The Blue Stone on Lake Pleshcheyevo in Pereslavl-Zalessky is a huge boulder of gray-blue color, behind which the glory of the miraculous is firmly established.
From morning to evening, the folk trail to the stone is not overgrown - many come here specifically to ask for the fulfillment of wishes and healing from ailments.
It’s easy to find the famous boulder - there is a sign on the Yaroslavskoye Highway at the turn. There is no parking; tourist cars line up along the narrow road. But there is a ticket office - they charge 50 rubles for access to the Blue Stone, motivating the extortion by the fact that the object of pilgrimage is located on the territory of the Pleshcheyevo Lake national park.
An arched entrance with a dozen shops selling souvenirs.
The blue stone was brought to the northeastern shore of Lake Pleshcheevo by a glacier from the Scandinavian mountains. The material from which the monolithic block consists is fine-grained quartz biotite slate, the weight of the boulder is 12 tons, the length is about 3 meters, the width is 2.5 meters, the height of the above-ground part is 70 centimeters. The surface is uneven, with tubercles and grooves.
I didn’t notice any special blue color in the stone. They say that a bluish tint appears after rain.
History of the Blue Stone
The blue stone has been known since ancient times. More than two thousand years ago, he was worshiped by the Finno-Ugric tribes of the Merya and the pagan Slavs of Zalesskaya Rus'.
The place where the Sin-stone lies is special - nearby on this shore of Lake Pleshcheevo in the 11th-12th centuries there was the ancient Russian city of Kleshchin, from which only a ring of earthen ramparts remains.
Nearby rises Yarilina Mountain - a large picturesque hill, on the top of which pagan rites were performed in honor of Yarila. The mountain is also called Alexandrova - in honor of Alexander Nevsky, who spent his childhood on Lake Pleshcheyevo.
Be sure to climb the mountain - the panoramic views from it are amazing.
Orthodox priests at all times had an ambivalent attitude towards the pagan shrine - they exhorted local residents not to go to worship the stone, frightened them with the fact that evil spirits lived in it, and tried to get rid of the “idol”.
Already in the 16th century, the chronicler reports:
In the city of Pereslavl, a stone fell behind Boris and Gleb into a boyar, and a demon took possession of it, creating dreams and attracting people from Pereslavl: husbands and wives and their children, and scattering hearts on the feast of the great supreme apostles Peter and Paul. And they listened to him and flocked to him from year to year, and did honor to him.
Many traditions and legends passed on from mouth to mouth are associated with attempts to get rid of the boulder and its amazing ability to move independently.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Deacon Onufry, on the advice of the Rostov monk Irinarch, buried the hated “idol”, and then became very ill, believing that the stone had “taken revenge” on him. The boulder, having lain in the ground for some time, found itself on the surface again - spring waters washed away the ground, and the heaving soil pushed out the block.
In 1788, the giant stone was loaded onto a large sleigh and transported across the ice of Lake Pleshcheevo to the construction site of the Spiritual Church near the Trubezh River in order to use it as part of the foundation. The ice could not bear the weight, and the 12-ton giant sank at a depth of about 1.5 meters.
The boulder lay at the bottom of the lake for 70 years, and then “crawled” onto the shore. Then it was believed that this was facilitated by the movement of ice and spring hummocks.
Since then, the Blue Stone has been lying on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo and, as a result of geological processes, is slowly sinking into the ground - now only a small part of it is visible. Forty years ago, it towered above the surface as tall as a man.
Blue stone makes wishes come true
Thousands of people go to Pereslavl on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo because they believe that the Blue Stone, which has magical powers, fulfills wishes and heals from ailments.
For the wish to come true, you need to appease the miraculous boulder and present it with a gift - a treat and a coin.
And also, to be sure, tie a ribbon on the nearest tree. Ribbons “for health”, “for wealth”, “for love”, “for happiness” are sold in souvenir kiosks at the entrance.
