Stone Age skiers: how an ancient petroglyph became Karelia’s brand

The brand mark of the Republic of Karelia was inspired by an ancient image of skiers from the Belomorsk petroglyphs. Yelena Levanova, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Head of the Palaeoart Centre at the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Associate Professor at the Yuri Knorozov Mesoamerican Centre of the Russian State University for the Humanities, said at the National Centre RUSSIA that this unique archaeological site, more than 5,000 years old and discovered in Zalavruga, formed the basis of the region’s official logo. It can be used on souvenirs, at sporting and tourist events, and even under civil-law contracts.

"These are skiers, a symbol of Karelia. They are part of a group of fascinating narrative rock compositions that are also described as cinematic. In this image, footprints form a trail along which a hunter follows elks on skis and, in fact, wounds these remarkable animals. Incidentally, this is a fairly recently discovered site, Novaya Zalavruga. Discoveries are still being made there: some of the Belomorsk petroglyphs are partly flooded, but there is now already a museum-reserve there. I strongly recommend visiting it if you ever find yourself in Belomorsk," Yelena Levanova said.

The expert spoke at the National Centre RUSSIA on 19 June as part of the second meeting in the series "Conversations with Stanislav Drobyshevsky". The National Centre RUSSIA’s original educational project, hosted by anthropologist and science communicator Stanislav Drobyshevsky, introduces audiences to Russia’s unique historical and anthropological legacy and presents the latest discoveries in this field.

Yelena Levanova said that Russia is home to many rock art sites, dated by scholars from the Stone Age to the present day. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, while some are still awaiting their discoverers and researchers.