• The temple of the Sun
• Tiberkul lake
• Shalobolinskaya pisanitsa (petroglyphs)

The temple of the Sun

There are several similar communities in the world such as "The temple of the Sun" in Switzerland, "People's temple" in Guyana, "Heaven gates" and others. Time will show whether "The church of the last covenant" will be able to enter this list. The city of the Sun continues to be built in our days. The community was founded in 1991 on Suhaya mountain in Kuraginsky district near a legendary Tiberkul lake. Its area is approximately 250 hectares. The head of the community is Vissarion.

The religious doctrine of Vissarion combines evangelic parables, theosophy of Blavatskaya, philosophy of the Rerichs, cosmism of Tsiolkovsky, asceticism of yoga, changed Christianity and some beliefs of Hinduism.

There are two plateaus on Suhaya mountain (700 m above the sea level). There is a big wooden church situated on the upper plateau. It is a house for Vissarion and his family. There is also an interesting pergola with wooden angels named "The symbol" and the houses of Vissarion's supporters.

This complex of buildings is called "The heaven abode" ("The new Jerusalem" or "The sunrise abode").

Since 2000 nobody can enter The city of the Sun except pilgrims who are allowed to visit the city under supervision. The personal guard of Vissarion "The God's angels" is in charge of entering system. They include 100 young men with families whose main responsibility is to register the guests of the city and to protect the authority of the community.

The lower plateau is occupied by the city where peculiar community dwellers live in wooden houses.

Ecology is the base of Vissarion's religion. Every building in the community is build of wood. There are no contemporary mechanisms including electric saws. The forest is cut manually.

All the members of the community are vegetarians. The official name of the community is "The experimental ecological settlement ecopolis "Tiberkul". The purpose of the city is to live in harmony with nature. The air here is healthy and clean. The territory is surrounded by beautiful Siberian taiga with herbs and wild animals. In winter the temperature often drops 55 degrees below zero. In summer the temperature in Tiberkul lake reaches 23 degrees above zero.

The nearest village is situated 20 kilometers far from The city of the Sun. The villages Cheremshanka, Gulyaevka, Zharovsk and Tiberkul are inhabited by the followers of the community. Every village provides living conditions for pilgrims. There is a massive 3 storey palace of Vissarion in Petropavlovskoe village built specially for the guests. Many of the followers are striving to live on Suhaya mountain, but the majority of them can only work there.

The community is famous for its architects, constructors, singers and artists. The temples Stone-Heart, The symbol of Faith, The Altar of the Earth, pray house in Cheremshanka and the chapel in Gulyaevka are real masterpieces of art.

Art exhibitions are also worth visiting. The paintings of Vissarion can be seen in Krasnoyarsk, Sofia, Saint Petersburg and Riga.

The most important holidays are the 14^th of January (the birthday of Vissarion) and the dances around fire held on the 10^th of August (the first sermon of Vissarion). Many local workshops hold fairs during these holidays. Usually they sell cedar furniture, souvenir objects made from the roots of trees, things made from beads, pottery, shoes, clothes and fabric paintings.

Tiberkul lake

A picturesque Tiberkul lake which became a natural monument in 1987 is also known as a shelter for a legendary Sun City - the community of Vissarion-Christ, which is situated not far from the unique lake.

The beautiful lake is located on the territory of Kuraginsky district, 130 kilometers far from Kuragino village in a mountain cavity (443 meters high above the sea level). Tiberkul is the largest lake in the south of Krasnoyarsk region. Its area is 51 square kilometers, the maximum depth is 98 meters. The lake is fed by springs and is full-flowing due to numerous rivers and streams. The shores of the lake are full of bays, the ground is covered by grass, white and yellow water-lilies.

There are about 20 big and small islands on the lake. The biggest of them is Kedrovy island (2 square kilometers).

The surrounding territory includes several lakes of ice origin: Spasskoe, Semenovskoe, Varlama, Maly (Small) Tiberkul and many small lakes. Tiberkul lake keeps boulders and polished rocks on the surface of the water - the result of glaciers movement. Every of these lakes is worth seeing.

Big Tiberkul lake includes Varlama lake which is connected with it by a small river Varlamka. The tourists reach Varlama lake following a well known path 1.5 kilometers long. It is famous for tench fish and perch which is bigger and tastier than Tiberkul's.

Big Tiberkul lake is connected with Small Tiberkul by a river Malaya (20 meters wide). The clear water of the river reflects the tops of old cedars. Pristine landscapes astonish everybody by their fantastic views.

Small Tiberkul has a shape of "8". There is a hunting house situated on its northern shore. There is a Black klyuch (spring) - the biggest tributary of Big Tiberkul lake sflowing 200 meters far from the house. It is rich in grayling and dace.

An amazing Tiberkul lake gives you an opportunity to relax, to free your body and soul, to stay alone with nature and know the other way of life.

Shalobolinskaya pisanitsa (petroglyphs)

The gallery of Shalobolinskie rock paintings is one of the regional wonders which calls you to touch the eternity of our ancestors who made these amazing symbols thousands of years ago.

Shalobolinskaya pisanitsa is situated on a steep rock massif, on the right bank of the river Tuba, very close to the water. Some of the paintings can be seen when sailing on a boat. There are 8 places of rock paintings situated on the distance of 2 kilometers. These are complicated compositions with zoological and anthropomorphous characters of different epochs: realistic figures of elks, bulls, marals, boats, dynamic pictures of figures with tails and short upper extremities (Neolith), the figures in round masks and animals (Copper Age), numerous battle and cattle scenes (early Iron Age). The drawings of Neolith and VI-IV centuries B.C. are represented by knock-out, engraving and pull-through methods.

The people of Neolith period lived in harmony with nature and perfectly knew rocks, mountains, forests. Natured was a great source of knowledge, life, and existence in a society. Perhaps the ancient artists realized the meaning of their paintings for future generations, that's why they didn't save forces and time for portraying their life.

In one of the rock massif's caves of Shalobolinskaya pisanitsa the scientists found a grave of a man (I century A.D.). The archaeologists say that it was a European man of 30 years old who was sacrificed on the territory of the ancient complex.

It is very difficult to see the chronicles of time for an unprepared man. Simple rock paintings hide centuries, epochs and lives. Experienced guides help to read the signs of ancient people. They know every picture, every sign, every stone there. Some of the paintings become visible only after they are made wet.

Unfortunately many of the monuments are almost destroyed. The people ruin and plunder burial mounds not understanding the consequences of this. Many of the important historical places were destroyed during agricultural works, illegal road building and making trash dumps. Besides, the paintings are also being naturally destroyed by wind, melted snow water and flood water.

The meaning of Shalobolinskaya pistanitsa is great. The unique gallery of paintings belongs not only to the people of Krasnoyarsk region, but to the whole world. The scientists still make research and restore works: they copy the paintings by different methods, clear rock massifs, which are now covered by stones and ground etc. nowadays the monument is protected by the state. It is planned to create a historical and cultural reserve on the territory of pisanitsa which will include not only petroglyphs, but also other archaeological objects.