Some pilgrims “charge” amulets and “charge” themselves - they sit on a stone, even in the cold season, trying to get rid of diseases. It is believed that even a short stay in this place has a beneficial effect on the body.
It is unknown who the Blue Stone helped. I saw a variety of reviews from visitors online - some were dizzy, some felt a surge of strength, and some were only dissatisfied with the 50-ruble fee, lack of parking and the not particularly large size of the boulder.
I liked the Blue Stone - its interesting history, legends and beliefs, the beauty of Lake Pleshcheevo and the views from Alexandrova Mountain.
In Pereslavl-Zalessky you can look at the historical center surrounded by earthen ramparts, Red Square, the Goritsky Monastery, the Spiritual Church near the Trubezh River and other attractions, visit the Boat Museum of Peter the Great, mini-museums of the iron, teapot, cunning and ingenuity, steam locomotives, money, radio.
How to get to the Blue Stone
By public transport: Shchelkovskaya metro station, from the Central Bus Station by buses “Moscow-Pereslavl”, “Moscow-Yaroslavl”, “Moscow-Kostroma”. Buses depart daily, approximately once an hour, starting at 7 am. Travel time is about 2.5 hours. You can take a taxi from the center of Pereslavl to the Blue Stone; a round trip will cost about 400-500 rubles including waiting.
By car: from Moscow along the Yaroslavl highway about 95 kilometers. Having passed the center of Pereslavl, turn left at the sign, then you need to drive about another 4 kilometers. Parking on the side of the road.
Coordinates: N 56° 47.050′ E 38° 49.489′
It is better to visit this place on weekdays in the morning - at this time there are the least crowds. You can come for a few days with a tent - there is a campsite on the shore at the foot of Alexandrova Mountain.
Lake Pleshcheyevo called the natural pearl of Central Russia. It is located in the Yaroslavl region and is one of the largest lakes in the Upper Volga region.
Since ancient times, the lake was known under the name Kleshcheevo, which comes from the verb “kleskat”, i.e. “splash” or from the name of the fish that lives here, bream, which was previously pronounced as “mite.”
Many rivers and streams flow into the lake, the largest of which is the Trubezh River.
Only one river flows out of the lake - Vyoksa, connecting Pleshcheyevo through a network of reservoirs with the Volga.
The lake with a sandy (partially muddy) bottom has the shape of an oval bowl; near the shores it is shallower, and in the very center the depth reaches 25 meters.
The dimensions of Lake Pereslavl are 6.7 by 9.7 square meters. km.
It is home to various species of fish, including pike, burbot, and bream.
One of the inhabitants of the lake is (or rather was) the rare freshwater herring vendace, which adorns the coat of arms of Pereslavl. Unfortunately, the vendace was almost completely exterminated, and almost none remained in the lake waters.
At festive meals at court in the 14th–17th centuries, vendace was traditionally served as the last dish as a sign of Pereslavl’s voluntary annexation to Moscow. Once the length of the “royal herring” reached 50 centimeters; over time, due to changes in environmental conditions, the famous fish decreased in size.
Legends of Lake Pleshcheyevo
Not far from the village of Gorodishche near Pereslavl-Zalessky there is a legendary boulder called the Sin-stone.According to ancient Russian legends, a spirit lives in the stone, fulfilling dreams and desires.
The pagans worshiped the black and blue boulder as a deity.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the deacon of the Pereslavl Semenovskaya Church, Anufry, ordered to dig a large hole and throw the Blue Stone into it.
But a few years later, the boulder emerged from the ground, and worship of the miracle stone resumed.
After 150 years, the church authorities of Pereslavl decided to lay a “magic” boulder at the base of the foundation of the local bell tower.
The stone was loaded onto a sleigh and transported across frozen Lake Pleshcheevo, but the ice broke and the Blue Stone sank at a depth of 5 meters.
However, soon the fishermen began to notice that the boulder was mysteriously changing its location, slowly moving along the bottom.
