which became known as the "land of towers". 

 

Based on their layout, masonry technique, and other features, cyclopean buildings have common features with the later towers in mountainous Ingushetia. Researchers note the continuity of the tower architecture of the Ingush, which was highly developed in the Middle Ages, from the stone construction technique that existed in the mountains of the Central Caucasus since the ancient period.

The Ingush people built these structures as part of their defensive and residential complexes. The towers served multiple purposes, including as fortifications, homes, and watchtowers to guard against invasions. They were typically constructed from local stone and ranged from 15-25m in height. They have a square base and taper slightly as they rise, often featuring four to five floors. The lower levels generally have small, narrow windows designed for defensive purposes, while the upper levels might include larger windows and openings. The tower walls could get up to a meter thick in some parts and they often include decorative stonework and inscriptions.

In 1931, Ukrainian traveller and explorer wrote:

From the ancient monuments that have been preserved here, it is obvious how talented and gifted the Ingush are. These people, who knew nothing of the alphabet, at a time when Moscow was still a village, were already building high stone towers on rocks, 26 or more meters high. We can say that the first skyscrapers did not appear in America, but here, in the Caucasus Mountains.

A Soviet archaeologist and historian wrote:

The Ingush battle towers can truly be recognized as the pinnacle of architectural and constructional mastery of the ancient population of the region. They amaze with their simplicity of form, monumentality and strict elegance.  The Ingush towers for their time were a true miracle of human genius. 

 

A Rare 2,000 Years Old Collection of Coins Discovered in Mohenjo Daro 

 

 

The Historic Kalyazin Bell Tower, Russia

The Kalyazin Bell Tower is a 244 feet Neoclassical campanile over the waters of Volga River opposite the old town of Kalyazin, in Tver Oblast, northwestern Russia. Kalyazin is a small town with a population of around 14,000 people. This town is 200km from Moscow and 160km from Tver. The steeple belfry was built in 1796 as part of the Monastery of St. Nicholas. Of its 12 bells, the largest weighed some 17,000kg. Kalyazin Bell Tower is also known as Nikolsky Cathedral Bell Tower, & Flooded Belfry.

It was cast in 1895 to commemorate the coronation of Nicholas II of Russia. In 1939, Joseph Stalin ordered to construct Uglich Dam, then the old parts of Kalyazin & architectural monuments were flooded and submerged under the Ulich reservoir. This includes medieval structures, Saint Nicholas Monastery and Troitsky Makariev Monastery.

In present days, katholikon was taken apart, while the campanile was left, a landmark towering above the water. The Kalyazin Bell Tower structured was severed as a marker for ships and sailors traveling the nearby towns. However, occasionally this tower was also used by Orthodox Christian ceremonies. You can still see majestic Bello tower is standing robustly risen from the water and pursuit of modernization of Russia.

You will a little bit disappointed to see the empty inside of the tower as fixtures and furniture were removed immediately before the water levels rose. Whereas originally just a tower, it has been filled in a bit and reinforced to give it more of an island stance. The average depth of 5 m and deep as 23 m in some spots, as most of the buildings, were damaged and covered by water.

Kalyazin Bell Tower is now becoming a popular tourist attraction, as visitors come to see the iconic ancient tower and marvel the many centuries-old structures. A small boat dock on the outside to facilitate the visitors. It also entices the swimmers to have dipped in the water. If you are going to this small beautify city, then make a plan to see this bell tower of the pre-Staling history of the USSR. In Kalyazin you can also, see the Kremlin, Red Square, the Mariinsky Theatre, and glimpses of everyday life in the USSR.

 

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The Mysterious Stone Spheres of Champ Island

The Champ Island is a popular place among tourists who sail on a cruise to the Arctic. The island has strange objects, which is still not clear, even not expected to be solved in the near future. Champ Island is in the center of an area situated hundreds of miles north of Russia’s mainland coast, but they bagsied it forst so they own it, just like America owns the moon. No one knows with absolute certainty how these stones got here, since the island is of course uninhabited. There are no humans, and no human records, to explain what caused the stones to look like they do. Here’s seamlessly round boulders are scattered around the island, apparently growing out of the ground. Melting glaciers expose the surface of the island, washing away the rounded forms. It is one of various islands in the Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land, belongs to the most remote corners of Russia. The island hasn’t studied yet, are having relatively small grounds 375 square kilometers.

A concretion is a hard, compact mass of sedimentary rock formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between the sediment grains. This island is very attractive and picturesque, untouched by civilization. The island has mysterious stone balls of impressive size and a perfectly round shape that causes the many conjectures about their appearance on these uninhabited lands. The mysterious various size round stones from greater than human height. Even some stones are very small just like a ping-pong ball; some of them are ideal cannonballs. Due to erosion many stones have lost their round shape due to the impact of strong winds, low temperatures and water, becoming similar to the other boulders. Anyone lucky enough to take a trip to the Arctic may well stop off here to wander around and have deep look into these natural wonders. When the glaciers melt away, sun rising heat, more of these mysterious spheres get revealed. This would be a more common place to research if it wasn’t so territoriality fragmented and distanced from the mainland.