10 REAL places in Russia that look AI-generated (PHOTOS)
Even Russians don't always believe these places actually exist!
1. Lake Sukko
An entire grove of swamp cypresses was planted in the Sukko Valley near Anapa during Soviet times. In fall, the foliage turns a fiery red, which is why the lake has become a popular spot for photo shoots and SUP boat tours.
2. The Lena Pillars in Yakutia
It turns out the wall from ‘Game of Thrones’ really does exist! Well, kinda! Limestone cliffs stretch for almost 40 kilometers along the Siberian Lena River, with heights reaching a dizzy 220 meters! Fossilized remains of prehistoric animals are often found in these ancient rocks.
3. Cheesy Rocks in Crimea
You couldn't make this up on purpose! Not far from Alushta, in cliffs made of quartz sandstone, sea water and winds have, over time, carved out numerous craters and holes. Combined with the yellow color of the sandstone itself, it all looks very much like cheese!
4. Ural’s Manpupuner
These oddly shaped rock formations in the Komi Republic look completely unnatural. They were once mountains, but thousands of years of wind did its work and, now, these stone giants boggle the imagination.
5. Mud Volcano on Sakhalin Island
Usually, mud volcanoes look like gray blobs. But, these two perfectly round spots seem human-made. They’re the craters of the Maguntan Mud Volcano; today, it’s dormant and you can even walk across it – but preferably in rubber boots!
6. Kalyazin Bell Tower
A bell tower sticking out of the water in the middle of a reservoir. It looks like AI misinterpreted your prompt. But, it didn't. During the construction of the Uglich hydroelectric station on the Volga River, most of the town of Kalyazin went underwater — including an ancient monastery. But, being the tallest building in the town, the bell tower remains visible, a permanent reminder of this Soviet hydro-engineering project.
7. The Curonian Spit
These crooked trees and the “dancing” forest are part of a nature reserve on the westernmost edge of Russia. On the shore of a narrow strip of land, pines grow beautifully on the sand dunes, sometimes taking on the most bizarre shapes.
8. Ural Mars
About 100 kilometers from the city of Yekaterinburg, there's a place that’s perfect for filming sci-fi movies! These are the Bogdanovich clay quarries, where a special fireproof clay was mined as far back as the 19th century! The clay hardened in the most incredible ways, forming a landscape reminiscent of the red planet.
9. The Pink Lake in Altai
A train running right across bright pink water. This sight boggles the imagination. This is Lake Burla, a salt lake, known locally as ‘Bursol’. In some places, its depth doesn't exceed half a meter, so a railway was laid there and, since the 18th century, a train has been running on it collecting salt – the kind that Catherine the Great herself was fond of.
10. Kutkha Baty in Kamchatka
These pumice cliffs reach more than 100 meters in height. Their shape resembles boat hulls, so the local Itelmen people had a myth that the raven god Kutkha dried his boats – ‘baty’ – there. And that's pretty much where the name of the area comes from!
