How I Became Disillusioned with Gold I am from Kara-Balta. For many years, I drove past the refinery and dreamed of visiting it. The dream came true: I saw with my own eyes how gold is produced. And at the same time, I debunked the myth that real ingots must be perfectly smooth and shiny. It is here, in the industrial zone of Kara-Balta, that all the gold mined in the country is processed. The refinery is the only one in the republic.
Frame from the film "Anomaly" directed by Gennady BazarovMore: How Naked Girls Were Filmed in Kyrgyz Cinema Nudity in Soviet cinema was a fairly common phenomenon. Many directors used tricks with beautiful naked girls flashing in episodes to add a touch of spice to their masterpieces. However, when it came to Kyrgyz cinema, things were much stricter. Directors thought long and hard before using nudity in their films.
A French traveler walked from Issyk-Kul to Baikal in three months In April, travelers from France decided to walk from Issyk-Kul to Baikal. Initially, the French guests Mark Rossi, his sons Jemmy and Tom, and their cousin Hugo Subtil came to Kyrgyzstan with the desire to get to know the country, visit the picturesque Issyk-Kul Lake, and conquer the Enilchek Glacier. The idea of walking from Kyrgyzstan to Lake Baikal belonged to Jemmy Rossi. It came to him after visiting Issyk-Kul, which they
Dragon Lake Anomalies This is the largest, most famous, and mysterious glacial-tectonic lake. It is located in the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan in the driest and wildest eastern part of the Pamirs at an altitude of about four thousand kilometers (by the way, this is one hundred meters higher than the well-known high-altitude Lake Titicaca in the Andes). Not far from the lake runs the Chinese border with Tajikistan. The lake is situated in the mountains, and there is not a single
“Gates of Hell,” Karakum Desert Darvaza, or as it is also called, the Gates of Hell, is the most mysterious place in Turkmenistan, known to those who are interested in various natural mysteries. If you are told that the Gates of Hell are located in the center of the Karakum Desert and that you will have the opportunity to peek into the “antechamber” of the underworld – believe it. I believed it. Because I saw it with my own eyes this past summer when I was returning from the northern region of
Baysun – A Mysterious Territory Tourists in southern Uzbekistan are offered the chance to observe an anomalous phenomenon. Contrary to all laws of physics and logic, an unknown force makes a car move uphill with the engine turned off. The car even gains speed while ascending. What happens over this 50-meter stretch is called a miracle by the locals. However, scientists believe it is merely an optical illusion. Even water poured onto the road flows uphill instead of downhill. The anomalous zone
Dead Lake In the area of the village of Gerasimovka, in the Taldykorgan region of Kazakhstan, there is a small lake – Dead Lake – measuring one hundred meters in length and sixty meters in width. It is small in size, located in a mountainous area far from populated places, but despite the idyllic landscape surrounding it, the water body has a bad reputation.
The Valley of the Sacred Springs of Manzhyly-Ata Located on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, in the Ton Bay. The valley has a rich historical past: petroglyphs from the Stone Age, ruins of medieval structures, and sacred Buddhist inscriptions have been preserved here. The name of the attraction comes from the nickname of a seer who spread Islam among the local population, telling them about the essence and importance of this religion. Today, on one of the hills, there still stands the
LI CHING-YUEN – THE WORLD RECORD HOLDER FOR LONGEVITY The death of the humble Chinese man Li Ching-Yuen in 1933 drew the attention of media outlets around the world. Even the New York Times published an obituary on May 6, 1933. What is the secret of the popularity of this modest herbalist? In fact, there is nothing surprising about it, as Li Ching-Yuen lived for 256 years. He buried 23 wives, leaving a 24th widow. He had 180 children. However, Li Ching-Yuen himself claimed that he was only 179
Vacation in Turkey Turkey is much more than the cliché image of a "bridge between East and West." The country, 90 percent of whose territory is in Asia, has over 2,000 years of European history, practices Islam, but for a millennium was home to the greatest Christian church in the world. Mosques coexist here with cathedrals, and Roman stadiums and amphitheaters with ancient Hittite cities. Every year, more than 35 million people from around the world visit Turkey. Among them are many
Cases of Chupacabra Attacks on Sheep Recorded in Kyrgyzstan In Kyrgyzstan, efforts are underway to locate an unknown animal that is killing livestock. According to rumors circulating among the local population, it is said to be a chupacabra. Searches for the creature are being conducted in the Kochkor district of the Naryn region (in the central part of the republic).
