Golosov Ravine (Голосов Овраг), also known as Vlasov (Власов) ravine[1] is a deep ravine in Moscow, Russia, between the Kolomenskoe Hill and Dyakovo Hill. The ravine has several springs and a brook streaming at its bottom. Up in the ravine, on the left side of it, there is a Neopagan shrine, organized around two venerated "sacred stones". In years 2006-2007, during the renovation of Kolomenskoe sides of the ravine were reinforced, and pedestrian paths and stairs were created on its sides.
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The "Sacred stones of Kolomenskoe" are a pair of local sandstone[2] rocks of peculiar shape, located high in the ravine. Some sources claim them to be granite boulders of a glacier origin[3], but it seems to be a misconception. Both rocks have traces of manual processing, both old (that exaggerates the shape of the stones), and new (as they are vandalized by modern graffiti). Initially the stones were located further down the ravine, closer to the springs, but during one of the renovations of the park in the Soviet era they were dragged to the place where they reside now.
According to a recently popularized theory, Golosov Ravine might have initially hosted a shrine dedicated to a Slavic deity Veles[4]. It is alleged that the name of Veles is still traceable in modern name of the ravine (Golosov or Vlasov, through Volosov, from Velesov)[5]. The shrine might have been later Christianized, with the stones re-interepreted by local inhabitants as traces of a famous battle between the St. George (the holy patron of Moscow) and a dragon[6][3], thus keeping the ancient mythological motive under a disguise of new names (see "Enemy of Perun and storm myth" section in Veles article).
The stones have their own names: one is called Deviy (or Devichiy, Russian: Девий, Девичий, meaning "Virgin"), and is associated by modern worshipers with giving fertility to women,[7] while the other one is called Gus (Гусь, meaning "Goose"). The local lore tells that they help to cure certain diseases, so people come and sit of them,[8][9] as well as tie small pieces of tissue to nearby trees.[10]
According to some sources, the stones were not continuously venerated by locals in the 20th century, which would mean that the tradition is discontinuous, and may not follow the older patterns, whatever they could be[2].
The nearby springs are also considered sacred (miracle-bearing) in contemporary Eastern Orthodoxy[11], Neopagan[12] and New-Age[13][14] traditions. Before the Revolution of 1917 there was a wooden chapel standing on top of (or near?) the springs[3], which implies that the springs were considered "sacred" or "holy" in the past as well. Several springs have (or had) their own names: Kadochka (literally: "Little Tub"; seemingly the most venerated one[11], with its sub-springs associated with St. George and Our Lady of Kazan[2]); Peter and Paul's spring; the spring of the 12 apostles; St. Nicholas spring[2]. Some of these springs were destroyed during the recent renovation works in the ravine[2].