Parus rocks
The Parusfelsen ( Russian : Скала Парус, Skala Parus , German Segelfelsen ) is a cliff in the Krasnodar region , on the coast of the Black Sea . The beach, surroundings and nearby health resorts offer opportunities for relaxation and leisure activities. The natural monument is located 17 km southeast of Gelendzhik (Russian: Геленджик) not far from the village of Praskowejewka (Russian: Прасковеевка).
The Parus rock is a rock wall that rises vertically in all directions and is made of sandstone and is perpendicular to the shore. It was shaped out of the rock by the action of geological forces. Three quarters of the wall are above water even at high tide. The proportions of the natural monument are particularly striking. With a thickness of just over a meter at the foot, the cliff measures around 25 m in height and 20 m in length. This gives the rock the appearance of a square sail - hence the name.
At a height of about 2.5 m, the rock has an opening, the origin of which has not been clarified. Many guidebooks describe that the rock was used as a defense against artillery fire from the mountains during the Russo-Turkish wars . However, this version of the origin of the hole is doubted. In 1903, S. Vasyukov, who was exploring the Black Sea coast, wrote after examining the rock that the cliff “was shot at by a ship of the line . Four shots were fired, but the wall held out and although the traces are visible, it was not perforated ”.
The formation of the unique formation is explained by the erosion of the rock by the sea water and by the different strengths of the rock. The Parus rock was declared a natural monument on November 24, 1971 by the Gelendzhik authorities. The Divinomorskoye Landscape Council (Russian: Дивноморский сельский совет) is responsible for protecting the rock.
Web links
- Visitor information of the Hotel Parus zum Felsen (Russian)
- The Parus rock on the Praskowejewka site (Russian)
- An article on geological natural monuments of Russia (Russian)
Coordinates: 44 ° 26 ′ 19 ″ N , 38 ° 11 ′ 4 ″ E