Guanches - Who Are They? The mystery of the small but very freedom-loving and courageous tribe of Guanches remains unsolved to this day. Did they always live on the Canary Islands, or did they migrate there relatively recently? The Canary Islands are located near the equator, 115 kilometers off the coast of North Africa. It is believed that the first inhabitants of these islands were the Guanches. However, no one knows where they came from three thousand years ago. Guanches are tall,
Black Divers In the summer of 1982, Colonel Zverev led training dives for a group of military divers conducted at Issyk-Kul. Suddenly, Major General Demyanko arrived - the commander of the diving and underwater engineering troops. The visit of such high-ranking Moscow officials indicated the extraordinary nature of the situation. It turned out that military divers at Lake Baikal had accidentally encountered some underwater swimmers.
White Indians of Chachapoya In 2015, a major archaeological exhibition of Andean peoples took place in Lima, the capital of Peru. For the first time, it showcased a rich collection of artifacts related to the mysterious Chachapoya Indians, whom the Incas referred to as "those who live above the clouds" or "warriors of the clouds," as they lived in settlements located on the slopes of mountains. Chachapoya is a pre-Columbian Indian culture, one of the most advanced
Devil's Grave (Shaitan-Mazar) In the Tian Shan Mountains there is an anomalous place that generates immense interest among researchers. It is located in the Shaitan-Mazar area, which translates from Kyrgyz as "Devil's Grave." According to some reports, a UFO crashed here in 1991. There are witnesses to the disaster, but the wreckage of the spacecraft has still not been found.
Mazar-Terek It is better not to appear here with bad intentions. The retribution will be swift and cruel. No one who has violated the unwritten law established by the higher powers of Mazar-Terek will escape it. Since time immemorial, the spirits Ak-Taylak and Ak-Aziz that dwell here have guarded the holy abode, which stretches across a paradise corner in one of the mountain valleys on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. The village of Ak-Terek in the Jeti-Oguz district lies far below. It is
Balbals The residents of the village of Shaty in the Tyup district are accustomed to wonders. The surrounding world is full of fairy-tale characters, ancestral spirits, and inexplicable manifestations of otherworldly forces, as well as still unsolved natural mysteries. Everyone here, from young to old, knows about one such phenomenon. "Shaty" translates from Kyrgyz as "ladder." The villagers have a deep respect for ancient traditions. They collect old silver and copper
The Monster of Ala-Archa Gorge Ala-Archa Gorge is located in Kyrgyzstan, in the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains. Here is a climbing camp, which houses a district control and rescue point. The local inhabitants have repeatedly encountered unusual phenomena. Climbers and rescuers claim that UFOs appear here almost every night. Typically, glowing spheres emerge near the summit of Free Korea.
Secrets of the Ala-Archa Gorge It has been noted that some anomalous phenomena, such as the appearance of UFOs, are more frequently observed in sparsely populated or rarely visited areas: in mountains, jungles, deserts, and the Far North. One of the "anomalous" regions is the Tien Shan mountains, from where reports of encounters with the unusual are constantly coming in. In the Kyrgyz part of the Tien Shan foothills lies the Ala-Archa Gorge, once a favorite spot for climbers. Rarely
Petroglyphs of Issyk-Kul. Saymaluu-Tash The Ornok complex and the Saymaluu-Tash area. The clusters of petroglyphs, especially Ornok and Saymaluu-Tash, can be described as astonishing. The rock carvings of the Saymaluu-Tash area are located high in the Fergana Range at an altitude of 3000-3200 m above sea level. These are places where priests performed mysterious rituals, such as sacrifices, and where the energy of destruction reigned. Entering a certain circle here, people feel nausea,
Mysterious Squares of Kyrgyzstan A few kilometers from the village of Kashka-Suu, along the road to the Ala-Archa Gorge, there is a small dacha settlement near which a mountain range begins. On the eastern slope from the dacha settlement, several squares were discovered, surrounded by ditches 40-60 cm deep, with rounded corners on all four sides. Later, other "squares" were found on other slopes as well. The total area of the squares varies from 10 to 15 meters.