After 80 years, he “crawled out of the water on his own.”
Half a century later, the stone ended up on the shore at the foot of Yarilina Mountain, where it still lies.
Some modern researchers have argued that the Blue Stone, akin to the crawling stones from the American continent, can actually move at low speed due to some unknown physical phenomenon.
Directions to Sin-stone:
1) By car or bus from the Moscow bus station (metro station "Shchelkovskaya") go northeast 150 km along the Yaroslavskoe highway to the bus station in Pereslavl-Zalessky (in total there are about 15 passing and direct buses along this route); then walk or take a bus 7-8 km to the northeast past the village of Gorodishche. Walk along the road along the shore of the lake to a sign indicating the location of the Blue Stone; then turn left (west) and walk along the path about 150 m until the stone itself.
A spring with drinking water flows only 15-30 m north of the Sin-stone; tents can be placed 200-500 m from the stone in the forest.
2) By car or train (direction "Moscow-Yaroslavl") to Berendeevo station; by bus to Pereslavl-Zalessky, then on foot or by car along the roads to the northwest of the city. Further - see above.
Legend information:
Vadim CHERNOBROV. Kosmopoisk expedition N 87, N 179-b
-Who will you be?
- The prince here, Alexander.
— Nevsky is your nickname? Did you beat the Swedes?
- I.
- What are you doing here?
- I catch fish.
— Is there no other job?
- Why is this bad?
(Film “Alexander Nevsky” (1938))
Pereslavl-Zalessky stands on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo, where the Trubezh River flows into it. The lake ranks second in size in the Yaroslavl Volga region after Rostov Lake Nero. Its area is 50 sq. km, the greatest depth is 25 meters. The Veksa River flows from Lake Pleshcheevo, connecting it through Lake Somino and the Nerl Volzhskaya River with the Volga. During the times of Ancient Rus', trading plow ships sailed this route.
In ancient times the lake was called Kleshchino. The origin of this toponym is unknown. It is believed that the name could come from the word “kleskat” - to splash. Due to the sharp contrast between the great depths in the center and the shallow waters near the shore, it is truly characterized by the constant lapping of the waves.
The lake is famous for its freshwater herring - vendace, which in the 15th-17th centuries was served at the table of Moscow grand dukes and tsars. It was called “Tsar’s Herring”. Under John III, a custom was introduced - after the coronation of the heir to the throne, serve a dish of Pereslavl herrings. Smoked vendace is depicted on the official coat of arms of Pereslavl-Zalessky.
Pavel Lyubimtsev tells an interesting legend. In the 14th century, the Tatars were once again planning to storm Pereslavl, and their khan came up with such a cunning maneuver - to dig up the Trubezh River and thereby deprive the townspeople of water. For many months, the Horde dug a pit and poured a shaft, completely blocked the river, and the Pereslavl people did not even think of giving up.
Then the khan called the court elder-sage to him and asked him why the Russians had not yet died of thirst. “Elementary, O Greatest One!” the sage answered. “They won’t die. It’s just that Lake Pleshcheyevo is located outside the city, and the Russians take water from there.” “That’s it,” said the khan. “I didn’t think about that.” Having cut off the old man's head just in case, the Horde left and did not storm the city. And the pit and shafts remain to this day.
Having stayed at the Botik hotel, which is located directly opposite the Botik Petra museum, we first headed to Lake Pleshcheevo, which is visible from everywhere here.
Somewhere here Sergei Eisenstein filmed the very beginning of his great film “Alexander Nevsky”. Somewhere here Ilya Gurin filmed the first episode of the wonderful series “Young Russia”.
To estimate the depth of the lake near the shore, I show this bridge about 50 meters long. It would seem that you can dive from the end of this bridge. But pay attention to the two distant figures behind the bridge.
Here they are closer. We walked along the bridge to the end, and the women walked the same distance in the water. And the water was only up to their knees. We didn’t swim, we were too lazy to walk a kilometer to the depths, and only wet our feet from the bridge. The water here is very warm.
