New Stolby Park Rules 'Put an End to Stolbism,' Says Local Climber

Residents of Krasnoyarsk have criticized the new visiting regime for the Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park. They shared their opinions in the comments of the Telegram channel «Taiganautika,» run by NGS24.RU journalist and experienced stolbist Alexei Taiganaut.

Alexei himself believes that the Russian government«s decree was adopted without considering that the Stolby cliffs for Krasnoyarsk residents are »not just rocks and some forest,« but literally a cultural code.

«Since the late 19th century, people have been going to the Stolby, and not only going but, of course, climbing these rocks. What will now be forbidden and allowed only if you are a formal athlete is what Krasnoyarsk residents have always done on their own. The so-called Krasnoyarsk character was even formed in part because of this,» Alexei shared his position with NGS24.RU.

But all this movement became possible only because those who wished could always freely visit the national park and climb the rocks, Alexei notes.

«And it»s not necessary to climb some dangerous, difficult rocks. There are approaches that are quite simple and safe enough, and you can get injured anywhere, even falling on the street. But that doesn«t mean we should restrict movement on the street. And all these decrees and innovations, they essentially put an end to stolbism, to this subculture and in general to this ordinary, free visitation,» the stolbist noted.

This, in fact, became the reason for the outrage of Krasnoyarsk residents — they were deprived of the opportunity to freely walk around their already native place.

«This is still a part of our culture, and the stolbist movement is also a unique enough phenomenon. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the country, that is, there are rocks everywhere, but for a subculture with its own language, folklore, customs and so on to form around them, that exists nowhere else,» concluded Alexei.

Recall that in the Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park the visiting regime is changing radically. It will be possible to walk only on officially permitted routes — those that have been certified by the Ministry of Natural Resources. And there are only a few of them in the national park.

Free climbing on the rocks is now also prohibited, even on those that do not require prior preparation.