Golden Woman: where the most mysterious artifact of Siberia is hidden

This precious idol has been mentioned so often by historians and scientists from different countries and eras that no one doubts its existence. The Golden Woman, or as the Khanty called her Sorni nai, was considered by many peoples of Siberia to be the Great Mother of mankind. This is a figure of a woman made of pure gold, decorated with precious stones. Scientists and adventurers have been trying to find it for several centuries, but it always escapes from curious and greedy hands.

The place where the Golden Woman is kept is unknown. It is believed that several dedicated shamans have access to it, but no one knows who they are either. For a long time, the peoples of Western Siberia — Khanty, Vogul, Mansi and Ugrians have been protecting the secret of the relic. Such a reverent attitude is due to the fact that, in their opinion, Sorni Nai gives people souls. Without it, humanity will simply disappear.

There are a great many descriptions of the Golden Woman. Some say that it is an elegant statue made of gold, similar to an antique sculpture. Others are sure that it is a rough massive idol. There is even an opinion that the figure is not gold at all, but stone. But at the same time she holds a golden sacrificial bowl in her hands and is crowned with a precious crown.

There are also many opinions about the origin of the relic. The creators of the Weed Nai are called the inhabitants of the mysterious Hyperborea, Chinese masters and even ancient Greek and Roman sculptors. Someone assures that this is the figure of the Buddhist goddess of immortality Guan Yin, and someone identifies her with the Roman Juno.

The statue could get to Siberia with trade caravans, or as a gift to one of the rulers. There are several old images of Sorni Nai, but they are all completely different. One, posted in a book by the publisher Guanyini in the 15th century, is a woman with two children. She holds one child in her arms, and the second is standing next to her.

In other drawings and engravings, you can see a Golden woman in the form of a warrior with a spear and an elderly mother woman. All the authors, as one, mention the incredible value of the figure. But at the same time, magic reliably protects it from people with evil or selfish thoughts.

Trouble and death threatens everyone who wants to take the Weed from the secret sanctuary. In the same case, if they want to destroy the shrine, for example, to melt it down, then entire nations will be at risk. Unfortunately, all the legends about the Golden Woman are difficult to study and systematize. Stories about her have been transmitted for centuries in the oral works of the peoples of Siberia, and they began to be recorded no earlier than the 17th century.

Most sources claim that the golden figure of Sorni Nai is as tall as an adult. Therefore, there is nothing strange that she was persistently searched for and continues to be searched for these days. For the first time in Russia, the precious idol was talked about back in the 14th century, and since then it has haunted treasure seekers.

Bishop Stefan of Perm was the first to tell the world about the Golden Woman. The Sofia Chronicle of 1399 tells about his journey to Siberia to convert pagans to Christianity. The Holy Father said that his efforts to bring the indigenous people to the true faith were not very productive. Khanty, Mansi and Voguls fervently believed only in Sorni nai.

It is unknown whether the Orthodox missionary had a chance to see the relic. But we can confidently say that it was after the appearance of the first guests from the Christian world that they began to hide the Golden Woman. This was natural, since along with the imposition of a new faith, priests and their armed companions destroyed everything connected with traditional cults.

They say that the Golden Woman was hidden very carefully, constantly changing the place. According to various sources, it was hidden in the mouth of the Ob, in the remote taiga. It is believed that the idol was kept there until 1933, until the chekists came for it. Stalin was very interested in the golden figure, and he sent an entire expedition in search of it.

The search process followed the usual scenario of the NKVD. A shaman who was considered the guardian of the shrine was arrested. But even under torture, the old man did not give out a secret place. It all ended with the fact that the Khanty in righteous anger killed several outsiders. The relic was taken from the secret sanctuary on Obi and were hidden in the swamps of the Kazym River.

For this, the kind of stubborn shaman paid cruelly. The chekists killed all the men, and confiscated weapons from their families. In the conditions of the taiga, it was like death — all the women, children and the elderly died of hunger. But the expedition did not achieve its main goal — Sorni Nai remained inaccessible to outsiders.

Sometimes the place of storage of the Golden Woman is called Belogorye. This is the place where the great Siberian rivers Ob and Irtysh meet. There were other taiga areas that were thoroughly and unsuccessfully combed by expeditions. One of the most interesting hikes was undertaken by local history enthusiasts from Tyumen Arkady Zakharov and his friend Vladimir Romanov.

These desperate guys in 1979 arrived on the banks of the Ob in search of Weed Nai. Tyumen residents have never been to this area and therefore hired a local guide Sobrin. The purpose of the multi-day trip was a lake with an island in the middle. Arkady and Vladimir were sure that the artifact was waiting for them there.

The guide confidently led the researchers to the river that flowed into the cherished lake. Then I had to go by boat, which was not easy at all. A small forest river was literally littered with fallen trees, through which it was necessary to cut through with axes. Not far from the goal, during the overnight stay, the travelers lost their dog. The animal broke loose from a strong leash and disappeared into the forest in horror.

In the morning, the guide Sobrin flatly refused to lead his friends further and said that he would wait for them in the camp. Zakharov and Romanov, feeling the proximity of the goal, decided to go further. But a day later they lost the boat, stuck in a swampy riverbank, and lost a significant part of their supplies. The lake was inaccessible.

The brave taiga explorers had to return to the guide. They returned home with the firm conviction that they would return in a year and finish what they had started. But they were not destined to continue the search, as the conductor Sobrin unexpectedly died. Zakharov later said that Sorni Nai gave them a clear signal to stop. That's why he and Romanov are alive and well.

One of the most remote places from civilization is the Putorana Plateau, considered by many to be the place where the Golden Baba is hidden. But it is no easier to find her there than on the wild shores of the Ob. The vast territory of the plateau, on which the UK will fit freely, has no roads. You can only get there by helicopter and then at a certain time of the year.

In this wilderness, the precious statue is being searched for especially actively in the area of the Agata weather station. The nearest settlement to it is 300 km away, and the area itself remains poorly studied even in the 21st century. But no matter how interesting it is for us to see Sorni Nai, it is better for her to stay where the shamans placed her.

The legend of the Hunts says that if the statue is broken or melted, a great disaster will befall the country. Maybe it's just an ancient myth, but after the opening of Tamerlane's grave in 1941, it's better not to experiment.