Hello!
I continue the stories about our not too long, but very eventful journey through Karelia.
On the outskirts of the city of Sortavala there is a relatively low mountain — Paaso. To be more precise — Paasonvuori.
The mountain is not simple — it is an archaeological monument. Once, about 1000 1200 years ago, on its top there was a fortified settlement of the ancient Karelian tribe. In general, the lands of the Ladoga region were already quite densely populated in the 9th century. In the Russian chronicles, these tribes were called «Korela».
About Paaso
Excavations on Mount Paasonvuori were started by Svetlana Ivanovna Kochkurkina, Doctor of Historical Sciences, archaeologist, back in 1974. By 2006, almost the entire top of the mountain was excavated, it is about 1000 square meters.
Mount Paaso. On the top. Photo of the author. Mount Paaso. On the top. Photo of the author.
The excavations showed that the settlement consisted of 7 buildings, and some of them had heating (wood-burning stoves). The ancient settlement was surrounded by masonry walls, in some places — from large stone slabs. In the west, sections of walls 21 and 31 meters long have been preserved, and a gap of 3 meters between them. There must have been a gate there. In some places, the height of the surviving sections of the wall reached 1.6 m. But, of course, all this was under the cultural layer.
At the corners of the walls, square-shaped foundations were found: possibly the foundations of towers.
Objects characteristic of the ancient Karelian tribes were found here: jewelry, fragments of weapons, brooches (metal clasps). But some of these items belonged to the XIV-XVI centuries. And this suggests that the settlement was used for several centuries.
Why did people build housing so high, in such an inaccessible place? After all, there was no water! And at the foot of the mountain there is a fish lake, a river …
Apparently, the need to be safe was more important than some inconvenience. And people preferred to live in such a hard-to-reach, and even fortified place. These were fortified settlements-shelters, in case of an attack.
What’s on top of Mount Paaso today?
Today, on the flat top of the mountain, you can see the remains of the ruined ramparts. They were created using the dry masonry method. They say paasi is translated as a naked, flat stone. Well, this name is very suitable for this mountain with steep slopes and a flat top!
Of course, to get to the top, you do not need to climb steep slopes and goat paths. A moderately steep staircase, consisting of 365 steps, is laid here. The length of the route is half a kilometer.
Stairs leading to the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. Stairs leading to the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. Paaso. A very beautiful bird feeder set near the stairs. Photo of the author. Paaso. A very beautiful bird feeder set near the stairs. Photo of the author.
We went up there on a cold, windy May day. And in the evening, they say, the backlight turns on here. And then the staircase going up through the forest looks very mysterious, mysterious. Simply fabulous! I haven’t seen it, but I’m willing to believe it. Because the route is very scenic during the day.
By the way, the steps were made quite recently, at the beginning of 2022. And those who visited Mount Paaso last year — they still climbed along the intertwined roots and rocky paths. Therefore, the place was not a tourist one: not everyone could physically master such an ascent.
Now there are many tourists here. And it was not the season at all, and the end of the day.
What impressed me the most was not the remains of the ramparts (although when you realize how old they are, you involuntarily experience awe), but the views that open up.
View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author.
Lake Karmalanyarvi is perfectly visible from the mountain (I will probably never cope with Karelian-Finnish names without a cheat sheet, you will break your language! Perhaps such a good view was one of the reasons why people climbed to live so high: it was possible to see the approach of the enemy in advance.
View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author.
And yet, when we were on the mountain, we saw how the same “Ruskeala Express” , a steam-powered train, was going across the bridge to Sortavala.
View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author.
Climbing the mountain today is not difficult even for an elderly person or a child. After all, you do not need to run up the stairs, you can always stop and admire the forest around. And when we climbed the mountain, the birds sang with might and main, although the day was already drawing to a close (that’s why the pictures are so cloudy).
Passo. Through the spruces you can see a brand new staircase. Photo of the author. Passo. Through the spruces you can see a brand new staircase. Photo of the author.
The fee for climbing the mountain is symbolic, 150 rubles.
View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author. View from the top of Mount Paaso. Photo of the author.
I liked the place. I would advise you to go up when / if you are in Sortavala to admire the surroundings. Watching for yourself, with your own eyes, is still not the same as viewing recordings from a drone, is it?
All health!
#karelia#paaso#sortavala#travel in russia#independent travel
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