Behind the beach there is a very strange place, not marked on the maps. This is at once a museum of antiquities, a zoo, and a botanical garden. For some reason this place is called “Cossack Stan”.
Yes, I forgot to specify how to get here. We enter Pereslavl along Moskovskaya Street. Immediately after the Goritsky Monastery, which stands on the mountain and is visible from everywhere, we turn left onto Podgornaya Street. And we drive along it for about two kilometers until we see the wooden ship-restaurant “Botik”. And then everything is obvious.
You can enter this territory with permission to take photographs for 50 rubles, regardless of the number of people. You need to give the money to the watchman, and there is no need to look for him, he will come by himself. We pass between two marble lions and move towards the cages.
Our old friend, a bear named Kuzma, lives here. This particular bear is huge, and if it stands on its hind legs, it will be three meters tall. A mighty beast, he crushes these car tires with his paws, like we do a children’s expander. At first we decided that he loved apples, we picked them right there in someone’s garden and gave them to the bear, but he only looked at us reproachfully. We didn’t feed him lobsters and lobsters; someone else would have fed them to him.
The next day, we sent greetings from Kuzy to the bear Masha, the symbol of Yaroslavl, who lives right in the Yaroslavl Kremlin. Masha is already elderly, and Kuzya is young and full of enthusiasm. He looks cheerful and good-natured. And suddenly, unexpectedly for myself, I did something that no one would ever do - I stuck my hand between the bars and scratched him behind the ear. Probably, I remained alive and well for only one reason - for some reason the bears take me for one of their own.
We really liked these tufted ducks (or whatever they are called) with their manners. They were probably in their mating season; they walked opposite each other, quacking slightly, looking closely and trying to please each other. It seems that they have wigs on their heads, like in the time of Catherine the Great.
There is a lot of all kinds of living creatures here - antelopes, camels, deer, horses and goats, and a lot of birds. In order not to offend anyone, I will not show them; the only exotic thing here is Kuzma. And here is such an ostrich with a very strange, piercing gaze. He looked at us without looking away.
Alexandrova Mountain is located on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo. In ancient times, back in the 9th-10th centuries, there was a pagan settlement of Kleshchin here, from which the earthen ramparts are still preserved. Then all that remained of the ancient settlement was the temple of the sun god Yarila, from where the second name of this mountain comes - “Yarilina baldness”.
In the 13th century, Alexander Nevsky founded the small Alexander Boris and Gleb Monastery on the mountain. During the Time of Troubles, the monastery was burned to the ground and was never rebuilt. The place where he was is marked on the top with a memorial cross.
The most interesting thing in Pereslavl, in my opinion, a real miracle of miracles, is the Blue Stone (Blue Stone). Now it is located at the foot of Alexander Mountain in a swampy lowland. This huge boulder weighing about 12 tons is famous for the fact that, in some incomprehensible way, it changes its location.
Perhaps it was brought here by a glacier during the great glaciation. The stone has a blue tint. But in addition, the word “blue” among the Slavic pagans meant a mourning color, which was associated with the cult of Veles, who was considered the god of cattle and the god of the dead. Apparently, in the 9th-10th centuries the boulder was part of an ancient temple in the Kleschinsky burial ground in one of the local ravines. They worshiped him and made sacrifices.
With the advent of Orthodoxy, the church considered the boulder a pagan “demonic” obscurantism, and in the 17th century the local priest Irinarch ordered it to be buried in the ground. But after a short time, the stone managed to come to the surface, supposedly thanks to groundwater, and its worship resumed. The second attempt to destroy the boulder occurred in 1788, when they wanted to put it in the foundation of a church being built nearby.
But the stone could not be transported in winter on the ice of the lake; it fell from the sleigh, broke through the ice and sank not far from the shore. It would seem that the stone self-destructed, but that was not the case. A few decades later, the stone began to emerge from the lake on its own, quickly approaching the shore. People were amazed to see that every year the stone came closer to the shore and eventually it took its current position on land.