Crimea — an ancient land of the Cimmerians, Hellenes, Scythians, and Taurians. The homeland of the famous hero of the Trojan War — Achilles. According to legends, it was here that the god Dionysus taught mortals viticulture and winemaking. Archaeological monuments tell travelers the history of Crimea from prehistoric times to the present. People have come to Crimea for health throughout the ages — the combination of mountain and sea air and relict juniper groves heals without medical
The Earth's Population This is the total number of people living on our planet. As of today, there are 7.71 billion people on Earth. It took humanity over 200,000 years to reach a population of 1 billion (around the year 1800) and only about 200 years for that number to grow to 7 billion. According to estimates from the UN Population Fund, the major milestones in the Earth's population were reached in the following years: 1 billion - 1804 2 billion - 1927 (after 123 years) 3 billion
Archaeologists have found the grave of the apostle Matthew at the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul Diving to the bottom of Issyk-Kul, scientist divers from Tomsk were confident they would find something interesting. After all, this lake is a crossroads of Asian roads, and people have lived here for thousands of years. From the sand at the bottom, they retrieved a jug, and on it were inscriptions. Already on the shore, it becomes clear – this is an incredible archaeological discovery. These
A Brief History of Some Symbols Familiar to Us All Dog This tailed symbol of modernity is actually almost as old as mammoths. In any case, it first appears in medieval Latin manuscripts of the 14th-15th centuries. Monks were stingy about wasting expensive parchment and invented all sorts of abbreviations for commonly used words. For example, for the preposition "ad" (to): they simply merged "a" and "d" - and the @ symbol was born. After that, the symbol also
Regardless of whether you are in your home country or have decided to go on a trip, a water park is a place you can always visit with family or friends, especially on hot summer days, and have an unforgettable time. Some water parks are located in the middle of the desert, while others are in the heart of megacities. In recent years, water parks have gained massive popularity around the world. Thrill-seekers can expect steep slides, waves of adrenaline, laughter, and joy all around.
Lost Cities. Mohenjo-Daro, India The city, whose name translates from Hindi as "Mound of the Dead," disappeared from the face of the earth about three and a half thousand years ago. The demise of one of the centers of the Indus civilization around 1700 BC is described in the Indian epic "Mahabharata." According to it, the city was destroyed by a powerful explosion, resulting in melted stones, boiling waters, and roasted fish, not to mention the people. Subsequently,
Lost Cities Angkor, Cambodia The Angkor period is believed to have begun after 800 AD, when the Khmer emperor Jayavarman II proclaimed the independence of Kambujadesa (modern-day Cambodia) from Java and established his capital, Hariharalaya, north of Lake Tonle Sap. The complex of temples at Angkor dates back to the 10th-12th centuries; during those years, it was one of the largest cities in the world, and its temples were known far beyond the borders of the Khmer Empire. In 1431, Siamese
Ancient Cities Petra, Jordan The history of this unique city began in the 4th-3rd millennium BC, when the Nabataeans, representatives of a Semitic people leading a nomadic lifestyle, decided to settle here. They chose the location for their settlement with great care: accustomed to constant battles and the struggle for survival, they decided to build their capital in a hard-to-reach mountainous area. They did not think long about what to name the city – it was called Sela (stone), and the
WHICH RUSSIAN WORDS SOUND LIKE CURSE WORDS IN OTHER LANGUAGES When preparing for a trip abroad, every Russian tourist would benefit from learning about the traditions of the country they are heading to. And it's not just traditions; it turns out that many of the words we frequently use can be considered curses in other countries. Profanity helps express extreme dislike. Usually, these words vary greatly among different peoples. However, there are also expressions that sound completely
Lost Cities. Palmyra in Syria Palmyra – once an important strategic site in the Syrian desert, a stopover point where caravans rested to gather strength before continuing their journey. It was considered the most famous ancient city, transforming from an oasis into a powerful state and attempting to rival the Roman Empire. The Romans emerged victorious, destroying Palmyra. Today, the remaining ruins give an idea of its splendor and grandeur during its prosperous era. The city was of incredible
Just the Facts The deadliest tsunami ever recorded occurred on December 26, 2004, in Southeast Asia, triggered by an underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean with a magnitude of 9.3. The total number of fatalities exceeded 235,000 people. The most toxic plant on Earth is the yew—a genus of small coniferous trees. Every part of this tree is poisonous, except for its berries; however, their seeds are also toxic.
Ancient Lost Cities Capitals of the Golden Horde, Russia The capitals of the Golden Horde, Sarai Batu (Old Sarai) and Sarai Berke (New Sarai), are the most famous cities of the Golden Horde. The culture and art of the Golden Horde are closely linked to the culture of these ancient capitals. Due to the khans of the Golden Horde's orientation towards Islam and the urban lifestyle of Central Asian and Iranian types, a vibrant urban culture flourished in the steppe where the capitals of the
Just Facts The lake of Death located in Sicily is considered the most "dead." Any living creature that ends up in this lake dies immediately. The reason for this is two springs located on the bottom that poison the water with concentrated acid. In Algeria, there is a lake whose water can be used as ink.
