This monument was erected in honor of Salekhard’s unique location on the Arctic Circle. In the evening, the stela is illuminated with multi-colored lights, which resemble the Northern Lights. There is even a whole ritual of passing through the Arctic Circle.
Obdorsky Ostrog (fortress) was founded in 1595. It was one of the first in Siberia and marked the beginning of Salekhard. At the beginning of the 19th century, the fort was deemed unnecessary and demolished, but, in 1992, it was fully rebuilt. Moreover, it was built using ancient technology without a single nail!
In prehistoric times, mammoths lived on the site of Salekhard. Nowadays, a sculpture of one of these giants has been installed there. At night, ‘Mitya’ has glowing tusks and, on New Year’s Eve, he is dressed in a giant Father Frost (Russian Santa Claus) costume.
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