If you stand on a stone and make a wish, it will certainly come true. If you sit on it, illnesses will go away, especially for women’s illnesses. And before leaving, you need to tie a ribbon here.
My friends, who will go to Pereslavl? Never, never agree to offers from local “tour guides” to take you on a motorboat to the Blue Stone. You will be unloaded in the middle of the lake in the reeds, and you will get to it in waist-deep cold water. Although you can easily reach the stone on foot without any boats. But now enterprising people have managed to make access to the stone paid.
Late in the evening we were all sitting on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo, and although getting up was scheduled for five in the morning, we didn’t want to leave. We listened to the splash of the waves in complete silence and watched the colors change in the sky. We were silent, we didn’t want to talk.
Perhaps nowhere, in no place did such peace and tranquility descend upon me as on this shore. Well, really, why does Alexander Nevsky need another job, why reign, why fight, if he can fish and watch the sunrise here, on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo? Maybe someday I will buy a house, here, or in Kolomna, or in Suzdal, and leave Moscow.
Pereslavl-Zalessky is famous not only for its rich history and ancient temples and monasteries, but also for its amazing natural attraction - Lake Pleshcheyevo. At first sight it amazes the imagination and fascinates with its beauty.
How to get to Lake Pleshcheeva?
You can get to Pereslavl-Zalessky by bus (there is a bus station in the city). Enter your departure city and find out the schedule and prices.
The Pleshcheyevo Lake national park, formed in 1988, is located 130 km from Moscow, in the Yaroslavl region. It includes: Lake Pleshcheyevo with its surroundings, including a city with a long history and. The creation of the park ensures the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of our country, as well as the unique natural landscape around the lake.
Lake Pleshcheyevo on the map
The unique Lake Pleshcheyevo has an almost regular oval shape. Its age is about 30 thousand years.
It is of glacial origin. The depth of the lake in some places reaches 25 meters.
The historical birth of the Russian fleet took place on the shores of this lake. Young Peter I built his amusing flotilla here, and the boat “Fortune” that he built with his own hands (the only one that survived) is still in the Boat House of the Peter’s Boat museum-estate.
The lake is a favorite pastime place for Pereslavl residents. How can you not love such beauty!
In summer people swim here; the shores are quite shallow.
The lake is home to 16 species of fish, including vendace, also called the “royal herring”, as it was supplied to the royal court. 
This fish can be seen on the city's coat of arms.
Smoked vendace is sold in stores; in restaurants you can taste vendace prepared in different ways, depending on the cook’s imagination.
But no matter what they tell you, local, freshly caught vendace cannot be found in Pereslavl. Almost all of it is imported.
This fish is listed in the Red Book and catching it is prohibited even with a fishing rod.
We bought smoked vendace several times from the hotel store. It was an excellent fish, although not from Lake Pleshcheevo.
In addition to vendace, about ten species of plants listed in the Red Book grow in the protected area around the lake, as well as rare species of animals and birds.
The surrounding area of the lake has stunning picturesque nature. Several rivers flow into the lake. At the place where the Trubezh River flows into Lake Pleshcheyevo there is the Church of the Forty Martyrs.
In ancient times, in the vicinity of this lake there was a settlement of Meryans and Slavs. The center of this settlement was the predecessor of Pereslavl - the city of Kleshchin. The earthen ramparts from the 12th century are still preserved from it.
At the foot of these ramparts on the shore of the lake lies the legendary Blue Stone - a boulder of cult worship. To this day, people reach out to him with their deepest desires and requests for healing.
Currently, kite schools operate on Lake Pleshcheyevo. They specialize in teaching kitesurfing and winter kiteing (snowkiting). Aeronautics festivals are also held here. Touching the surface of the lake is one of the conditions for aeronautics.
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