The clearest water is found in the Sargasso Sea (Atlantic Ocean). There are over 1300 types of water depending on the origin, quantity, and nature of the substances contained in it. The ocean acts as a powerful heater for the lower layers of the atmosphere. The Pacific Ocean is the largest oceanic basin on Earth, covering an area of about 155 million square kilometers and containing more than half of the planet's free water.
Air pollution in China is so severe that it can be seen from space. A cubic meter of the Earth's atmosphere costs 6.9 quadrillion dollars. The sizes of modern reptiles and amphibians are determined by the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere.
Did you know that... The Earth was first photographed from space in 1959 by the Explorer 6 spacecraft. The first image of the whole Earth in history was taken by the Lunar Orbiter V space station on August 8, 1967. It is the only planet where complex forms of life exist. Unlike other planets named after various Roman gods, the word Earth has its own name in every culture.
Unique Planet Earth Planet Earth is just one of eight (according to the latest data) planets in the Solar System. It can be called unique at least because it is habitable. Throughout the history of humanity, people have studied it and still do not fully understand all its processes. Our planet still holds many mysteries. And we continue to be amazed by those discoveries about Earth that have long become public knowledge. 1. Scientific data indicates that Earth formed from the solar nebula
Unusual Clouds In nature, there are clouds that closely resemble ocean waves; they are called "Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds." One cannot fail to mention the beautiful Glory clouds. These clouds form in several clusters and can be several kilometers long. To this day, scientists are unable to explain the origin of this type of cloud. In addition to wave-like and roll-shaped clouds, there are lenticular or lens-shaped clouds named after Jacques Cousteau. Perhaps the most unusual and
Rare Natural Phenomena Some natural phenomena are amazing meteorological and climatic events that occur naturally at different times and scales, and each of them is unique in its own way. Rain of Animals Several strange cases of animals falling from the sky have been recorded in history. For example, in the summer of 2000 in Ethiopia, it rained millions of fish, some of which were dead while others were still wriggling. Most of these "animal" rains occur during tornadoes or other
Unusual Farms from Around the World A farm is traditionally associated with growing plants, mushrooms, and raising poultry, goats, cows, or sheep. It is hard for us to imagine anything more exotic on a farm than a turkey or a horse. But human imagination does not stop there. Unique genetically modified animals, the most dangerous predators on the planet gathered in one place, amazing coffee plantations where elephants stroll leisurely – each of the farms presented in this review is unique and
The word "canyon" translates from Spanish as "gorge, tube". There are many places on Earth that amaze not only with their beauty but also with their grandeur. One of the most astonishing phenomena of nature is canyons. For millions of years, river flows have eroded the land, creating deep gorges. Over time, the rivers dried up, leaving behind canyons. The deepest canyons in the world are not only places of stunning beauty but also unique ecosystems, home to rare birds and
The Most Exotic, Beautiful, and Unusual Beaches in the World When you hear the word beach, your imagination immediately conjures images of white sand, sunshine, waves, beer, fruit cocktails, and other summer attributes. But beaches can be much more diverse than you might think. Most of these beaches differ from each other in the color of the sand and the coastal landscape. Sand is usually formed from everything that the waves bring ashore, whether it be stones, shells, corals, or even glass,
The Smallest Inhabited Islands An island is considered to be a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides. There are no specifications regarding size, so technically, even a piece of land large enough to place just a chair and sit on it can be considered an island. Or you could place a throne there and declare yourself king, with the island as your kingdom, provided, of course, that this patch of land does not already belong to any state. Falkenau Island, Germany Falkenau Island, also
The Most Unexplored Places on Our Planet Climate and human factors constantly affect the Earth. It is hard to imagine, but there are still areas that have remained unchanged since their inception. The list we offer to all interested parties includes several unique uninhabited places that have not undergone any changes so far. This has happened for various reasons: some represent territories that are extremely difficult to access.
Amazing Places on the Planet There are various places in the world that differ in their natural beauty, colorfulness, landscapes, and rich vegetation. Others are beautiful in their simplicity and delicacy. In this article, you will find things you probably haven't seen before: places in the world of incredible beauty. Bagan, Myanmar Bagan was founded in the 9th century by the Burmese in central Burma and was destroyed by the Mongols in 1287. Bagan is one of the most remarkable places in
THE HIGHEST VIEWING PLATFORMS IN THE WORLD Since humanity mastered the art of construction, people have always strived to reach new heights, building cathedrals, temples, pyramids, and other buildings that take your breath away with their height. In the modern world, of course, there are a vast number of high places created by human hands: skyscrapers, bridges, ferris wheels, and so on. Let's find out which of them can be called the highest. Madonna della Corona, Verona, Italy From the
