Manpupuner Rock Formations

The Manpupuner rock formations are seven tall stone pillars on a remote plateau in the northern Ural Mountains, in the Komi Republic of Russia. They are 30 to 42 meters high. People call them the Seven Strong Men, and in 2008 they were chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of Russia.

The pillars stand west of the main Ural ridge, on the mountain Man-Pupu-Nyor, between the Ilych and Pechora rivers, inside the Pechoro-Ilychsky nature reserve. The name comes from the language of the Mansi people and roughly means Small Idol Mountain. Few tourists reach them, so the place is relatively unspoiled.

How were the pillars made?

About 200 million years ago, high mountains stood here. Rain, snow, wind, frost and heat slowly wore them down. The pillars are made of hard sericite-quartzite schist, which resisted erosion better than the softer rocks around it. The softer rock was carried away by water and wind, and the hard columns were left behind. One pillar, 34 meters high, stands apart and looks like an upside-down bottle, while six others line the cliff edge.

Legends and visiting

The pillars have been said to look like a giant man, a horse's head or a ram's head. The Mansi people once considered them sacred, and climbing them was seen as a sin. Many legends are linked with the place. The plateau is home to foxes, bears, sables, otters and other animals. Visitors can reach the site by road in the Komi Republic, on foot or on skis from the Sverdlovsk region, or by helicopter.

On the globe

The model shows seven rock pillars of different heights on a high plateau. Look for the odd one standing a little apart.